Evaluation of factors controlling glucose tolerance in patients with HCV infection before and after 4 months therapy with interferon-α

• Published in: European journal of clinical investigation 2000-02, Vol.30 (2), p.111-121
• Main Authors: KONRAD, T, ZEUZEM, S, COBELLI, C, USADEL, K.-H, VICINI, P, TOFFOLO, G, BRIEM, D, LORMANN, J, HERRMANN, G, BERGER, A, KUSTERER, K, TEUBER, G
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Blood Glucose - metabolism; Diabetes Mellitus - etiology; Fasting; Female; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Glucose tolerance; Glucose Tolerance Test; hepatitis C; Hepatitis C, Chronic - drug therapy; Homeostasis; Humans; Insulin - metabolism; Insulin Secretion; insulin sensitivity; Interferon-alpha - therapeutic use; interferon-α; Liver Cirrhosis; Liver. Biliary tract. Portal circulation. Exocrine pancreas; Male; Medical sciences; Other diseases. Semiology; Regression Analysis
• ISSN: 0014-2972; 1365-2362
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2362.2000.00608.x

Background Epidemiological data suggest that chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection may contribute to the development of diabetes mellitus. Therapy of HCV infection with recombinant interferon‐α (r‐IFN‐α) can also impair of glucose metabolism. Methods To investigate the impact of HCV infection and the therapy with r‐IFN‐α on glucose metabolism we measured insulin sensitivity, glucose effectiveness, and first and second phase insulin secretion, using the minimal modelling analysis of frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance tests in 13 nondiabetic patients with HCV‐induced liver disease before and after therapy with r‐INF‐α (6 × 106 U, subcutaneously, three times a week over 4 months). Liver biopsy was performed to evaluate and score liver fibrosis as a marker of HCV‐induced cell injury. Results Insulin sensitivity (r = − 0.59, P