The Turkish Journal of Pediatrics 2010 , Vol 52 , Num 6
Effect of Interferon Therapy on Glucose Metabolism in Children with Chronic Hepatitis B
Departments of1Pediatric Gastroenterology and 2Pediatric Endocrinology, Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, and 3Dr. Sami Ulus Children's Hospital, and 4Dışkapı Research and Training Hospital, Ankara, Turkey Kuloğlu Z, Berberoğlu M, Kansu A, Demirçeken F, Doğancı T, Öcal G, Girgin N. Effect of interferon therapy on glucose metabolism in children with chronic hepatitis B. Turk J Pediatr 2010;52: 594-601.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of interferon (IFN)-a treatment on glucose metabolism in children with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Forty children with CHB received IFN 10 MU/m2 for six months. Oral glucose tolerance test, anti-insulin and anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) antibody, fasting plasma C-peptide and insulin (FPI), postprandial insulin, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), HOMA-cell, and glucose/ insulin ratio (G/I) were measured before and after treatment. The last four parameters were also evaluated in healthy controls (n=42). In patients, fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and HOMA-IR levels were significantly lower than in controls (p=0.001 and p=0.020, respectively). There was a strong correlation between degree of liver disease and FPG. Two patients had hyperinsulinemia. HOMA-IR was suppressed in 7 patients enough to indicate increased sensitivity. FPI of 13 patients and HOMA-cell of 9 patients were lower than the minimum level of controls, features compatible with p-cell hypofunction. Frequency of glucose metabolism abnormalities was not different before and after therapy. After therapy, only 1 patient developed anti-GAD antibody, and FPI of 8 children and HOMA-cell level of 9 children were lower than the minimum level of controls. Hyperinsulinemia was persistent in the same patients. We demonstrated that HBV-infected children had insulin sensitivity; however, no adverse effects of IFN on glucose homeostasis were seen. Keywords : interferon, chronic hepatitis B, children, glucose metabolism

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