title: Effect of interferon treatment on glucose metabolism in children with chronic hepatitis B infection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Interferon is known to have some effects on glucose metabolism, but this issue has not been investigated in children with chronic hepatitis B infection. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of interferon on glucose metabolism and to investigate whether autoimmunity has a role in the pathogenesis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fourteen patients (9 male, 6.3+/-2.7 years) with children with chronic hepatitis B infection were prospectively evaluated. They received interferon 10 MU/m2 for six months. Vral glucose tolerance test, fasting insulin and C-peptide, postprandial insulin and C-peptide, anti-GAD antibody, HOMA-IR and glucose/insulin ratio were measured before and after treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Before interferon, oral glucose tolerance test showed glucose intolerance in two patients (14.5%) and hypoglycemia in one patient (7.1%). One patient had hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance (7.1%), and four patients had hypoinsulinemia and insulin hypersensitivity (28.5%). After interferon, oral glucose tolerance test was normal in 13 patients (92.8%). Abnormal oral glucose tolerance test persisted in the same patient, but no difference was found in insulin resistance. Hypoinsulinemia and insulin hypersensitivity were present in five patients (35.7%). DM related autoantibodies were negative in all patients before interferon; however, one patient, whose glucose metabolism was within normal limits, developed anti-GAD antibody after interferon.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children with children with chronic hepatitis B infection were shown to have hypoinsulinemia and insulin hypersensitivity. These children may have risk of progresssing to insuline dependent drabetes mellitus. We demonstrated that interferon did not seem to worsen glucose metabolism, but it had minimal positive impact on it. These results should be supported with other studies and interferon should be used carefully, especially in children with decreased beta cell reserve.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey. zarifekuloglu@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Zarife
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kuloğlu
authors.forename: Aydan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kansu
authors.forename: Merih
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berberoğlu
authors.forename: Fulya
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Demirçeken
authors.forename: Gönül
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ocal
authors.forename: Nurten
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Girgin
mesh_terms: D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007330:Insulin Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D007372:Interferons / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D011336:Probability; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007330:Insulin Antibodies; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D007372:Interferons; D005947:Glucose