Abstract
It is generally recognized that insulin therapy can be applied to diabetic patients accompanied with liver cell damage. We experienced two diabetic patients who showed elevation of glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) and glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT) during treatment with insulin. The highest values of GOT and GPT in the two patients were 700 U/L, 400 U/L and 230 U/L, 100 U/L, respectively. No abnormalities were observed on liver scintigraphy, CT scanning and echography. Chronic active hepatitis was observed histopathologically in the first case, but not in the second. Both patients showed controlled diabetes with glibenclamide alone after cessation of insulin therapy without relapse of GOT and GPT levels.
It is thus necessary to pay attention to liver functions when insulin is administered to diabetic patients.
