TNF-alpha and CXCL-10 correlation with insulin resistance in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection.

There are increasing reports of association between HCV infection and type-2 diabetes mellitus. Although the mechanism by which this association remains uncertain, development of insulin resistance may explain this association. We investigated the association of TNF-alpha and CXCL-10 with insulin resistance in HCV infected patients. Forty-four non-diabetic chronic hepatitis C patients and twenty healthy individuals were included. Fasting blood was used for glucose and insulin measurements. Diagnosis of insulin resistance (IR) was based on a mathematical means by the homeostasis model assessment score-insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR). Serum insulin, TNF-alpha and CXCL-10 levels were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Quantitative measurement of hepatitis C virus was performed by a standardized real time PCR assay. The HCV patients demonstrated a significant increase in serum TNF-alpha, CXCL-10, and HOMA-IR values as compared to normal controls. HOMA-IR level positively correlated with hepatitis C viral load, TNF-alpha and CXCL-10. It is concluded that, TNF-alpha, CXCL-10 correlate with IR and may play a role in the development of type-2 diabetes mellitus in chronic hepatitis C infected patients.