Hepatitis C virus (HCV) mainly affects the liver, but also several tissues outside the liver have been reported to be involved, resulting in a wide spectrum of extrahepatic manifestations. During the last decade, it has been hypothesized that diabetes could be one more of these extrahepatic conditions attributable to HCV infection.
In a recent study, researchers have found an association between high blood sugar levels and the progression of fibrosis/cirrhosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C. The study findings were published in the Journal of Immunoassay and Immunochemistry on April 22, 2021.
Previous studies reported diabetes mellitus synergistic interactions with other host factors to fibrosis progression. Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) leads eventually to liver fibrosis, advanced hepatic disease and related deaths. Therefore, it is very important to assess clinical risk factors associated with rapid CHC and hepatic fibrosis progression. In this study, a research team in Egypt conducted a study to evaluate the association between elevated blood sugar levels and CHC progression according to the METAVIR system in patients chronically infected with HCV-genotype 4. They also evaluated the correlation between elevated blood sugar levels and liver- and viral-related biochemical parameters. They included a total of 160 patients with chronic hepatitis C (80 with liver fibrosis and 80 with cirrhosis) and 40 healthy volunteers, negative for hepatitis C Virus.
Key findings of the study were:
Upon analysis, the researchers found that cirrhotic patients had high fasting (169.1 ± 50.2 mg/dL), postprandial (208 (123-320) mg/dL), and random (176.8 ± 51 mg/dL) glucose levels compared to patients with liver fibrosis (105.0 ± 32, 120 (105-135), and 113.5 ± 35 mg/dL, respectively.
They further noted a significant rise in the serum fasting, postprandial and random glucose levels with an increase in fibrosis stages, F1< F2< F3< F4.
They also found that blood glucose levels were significantly correlated with liver disease-related biological parameters and HCV-Ab titer.
The authors concluded, "our results highlighted the fibrogenic impact of elevated glucose levels on CHC patients." It will be worthwhile to keep blood sugar under check in patients of Hepatitis C.
For further information:
https://doi.org/10.1080/15321819.2021.1911813