A study of glucose and insulin profiles in acute viral hepatitis patients

ABSTRACT

Oral glucose tolerance tests, with 75 gm of glucose load were carried out on 25 patients suffering from acute viral hepatitis including 15 pregnant women and on 25 apparently normal subjects. the mean fasting blood glucose level of hepatitis patients (62.3 - 2.6 mg/dl) was found to be significantly (p<0.01)lower than that of normal subjects (73.6 - 2.0mgdl). After drinking the glucose solution hepatitis patients generally had higher blood glucose levels compared to normal sbjects. Blood glucose and plasma insulin concentration were measured in another 35 acute viral hepatitis patients after an overnight fast, to study the relation between these values and the parameters of liver Function Test. The fastion blood glucose level was found to be inversely correlated to SGOT and SGPT level in these patients.