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Abstract
To compare serum hepcidin levels of
patients with hepatitis C induced diabetes mellitus
with healthy controls
Methods: Sixty individuals were included in the
study. Thirty were diagnosed cases of chronic
hepatitis C who developed diabetes mellitus during
the course of HCV infection. Thirty age and gender
matched healthy controls were included. Individuals
with acute hepatitis C, familial diabetes mellitus,
iron deficiency anemia, recent history of blood
transfusion, iron or erythropoietin supplementation
and inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis,
renal, cardiac, pulmonary diseases and on interferon
therapy were excluded from the study. Blood
samples were collected from all the individuals and
serum hepcidin levels were measured by ELISA.
Results: Significant decrease in serum hepcidin
levels was found in patients with the chronic
hepatitis C and diabetes mellitus having mean value
of 2.7±1.03ng/ml as compared with controls having
mean value of 28.5±5.3ng/ml. The difference among
the two groups was significant at p-value of <0.001.
Conclusion: Serum hepcidin levels in patients
with chronic hepatitis C with diabetes mellitus are
significantly less as compared to healthy controls.