The Effect of Hepatitis C Virus Infection on Insulin Resistance in Chronic Haemodialysis Patients

PURPOSE: To investigate the contribution of HCV infection to insulin resistance in chronic haemodialysis patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was performed with 55 patients who were on regular haemodialysis therapy three times per week. Of the 55 patients, 34 (20 females and 14 males with an average age of 40.9 years) were anti-HCV (+) and were defined as the HCV (+) group. The remaining 21 patients (8 females and 11 males with an average age of 50 years) were negative for HCV and other viral markers and were defined as the HCV (-) group. BMI of all patients were below 27. Insulin resistance (IR) was calculated according to the HOMA formula and patients were called HOMA-IR (+) if their HOMA scores were higher than 2.5. All of the HOMA-IR (+) patients in both groups were called the HOMA-IR (+) subgroup. None of the patients had a history of drug use or any diseases that were related to insulin resistance except uremia. In both groups and the healthy control group, insulin and glucose levels were studied at three different venous serum samples taken at 5-minute intervals after 12 hours of fasting. Other individual variables were studied at venous serum samples taken after 12 hours of fasting. RESULTS: HOMA scores were 32.5 in 22 of 34 HCV (+) patients (64.7%) and 7 of 21HCV (-) patients (33.33%) (p = 0.024). Insulin levels of HCV (+) group (13.32 ± 9.44mIU/mL) were significantly higher than HCV (-) (9.07 ± 7.39mIU/mL) and the control groups (6.40 ± 4.94mIU/ mL) (p = 0.039 and p = 0.021 respectively). HCV (+) patients were younger (40.94 ± 17.06 and 52.62 ± 20.64 years, respectively) and had longer dialysis duration (7.18 ± 3.61 and 2.91 ± 2.69 years, respectively). Significant positive correlations of HOMA score with insulin (r = 0.934, p=0.000) and fasting glucose levels (r = 0.379, p = 0.043) were found in the HOMA-IR (+) subgroup. Also, a significant positive correlation was found between ALT and insulin levels in the HOMA IR (+) subgroup. C-peptide levels of both HCV (+) and (-) groups were significantly higher than the control group (p < 0.001). There were not any significant correlations between HOMA score and some of the other individual variables including levels of triglyceride, ferritin, ALT, iPTH and Mg in any of the groups. CONCLUSION: In chronic haemodialysis patients; HCV infection is related to a high prevalence of insulin resistance, higher insulin and glucose levels.