title: Association between liver fibrosis and insulin sensitivity in chronic hepatitis C patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Several clinical studies have suggested a possible link between chronic hepatitis caused by hepatitis C virus (HCV) and the development of diabetes mellitus. We investigated the association between liver fibrosis and glucose intolerance in HCV-infected patients by measuring insulin sensitivity and beta-cell function.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 83 chronic HCV-infected patients were recruited into this study. We evaluated insulin sensitivity and beta-cell function of all patients in a fasting state (homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance [HOMA-R] and homeostasis model assessment of beta-cell function [HOMA-beta]) and after an oral load of 75 g glucose (whole-body insulin sensitivity index [WBISI] and Delta-insulin/Delta-glucose 30).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In a multivariate analysis, severe fibrosis was the only independent factor associated with insulin resistance. There were significant differences in both HOMA-R (P= 0.0063) and WBISI (P= 0.0159) between patients with mild fibrosis (N = 34) and those with severe fibrosis (N = 49). Although HOMA-beta was increased significantly in the subjects with severe fibrosis compared with those with mild fibrosis (P= 0.0169), Delta-insulin/Delta-glucose 30 showed no significant difference in stage of liver fibrosis, suggesting an uncertain association between liver fibrosis and beta-cell function.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that the development of liver fibrosis is associated with insulin resistance in HCV-infected patients.
authors.affiliation: The First Department of Internal Medicine, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Nagasaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Naota
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Taura
authors.forename: Tatsuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ichikawa
authors.forename: Keisuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hamasaki
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakao
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.forename: Mariko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fukuta
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kawashimo
authors.forename: Masumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujimoto
authors.forename: Koichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kusumoto
authors.forename: Yasuhide
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Motoyoshi
authors.forename: Hidetaka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shibata
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Abiru
authors.forename: Hironori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamasaki
authors.forename: Katsumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Eguchi
mesh_terms: D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology*; D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells / Q000502:physiology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin