title: [Frequent occurrence of diabetes mellitus after corticosteroid treatment in mixed cryoglobulinemia. An HCV-related complication?].
abstract: The hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is characterized by a variety of extra-hepatic manifestations in many individuals. Among these, diabetes mellitus (DM) can be included, as such a metabolic disorder has been demonstrated to be more frequent in chronic hepatitis C than in liver disease due to other causes. Recently, we have observed that most patients affected with HCV-associated mixed cryoglobulinemia (13 out of 15, 86.7%), that were at baseline normoglycemic, developed DM following corticosteroid treatment (prednisone > 25 mg/daily) for at least three months. Conversely, when we consider a control group including 36 HCV negative patients affected with various immunomediated disorders, i.e., systemic lupus erythematosus, myasthenia gravis, poly/dermatomyositis and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, that were initially normoglycemic, corticosteroid induced DM (prednisone > 25 mg/daily for at least three months) occurred only in 16.7% of subjects. Moreover, in other two HCV positive patients suffering from myasthenia gravis, prolonged corticosteroid treatment was complicated by DM. These data, that are still unclear from a pathophysiologic viewpoint, seem to indicate corticosteroid induced DM as a further, unusual extra-hepatic manifestation of the HCV infection.
authors.affiliation: Servizio di Immunoematologia e Trasfusionale Modulo di Emocitoaferesi, Azienda Ospedaliera, Padova.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marson
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Faggian
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maran
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Silvestro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003449:Cryoglobulinemia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011241:Prednisone / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D011241:Prednisone
vernacular_title: Frequente insorgenza di diabete mellito dopo trattamento cortisonico nella crioglobulinemia mista. Una complicanza HCV-correlata?