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Effect of interferon therapy on glucose metabolism in children with chronic hepatitis B

Zarife Kuloğlu1, Merih Berberoğlu, Aydan Kansu

  • 1Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, Turkey.

The Turkish Journal of Pediatrics
|March 25, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Interferon-alpha treatment did not adversely affect glucose metabolism in children with chronic hepatitis B. Children with chronic hepatitis B showed insulin sensitivity, with no significant changes in glucose homeostasis after treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Hepatology
  • Endocrinology

Background:

  • Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) affects glucose metabolism.
  • Interferon (IFN)-alpha is a treatment for CHB.
  • The impact of IFN-alpha on glucose metabolism in pediatric CHB patients is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effect of IFN-alpha treatment on glucose metabolism in children with CHB.
  • To assess changes in insulin resistance, beta-cell function, and glucose homeostasis.
  • To compare glucose metabolism parameters between CHB patients and healthy controls.

Main Methods:

  • Forty children with CHB received IFN-alpha (10 MU/m2) for six months.
  • Evaluated oral glucose tolerance, antibodies (anti-insulin, anti-GAD), fasting plasma insulin, C-peptide, HOMA-IR, HOMA-cell, and glucose/insulin ratio.
  • Compared pre- and post-treatment values with 42 healthy controls.

Main Results:

  • CHB patients exhibited lower fasting plasma glucose and HOMA-IR than controls.
  • A correlation was found between liver disease severity and fasting plasma glucose.
  • No significant differences in glucose metabolism abnormalities were observed before and after IFN-alpha therapy.

Conclusions:

  • Children with CHB demonstrate insulin sensitivity.
  • IFN-alpha treatment for CHB in children does not appear to adversely affect glucose homeostasis.
  • Potential for beta-cell hypofunction was noted in some CHB patients, persisting after treatment.

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