Insulin resistance/β-cell function and serum ferritin level in non-diabetic patients with hepatitis C virus infection

Background: Since impaired glucose tolerance and iron overload are frequently demonstrated in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related liver diseases, in this study we investigated insulin resistance, pancreatic beta-cell function, i.e., insulin secretion, and serum ferritin levels in patients with HCV infection, especially non-diabetic patients. Methods: Homeostasis model assessments for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and beta-cell function (HOMA-beta) were performed in 92 HCV-infected patients. Results: The levels of plasma immunoreactive insulin (IRI), HOMA-IR, and HOMA-beta were significantly correlated with fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels. Among the 86 non-diabetics (with an FPG of <126 mg/dl), IRI, HOMA-IR, and HOMA-beta were significantly higher in patients with liver cirrhosis than in patients with persistently normal alanine aminotransferase levels. The IRI and HOMA-IR values, but not the HOMA-beta values, were correlated with both serum transaminase and ferritin levels in the 65 non-diabetic chronic hepatitis patients. Conclusion: Insulin resistance was connected with impaired glucose tolerance and the severity of liver diseases in non-diabetic patients with HCV infection. Iron overload may be responsible for insulin resistance, or vice versa. Pancreatic beta-cell function was unrelated to the patients' serum ferritin levels.