This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Evidence demonstrates that the prevalence of diabetes is greater in HCV patients than in the general population. Fat deposition in the liver is a risk factor for progression to cirrhosis and increased fat deposition in liver is seen genotype-3 compared to genotype-1. Impaired use of glucose by liver and the body seems to cause fat deposition and increased inflammatory substances in the blood.
Specific Aims and Procedures: 1. To compare tendency to develop diabetes in different types of HCV patients and their age, gender, and BMI matched normal healthy volunteers by using oral glucose tolerance test. 2. To determine degree of fat deposition, structural and protein changes at cellular level in different types of HCV patients and compare with 'controlled' liver specimens from the UTMB surgical patients without underlying liver diseases 3) To compare blood levels of inflammatory substances in different types of HCV patients and matched healthy volunteers. To use gene analysis to look at the inflammatory substance profiles compared to normal controls by using gene chips. 40 treatment naive HCV patients and up to 40 healthy volunteers will be enrolled. Arm 1 (N=20): HCV patients with genotype 1 Arm 2 (N=20): HCV patients with genotype 3 Arm 3 (N20): Healthy volunteers without liver diseases This study will help us understand the predominant factors responsible for higher prevalence of diabetes in patients with chronic HCV and also will tell us why patients with HCV genotype 3 have more fat in liver than genotype-1.
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