Diabetes mellitus and chronic HCV infection

The aim of our paper was to assess the prevalence of anti HCV antibodies among diabetics from Romania.

We performed two studies: a prospective randomized one, on 559 diabetics from Timişoara, and a second, retrospective-descriptive one, on 625 diabetics from Petroşani, who were tested for anti HCV antibodies.

I. In Timişoara, 559 diabetics were prospectively evaluated, 4.5% (25p.) were anti HCV positive. There were no statistically significant differences between the proportions of type I DM in the anti HCV positive group (4%-1p.) as compared to the entire group (12%-67p.) (p=0.3429), nor in the F: M ratio, 1.3:1 vs. 1.5:1 (p=0.838). II. In Petroşani, 625 diabetics were retrospectively evaluated, 7.7% (48p.) were anti HCV positive. There were no significant differences between the proportions of type I DM in the anti HCV positive group (6%-3p.) vs. the entire group (8%-53p.) (p=0.788), nor in the F: M ratio, 1.7:1 vs. 1.7:1 (p=1).

The prevalence of anti HCV antibodies among diabetics from Romania is rather high (4.5% in a randomized prospective trial and 7.7% in a retrospective descriptive trial) so that this special population (especially type II DM) should be screened for HCV infection, even if the aminotransferases are normal.