Effect of direct acting antiviral therapy of Chronic Hepatitis C virus on insulin resistance and Type2 DM in Egyptian patients (prospective study)

T2DM may exert a protective effect against digestive system tumors in East Asian populations: a Mendelian randomization analysis

Introduction

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) was associated with digestive system tumors. We analyzed publicly available data from GWAS studies using Mendelian randomization methods to clarify its causal relationship and mechanisms. Five common digestive system tumors and four diabetes-related phenotypes were included.

Methods

Inverse variance weighted method was the main analytical method. Meta-analysis was used to summarize results of multiple data sources. Horizontal pleiotropy was tested using Egger-intercept method and validated by MRPRESSO method. Heterogeneity and sensitivity analysis were conducted by Cochran's Q test and leave-one-out method, respectively.

Results

T2DM is associated with a reduced risk of esophageal (OR: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.71 to 0.83, P< 0.001), gastric (OR: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.84 to 0.90, P< 0.001) and colorectal cancer (OR: 0.88, 95% CI: 0.85 to 0.91, P< 0.001) and hepatocellular carcinoma (OR: 0.92, 95% CI: 0.86 to 0.97, P = 0.005) and an increased risk of pancreatic cancer (OR: 1.92, 95% CI: 1.47 to 2.50, P< 0.001) in East Asian population. T2DM causes decreased fasting insulin levels (OR = 0.966, 95% CI: 0.95 to 0.98, P< 0.001) and increased glycated hemoglobin levels (OR=1.41, 95% CI: 1.39 to 1.44, P<0.001). Elevated fasting insulin levels increase the risk of esophageal cancer (OR = 10.35, 95% CI: 1.10 to 97.25, P = 0.041), while increased glycated hemoglobin levels increase pancreatic cancer risk (OR=2.33, 95% CI: 1.37 to 3.97, P=0.002) but decrease gastric cancer risk (OR=0.801, 95% CI: 0.65 to 0.99, P=0.044).

Conclusion

T2DM is associated with a reduced risk of esophageal, gastric and colorectal cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma in East Asian populations. The causal relationships between T2DM with esophageal and gastric cancer are partially mediated by decreased fasting insulin and increased glycated hemoglobin levels, respectively. T2DM indirectly increases the risk of pancreatic cancer by increasing glycated hemoglobin levels.

Effect of HCV eradication by DAAs on liver steatosis, carotid atherosclerosis, and associated metabolic comorbidities: A systematic review

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The beneficial effect of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) eradication by direct antiviral agents (DAAs) on liver fibrosis is well defined. Despite this, the impact of viral eradication in both hepatic and extra-hepatic metabolic features is underreached. This systematic review aimed to synthesize the evidence on the impact of HCV eradication by DAAs on liver steatosis, carotid atherosclerosis, glucidic impairment, dyslipidaemia, and weight gain.

METHODS

A systematic search of the existing literature (up to December 2022) identified 97 original studies that fulfilled the inclusion criteria.

RESULTS

Whereas total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) seem to increase after viral eradication, the cardiovascular damage expressed as carotid plaques and intima-media thickness seems to improve. Otherwise, the effect on liver steatosis, glucidic homeostasis, and weight seems to be strictly dependent on the presence of baseline metabolic disorders.

CONCLUSION

Despite high heterogeneity and relatively short follow-up of included studies, we can conclude that the presence of metabolic risk factors should be strictly evaluated due to their impact on liver steatosis, glucidic and lipid homeostasis, and on weight gain to better identify patients at risk of liver disease progression despite the virus eradication.

Impact of hepatitis C virus eradication with direct-acting antivirals on glycidic metabolism

Objective

To compare the glucose metabolism of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection treated with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) in pretreatment and sustained viral response (SVR) periods.

Materials and methods

This was an intervention pre-post study of 273 patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection treated with DAAs from March 2018 to December 2019. Glycidic metabolism was evaluated through homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) - insulin resistance (IR) and HOMA-β indices and assessments of insulinemia and HbA1c levels. These parameters were analyzed with a T test by paired comparison of the means of the variables and Wilcoxon's test paired for the median; in the variables with an abnormal distribution, the Z score was generated for the mean in both the pretreatment and SVR periods. Statistical significance was considered at p ≤ 0.05.

