Recently, it was reported the interferon therapy for chronic hepatitis C, often induces retinal diseases. To investigate the effects of HCV infection on diabetic complications, especially diabetic Rretinopathy, 421 patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus were examined for anti-hepatitis C virus antibody (HCVAb), hepatitis Bs antigen (HBs-Ag), and liver function. They were divided into four groups (A, B, C, D); Group A: both HCVAb and HBsAg were negative, with normal liver-function (n=335), Group B: both HCVAb, and HBsAg were negative, with liver-dysfunction (n=35), Group C: positive HCVAb (n=42), and Group D: positive HBsAg (n=9). These four groups showed no significant differences from diabetic controls. The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in Group C (52%) was, however, significantly higher than those of groups A (29%), B (14%), and D (11%), and the prevalence of diabetic nephropathy (40.5%) was higher than those of groups A (19.1%) and B (14.3%)(p<0.05). These findings suggest that HCV infection exacerbates diabetic microangiopathy. We speculate that activated lymphocytes in HCV-infected patients, produce cytokines wchich induce diabetic damage of small vessels.
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