Chronic Hepatitis C and Diabetes Mellitus

We often see type-2 diabetes mellitus (DM) in the patients admitted to our clinics for chronic hepatitis C. Thereforey, we decide to examine the patients with chronic viral hepatitis (B and C) for DM and the patients with type-2 DM for HBsAg and anti-HCV antibodies. Group-1 was consisted of 72 patients with chronic hepatitis B and 38 patients with chronic hepatitis C between 1990 and 1995 (n=110). The patients who admitted to hospital for type-2 DM second half of 1995 consisted of group-2. In these two group, we searched the transaminases, other biochemical tests and viral hepatitis markers with ELISA method. We found type-2 DM in 34.2% of patients with chronic hepatitis C and 2.7% of chronic B hepatitis group (p<0.001). All of type-2 DM with chronic hepatitis had not any genetic predisposition for DM. Type-2 DM was diagnosed in 2/3 of the patients after chronic hepatitis C was diagnosed. In the patients with type-2 DM, rates of HBsAg and anti-HCV positivity were found 5% and 6% respectively. The prevalence of HBsAg positiveness is the same as general population value of 5 (4-11)%. Percentage (6%) of anti HCV positiveness in diabetics is significantly higher than normal population value of 0.6 (0.2-1)% (p<0,05). As a result, we think that chronic hepatitis C infection might be a risk factor for type-2 DM

May C-peptide index be a new marker to predict proteinuria in anemic patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus?

Objective. C-peptide is a reliable marker of beta cell reserve and is associated with diabetic complications. Furthermore, HbA1c level is associated with micro- and macro-vascular complications in diabetic patients. HbA1c measurement of diabetic patients with anemia may be misleading because HbA1c is calculated in percent by taking reference to hemoglobin measurements. We hypothesized that there may be a relationship between C-peptide index (CPI) and proteinuria in anemic patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the association between C-peptide levels and CPI in anemic patients with T2DM and proteinuria

Assessment of metal concentrations in commercially important fish species in Black Sea.

In the present study, concentrations of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) were measured in the muscle, gill, and gonads of the pelagic fish species Trachurus mediterraneus, Engraulis encrasicolus ponticus, and Sprattus sprattus that are important both commercially and for the ecosystems in the Black Sea. The samples were collected during 2011. The metals were determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) following an acid digestion. The highest concentrations of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn were found in E. encrasicolus ponticus, whereas the greatest concentrations of Ni were found in T. mediterraneus and Mn in S. sprattus. Results showed that average metal concentrations in the tissues of T. mediterraneus, E. encrasicolus ponticus, and S. sprattus decreased in the order gill > gonad > muscle, gonad > gill > muscle, and gill > gonad > muscle, respectively, for the three species. When metal concentrations of fish tissues were compared between fish gender, there were only statistical differences in the gonads of the studied fish species (p < 0.05). The present study demonstrated that the metals have different correlations with condition factor (CF) and gonadosomatic index (GSI) of the fish species. Cr showed statistically important positive correlation to the GSI in male T. mediterraneus. Co showed statistically important positive correlation to CF in female E. encrasicolus ponticus, and also Co and Cd showed correlation to CF in male T. mediterraneus. Cd concentrations in the muscle tissues of the fish species were above the maximum acceptable concentration for human consumption