| Theme |
Nutrition Therapy for Liver Diseases |
| Title |
Hepatitis C and Diabetes |
| Author |
Takeya Tsutsumi |
Department of Infectious Diseases, Internal Medicine, University of Tokyo Hospital |
| Author |
Kazuhiko Koike |
Department of Infectious Diseases, Internal Medicine, University of Tokyo Hospital |
| [ Summary ] |
Many clinical studies have demonstrated that patients with hepatitis C viral (HCV) infection tend to have diabetes. Formerly, accompaning liver diseases were considered to be responsible for this pathogenesis. However, a study using HCV transgenic mice demonstrated that HCV itself is responsible for the induction of insulin resistance and that TNF-α is closely associated with the pathogenesis. It is indicated that the existence of insulin resistance is closely related to the progression of liver fibrosis and response to IFN therapy. Therefore, the presence of insulin resistance is an important factor for assessing the treatment of chronic hepatitis C and it is considered to be necessary for HCV-infected patients to improve insulin resistance, if any. |