Increased Insulin Resistance in Hepatitis-C Infection—Association with Altered Hepatic Function Testing

Abstract

Introduction: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a serious global public health problem. It is estimated that 2% to 3% of the world’s population is infected with the virus. It was found that chronic hepatitis C is an independent predictor of the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Infection with HCV or the inflammatory response to HCV infection likely contributes to the development of insulin resistance (IR), which increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the long term. This study aimed to assess the insulin resistance in hepatitis C and its correlation with various metabolic parameters. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in North India in the Department of Internal Medicine with hepatitis C-positive patients attending an out-patient or in-patient department. We took a total of 100 patients aged > 18 years and divided them into two groups: Group A with hepatitis C (cases) and Group B without hepatitis C (controls). There were a total of 50 hepatitis C patients and 50 patients without hepatitis C. Results: A total of 100 patients were included in the present study after obtaining informed consent. There was a significantly higher level of serum ferritin and insulin in group A patients than group B patients. There was a positive correlation of insulin resistance with the serum insulin, ferritin levels, cholesterol, LDL and triglyceride level and a negative correlation with the serum HDL level. The incidence of insulin resistance was positively correlated with changes in fibrosis in the liver due to the hepatitis C infection. Conclusions: From our study, we found that there is an increased incidence of insulin resistance in the patients with hepatitis-C infection, and insulin resistance is associated with the presence of altered hepatic function test results.