title: Clinical expression of insulin resistance in hepatitis C and B virus-related chronic hepatitis: differences and similarities.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the prevalence of the clinical parameters of insulin resistance and diabetes in patients affected by chronic hepatitis C (CHC) or chronic hepatitis B (CHB).
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively evaluated 852 consecutive patients (726 CHC and 126 CHB) who had undergone liver biopsy. We recorded age, sex, ALT, type 2 diabetes and/or metabolic syndrome (MS), body mass index (BMI), and apparent disease duration (ADD).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Age, ADD, BMI, prevalence of MS and diabetes in patients with mild/moderate liver fibrosis were significantly higher in CHC. However, the degree of steatosis and liver fibrosis evaluated in liver biopsies did not differ between CHC and CHB patients. At multivariate analysis, age, sex, BMI, ALT and diabetes were independent risk factors for liver fibrosis in CHC, whereas only age was related to liver fibrosis in CHB. We also evaluated the association between significant steatosis (>30%) and age, sex, BMI, diabetes, MS and liver fibrosis. Diabetes, BMI and liver fibrosis were associated with steatosis >30% in CHC, whereas only age and BMI were related to steatosis in CHB.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data may indicate that hepatitis C virus infection is a risk factor for insulin resistance.
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine and Hepatology Unit, Second University of Naples, Via F. Petrarca, 101/b, Naples 80122, Italy. marcello.persico@unina2.it
authors.forename: Marcello
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Persico
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Masarone
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: La Mura
authors.forename: Eliana
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Persico
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Moschella
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Svelto
authors.forename: Savino
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bruno
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Torella
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000150:complications; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors