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ABSTRACT
In order to evaluate the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in diabetic patients, 13 type 1 and 106 type 2, a total of 119 diabetic patients were examined. Patients were analyzed for sex, type of diabetes, diabetes duration, treatment of diabetes, diabetic complications and HbA1c and their history about previous hospitalization, major surgical procedure and blood transfusion was recorded. Liver function tests were studied and elevations were categorized as hepatocellular, cholestatic or both. Serologic testing for anti-HCV was done using a third generation commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and also hepatitis B virus markers were studied. When diabetic patients were compared with 3000 healthy blood donors, the prevalence of HCV infection was found to be significantly higher in diabetic patients (10.92% vs. 1.2%, p<0.001). Antİ HCV positive diabetic patients were compared with the anti HCV negative diabetic patients for epidemiological and clinical variables and there was found no correlation between them. Abnormal liver function tests were observed in 61.4% of anti HCV positive diabetic patients compared with 23.5% of anti HCV negative diabetics (p<0.05). While hepatocellular and cholestatic enzyme elevations of the two groups were not markedly different, mixed cholestatic+hepatocellular enzyme abnormalities were significantly higher in anti HCV positive patients (53.8% vs. 5.6%,p<0.001). In five of the 13 HCV(+) diabetic patients percutaneous liver biopsies were performed and 4 patients were found to have chronic active hepatitis and one precirrhosis. Because HCV infection prevalence is extremely high in the diabetic population, diabetic patients that have liver enzyme abnormalities should be evaluated strictly and HCV infection be ruled out.
In order to evaluate the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in diabetic patients, 13 type 1 and 106 type 2, a total of 119 diabetic patients were examined. Patients were analyzed for sex, type of diabetes, diabetes duration, treatment of diabetes, diabetic complications and HbA1c and their history about previous hospitalization, major surgical procedure and blood transfusion was recorded. Liver function tests were studied and elevations were categorized as hepatocellular, cholestatic or both. Serologic testing for anti-HCV was done using a third generation commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and also hepatitis B virus markers were studied. When diabetic patients were compared with 3000 healthy blood donors, the prevalence of HCV infection was found to be significantly higher in diabetic patients (10.92% vs. 1.2%, p<0.001). Antİ HCV positive diabetic patients were compared with the anti HCV negative diabetic patients for epidemiological and clinical variables and there was found no correlation between them. Abnormal liver function tests were observed in 61.4% of anti HCV positive diabetic patients compared with 23.5% of anti HCV negative diabetics (p<0.05). While hepatocellular and cholestatic enzyme elevations of the two groups were not markedly different, mixed cholestatic+hepatocellular enzyme abnormalities were significantly higher in anti HCV positive patients (53.8% vs. 5.6%,p<0.001). In five of the 13 HCV(+) diabetic patients percutaneous liver biopsies were performed and 4 patients were found to have chronic active hepatitis and one precirrhosis. Because HCV infection prevalence is extremely high in the diabetic population, diabetic patients that have liver enzyme abnormalities should be evaluated strictly and HCV infection be ruled out.