Results

Among 273 participants, 125 (45.8%) had prediabetes, and 50 (18.3%) had diabetes. In SVR, there was a significant increase in platelets, albumin, alkaline phosphatase, cholesterol and triglycerides and a significant decrease in aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, gamma GT and bilirubin. The HOMA-IR and HOMA-β indices increased in SVR from 1.95 to 2.29 (p = 0.087) and 71.20 to 82.60 (p = 0.001), respectively. Insulinemia increased from 7.60 μU/mL to 8.90 μU/mL (p = 0.011). HbA1c decreased from 5.6 to 5.4 (p < 0.001). Among patients with prediabetes and those with diabetes, the reduction in HbA1c values was significant (p = 0.006 and p = 0.026, respectively).

Conclusion

SVR significantly impacts and leads to improvement in glucose metabolism in patients with chronic liver disease induced by hepatitis C virus.

Posttreatment nonalcoholic fatty liver disease fibrosis scores for predicting liver-related complications in patients with chronic hepatitis C receiving direct-acting antiviral agents

Patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) have a higher prevalence of hepatic steatosis and dyslipidaemia than healthy individuals. We analysed noninvasive fibrosis assessments, especially nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)-related noninvasive fibrosis tests, for predicting liver-related complications and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurrence in patients with CHC. This retrospective study enrolled 590 consecutive patients with CHC having a sustained virologic response (SVR) to direct-acting antiviral agent (DAA) therapy. The NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS) exhibiting the highest value of area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was selected for comparison with the fibrosis-4 index (FIB-4). Of the 590 patients, 188 had metabolic syndrome. A multivariate Cox regression analysis identified total bilirubin at 3 or 6 months after DAA therapy (PW12), NFS at PW12 (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.125, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.058-4.267, p = .034) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) at PW12 (HR: 1.071, 95% CI: 1.005-1.142, p = .034) as the independent predictors of liver-related complications in all patients. In patients with metabolic syndrome, NFS and AFP values at PW12 were independent predictors of liver-related complications and HCC occurrence. Time-dependent NFS AUROC values at PW12 for 1-, 2- and 3-year liver-related complications were higher than NFS values at baseline in patients with metabolic syndrome. NFS at baseline or PW12 is a more effective predictor of liver-related complications than FIB-4 values in all patients. NFS at PW12 may be a useful predictor of liver-related complications and HCC development in patients with CHC with an SVR to DAA therapy, especially in those with metabolic syndrome.

Therapy of Chronic Viral Hepatitis: The Light at the End of the Tunnel?

Chronic viral hepatitis determines significant morbidity and mortality globally and is caused by three main etiological actors (Hepatitis B Virus, Hepatitis C Virus, and Hepatitis D Virus) with different replicative cycles and biological behaviors. Thus, therapies change according to the different characteristics of the viruses. In chronic hepatitis B, long term suppressive treatments with nucleoside/nucleotide analogues have had a dramatic impact on the evolution of liver disease and liver-related complications. However, a conclusive clearance of the virus is difficult to obtain; new strategies that are able to eradicate the infection are currently objects of research. The therapy for Hepatitis D Virus infection is challenging due to the unique virology of the virus, which uses the synthetic machinery of the infected hepatocyte for its own replication and cannot be targeted by conventional antivirals that are active against virus-coded proteins. Recently introduced antivirals, such as bulevertide and lonafarnib, display definite but only partial efficacy in reducing serum HDV-RNA. However, in combination with pegylated interferon, they provide a synergistic therapeutic effect and appear to represent the current best therapy for HDV-positive patients. With the advent of Direct Acting Antiviral Agents (DAAs), a dramatic breakthrough has occurred in the therapeutic scenario of chronic hepatitis C. Cure of HCV infection is achieved in more than 95% of treated patients, irrespective of their baseline liver fibrosis status. Potentially, the goal of global HCV elimination by 2030 as endorsed by the World Health Organization can be obtained if more global subsidised supplies of DAAs are provided.

