ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Although the pathogenesis remains to be elucidated, a growing evidence has suggested a role of pro-inflammatory immune response. Increased serum concentrations of Interleukin 6 (IL-6) have been associated with insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes mellitus as well as advanced forms of liver disease in chronic hepatitis C infection. AIM: To investigate the frequency of IL-6-174G/C (rs1800795) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in CHC patients and in healthy subjects of the same ethnicity. Associations between type 2 diabetes mellitus (dependent variable) and demographic, clinical, nutritional, virological and, IL-6 genotyping data were also investigated in CHC patients. METHODS: Two hundred and forty-five patients with CHC and 179 healthy control subjects (blood donors) were prospectively included. Type 2 diabetes mellitus was diagnosed according to the criteria of the American Diabetes Association. Clinical, biochemical, histological and radiological methods were used for the diagnosis of the liver disease. IL-6 polymorphism was evaluated by Taqman SNP genotyping assay. The data were analysed by logistic regression models. RESULTS: Type 2 diabetes mellitus, blood hypertension and liver cirrhosis were observed in 20.8% (51/245), 40.0% (98/245) and 38.4% (94/245) of the patients, respectively. The frequency of the studied IL-6 SNP did not differ between the CHC patients and controls (P = 0.81) and all alleles were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P = 0.38). In the multivariate analysis, type 2 diabetes mellitus was inversely associated with GC and CC genotypes of IL-6-174 (OR = 0.42; 95%CI = 0.22-0.78; P = 0.006) and positively associated with blood hypertension (OR = 5.56; 95%CI = 2.79-11.09; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This study was the first to show that GC and CC genotypes of IL-6-174 SNP are associated with a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in patients chronically infected with hepatitis C virus. The identification of potential inflammatory mediators involved in the crosstalk between hepatitis C virus and the axis pancreas-liver remains important issues that deserve further investigations.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Because cirrhotic patients are at high risk of malnutrition and sarcopenia, we evaluated the prevalence of low fat-free mass index (FFMI) and low phase angle (PhA) among patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC). METHODS: In total, 135 subjects with CHC (50.4% males; mean age, 52.4 ± 11.8 years; 65.9% noncirrhotic and 34.1% compensated cirrhotic patients) were prospectively included and evaluated by bioelectrical impedance analysis. Subjective global assessment was used to evaluate malnutrition. RESULTS: Low FFMI and low PhA were identified in 21.5% and 23.7% of the patients, respectively. Compensated cirrhotic patients had lower PhA values than those without cirrhosis. Low FFMI was associated with male sex (odds ratio [OR], 2.74; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00-7.01; P = .04) and malnutrition (OR, 4.27; 95% CI, 1.42-12.90; P = .01). Low PhA was associated with cirrhosis (OR, 3.92; 95% CI, 1.56-9.86; P = .004), malnutrition (OR, 5.52; 95% CI, 1.73-17.62; P = .004), and current alcohol use (OR, 2.77; 95% CI, 1.01-7.58; P = .05). Reactance (Xc) normalized for height (H), an indicator of muscle strength, was independently associated with male sex, age, hypertension, and serum albumin. CONCLUSION: Host factors, including clinical comorbidities, lifestyle, and nutrition status, are associated with low FFMI and low PhA in noncirrhotic and in compensated cirrhotic patients with CHC. These findings highlight the relevance of evaluating body composition in patients chronically infected by hepatitis C virus independently of the stage of liver disease.
