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Increased frequency of HCV and HBV infection in type 2 diabetic patients
L Sangiorgio1, T Attardo, R Gangemi
1Department of Internal Medicine, Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, University of Catania, Italy.
Insights
Diabetic patients have an increased risk of viral hepatitis B and C. This study found a significant prevalence of hepatitis B and C markers in a diabetic population, highlighting them as a risk group.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Endocrinology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Diabetes mellitus is a growing global health concern.
- Viral hepatitis, caused by Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), poses significant public health challenges.
- The potential increased risk of viral hepatitis in diabetic populations requires investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if diabetic patients are at increased risk for HBV and/or HCV infection.
- To assess the prevalence of HBV and HCV markers in a cohort of diabetic individuals.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 1514 diabetic patients (668 males, 846 females) was studied.
- Patients with persistently elevated liver enzymes (AST/ALT) were screened for HBV and HCV infection markers.
- Hepatitis B and C serological markers were analyzed in eligible patients.
Main Results:
- Of 1514 diabetic patients, 19.48% exhibited abnormal liver enzyme levels.
- Among tested patients with abnormal liver enzymes, 76.6% were positive for at least one hepatitis marker (HBV, HCV, or both).
- The overall prevalence of HBV and/or HCV infection in the studied diabetic population was 11.36%, with no significant gender-based difference.
Conclusions:
- Type 2 diabetic patients exhibit an elevated prevalence of Hepatitis B and C, often co-infected.
- Diabetic individuals should be considered a population at risk for viral hepatitis.
- Screening for HBV and HCV is recommended in diabetic patients, particularly those with abnormal liver function tests.
Abstract:
The aim of our study was to verify if the diabetic population can be considered at risk for HBV (B hepatitis virus) and/or HCV (C hepatitis virus) correlated viral hepatitis. We examined 1514 diabetic patients, 668 males and 846 females. In patients who had, on at least two occasions, pathological transaminase values (AST and/or ALT), the markers for HBV and HCV infection were determined. Of the 1514 patients studied, 295 (19.48%) had pathological values of ALT and /or AST. Among the hypertransaminase patients (295), 69 were not tested for the markers because they refused to give informed consent; of the remaining 226 patients, 54 were negative and 172 (76.6%) were positive for at least one of the hepatitis markers (HBV, HCV or both). Those who were anti-HCV positive were 115 (38.98%), of which 50 were also positive to hepatitis B (16.9%), while those positive only to the B markers were 57 (19.3%). If we compare the patients with positive markers (172) to the total number of diabetic patients studied (1514), we find that there is a hepatitis B and/or C prevalence of 11.36%, with no statistically significant difference between females (95/846, 11.23%) and males (77/668, 11.53%). The prevalence of only hepatitis C was 7.6%, while only hepatitis B was 7.1%. In conclusion, our study shows an increasing prevalence of hepatitis C and B, often associated, in type 2 diabetic patients that allows us to define them as a group at risk for viral hepatitis.