Abnormal Expression of microRNA-296-3p in Type 2 Diabetes Patients and its Role in Pancreatic β-Cells Function by Targeting Tensin Homolog Deleted on Chromosome Ten

Diabetes mellitus (DM), a familiar disease, is characterized by high blood glucose levels owing to insulin deficiency. Researches have suggested that the incidence rate of diabetes is increasing and it has become an important global epidemic. The type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is featured with pancreatic β-cell loss and lack of insulin release. Nevertheless, the therapeutic methods that was helpful to improve pancreatic β-cell damage still unclear. Previous report have revealed that tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN) was remarkably enhanced in serum of patients with T2DM, and the lack of PTEN may prevent function deficiency of pancreatic β-cells in DM. However, the underlying mechanisms are rarely illustrated. Our purpose in this report was to illustrated the roles and potential mechanism of microRNA-296-3p (miR-296-3p) in uric acid (UA)-induced pancreatic β-cell injury. The direct target of miR-296-3p was predicted and verified by dual-luciferase reporter system and TargetScan assay. Moreover, Min6 cells were induced by 5 mg/dl UA and the cell proliferation, apoptosis, and insulin release were evaluated using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, flow cytometry and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS), respectively. Quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) and western blot assay were adopted to analyze the levels of miR-296-3p, PTEN and apoptosis-related proteins. TargetScan and Dual-luciferase reporter system confirmed that PTEN directly target miR-296-3p. MiR-296-3p was downregulated in UA-induced Min6 cells and the serum of type 2 diabetes patients, while PTEN was upregulated in UA-induced Min6 cells. Upregulation of miR-296-3p by mimic dramatically promoted miR-296-3p level and decreased PTEN level. Besides, PTEN was over-expressed after PTEN-plasmid transfection. UA treatment prominently decreased cell viability, promoted apoptotic cells, enhanced Bax levels, declined Bcl-2 level as well as decreased insulin release in Min6 cells. MiR-296-3p mimic significantly alleviated UA-induced pancreatic β-cells dysfunction, and PTEN-plasmid eliminated the protective effect of miR-296-3p on insulin release, cell viability, and apoptosis of pancreatic β-cells in UA-stimulated Min6 cells. In summary, our findings revealed that upregulation of miR-296-3p protected pancreatic β-cells functions against UA-induced dysfunction by targeting PTEN, which provides a novel agent for type 2 diabetes treatment.

The impact of direct-acting antiviral treatment on glycemic homeostasis in patients with chronic hepatitis C

BACKGROUND

there is robust epidemiological evidence suggesting the link of chronic Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). Viral clearance achieved by Direct Acting Antiviral Agents (DAAs) has been associated to significant improvements in glycometabolic control but data on the long-term effect of Sustained Virological Response on diabetic disease are limited.

AIM

the aim of this review is to evaluate the influence of SVR after DAA-based therapy on Insulin Resistance (IR) and DM incidence in non-diabetic patients, on the glycemic homeostasis in diabetic patients and on their long-term hepatic and metabolic outcomes.

METHODS

an electronic search of Embase, PubMed, MEDLINE, Ovid and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews was performed for papers regarding the effect of DAAinduced SVR on the glycometabolic control and clinical outcomes of HCV-positive diabetic patients up to September 30, 2020.

RESULTS

among non-diabetic patients, a significant reduction in the risk of IR and DM was reported by the vast majority of the studies; the glycometabolic control significantly improved in diabetic patients during and immediately after the end of antiviral treatment. However, whether this beneficial effect is long lasting is still matter of debate. Furthermore, at variance with data obtained during the Interferon (IFN) era, DM does not seem to be an unfavourable predictive factor of Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) in cured patients.

CONCLUSIONS

a favourable influence of DAA-induced SVR on IR and DM incidence and on glycemic control is reported by several studies. However, the long-term biochemical, metabolic and clinical impact of this endocrine benefit remains largely unknown.