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Biomedical subjects

P Vicini

Publications and source records attributed to P Vicini.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Use of local hyperthermia as prophylaxis of fibrosis and modification in penile length following radical retropubic prostatectomy.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of local hyperthermia in reducing possible penile shortening following radical retropubic prostatectomy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study population comprised 40 patients, aged 52-74 years, submitted to radical retropubic prostatectomy. Patients were divided into two groups of 20. In Group A, patients were submitted to local hyperthermia 3 weeks after surgery, three times a week, with treatment lasting 30 min. Patients received a total of 10 applications, which reached a local temperature of 39-40 degrees C. A second cycle was repeated after 1 month. In Group B, patients were submitted only to post-operative follow-up once a month. Penile length was measured in all patients both before and 3 months after surgery in the 'stretching phase' from the pubo-penile junction to the tip of the glans. RESULTS: In Group A patients (hyperthermia treatment), no variation in penile length was observed in 16 cases (80%), while the reduction ranged from 0.5-1.5 cm in four cases (20%). In Group B, 12 patients (60%) showed a reduction in penile length ranging from 0.5-2.5 cm, while penile length remained unchanged in eight patients (40%). CONCLUSIONS: Results of this study demonstrate a mild but statistically relevant reduction in penile shortening following low-grade, externally delivered penile hyperthermia, thus confirming the efficacy of this approach in preventing penile shortening caused by post-ischaemic fibrosis.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Role of hyperthermia in the treatment of Peyronie's disease: a preliminary study.

OBJECTIVE: Previous experience in the treatment of plaque with hyperthermia in orthopaedics led the authors to investigate the effectiveness of this approach in patients with Peyronie's disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study population comprised 60 patients (aged 36-76 years) with advanced Peyronie's disease. Patients were divided into two groups (A and B), with 30 in each. Group A patients underwent local hyperthermia treatment, with 30-min treatment sessions twice a week for 5 weeks. Patients received a total of 10 applications, which reached a local temperature of 39-40 degrees C. A second cycle was repeated after a 1-month interval for a total of 20 treatment sessions. Group B patients were treated with intra-plaque infiltrations using 10 mg verapamil; they received one infiltration once a week for 3 months. Differences between the two groups, as well as between variables (before and after treatment), were analysed using Student t-test and Fisher test. RESULTS: Hyperthermia significantly reduced plaque size and penile curvature and led to an increase in mean scores of erectile function (EF) domain, while verapamil had no such effects. Haemodynamic parameters were not significantly modified in either group. Hyperthermia caused significantly fewer side effects than verapamil infiltrations and was significantly more effective in preventing disease progression. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of pain reduction during erection. CONCLUSIONS: Results of this study stress the efficacy of hyperthermia in the treatment of advanced Peyronie's disease.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Protective effects of benzisothiazolylamidines on IL-1 beta induced alterations in human articular chondrocyte metabolism.

The in vitro effects on human articular chondrocytes were evaluated for a series of N-benzo[d]isothiazol-3-yl-amidines, bearing as pharmacophoric moiety the nonacidic isosteric nitrogen analogue of the carboxylic group. The aim was to verify their effectiveness in articular diseases, such as arthritis. Human chondrocytes were treated with IL-1beta in the presence of a series of N-benzo[d]isothiazol-3-yl-amidines at a concentration of 100 microg/mL. After 120 h, the amount of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), the production of nitric oxide (NO) and the inhibition of metalloproteinases (MMP-3) and prostaglandin (PGE2) were measured. Nitrite production induced by inflammatory IL-1beta on cultured chondrocytes was inhibited by the N-benzo[d]isothiazol-3-yl-amidines tested, in particular by N-benzo[d]isothiazol-3-yl-benzamidine, which was the most active. Concerning the effects on GAGs, all the tested benzisothiazolylamidines, and in particular N-benzo[d]isothiazol-3-yl-acetamidine, prevented the depletion of proteoglycan induced by IL-1beta. Inhibitory effects of the tested compounds on MMP-3 activity and on PGE2 production were also observed.

Amidines↗
PubMed2004

Preliminary observations on the use of propionyl-L-carnitine in combination with sildenafil in patients with erectile dysfunction and diabetes.

PURPOSE: To investigate the efficacy and tolerability of oral propionyl-L-carnitine (PLC) plus sildenafil in men with erectile dysfunction (ED) and diabetes unresponsive to sildenafil monotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with medically documented ED of organic or mixed aetiology and diabetes (type 1 and 2) were randomised to receive oral PLC (2 g/day) plus sildenafil (50 mg twice weekly) (20 patients, Group 1) or sildenafil alone (20 patients, Group 2), in a double-blind, fixed-dose study. All patients had been previously treated unsuccessfully with a minimum of eight administrations of sildenafil. Efficacy was evaluated using the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaire: total score, subscores for questions 3 (Q3; achieving an erection) and 4 (Q4; maintaining an erection) and global efficacy question (GEQ: 'Has treatment improved your erections?'). Patients Event Logs were also used. RESULTS: After 24 weeks of treatment, mean scores for IIEF Q3 and Q4 had improved significantly in patients of Group 1 (4.25 +/- 0.63 and 3.95 +/- 1.0) compared with Group 2 (2.9 +/- 0.71 and 2.7 +/- 0.96) (p < 0.01). Moreover, the percentage of patients with improved erections (GEQ 68% vs. 23%) and successful intercourse attempts (76% vs. 34%) was significantly increased in Group 1 compared with Group 2 (p < 0.01). Fourteen (70%) patients in Group 1 and four (20%) in Group 2 reported an increase in mean IIEF EF domain score of > or = 4 (p < 0.01). Treatments were well tolerated and no patient discontinued study medication. Two patients in Group 1 reported mild gastric pain. CONCLUSIONS: Salvage therapy with PLC plus sildenafil was more effective than sildenafil in the treatment of ED in patients with diabetes refractory to sildenafil monotherapy.

Carnitine↗
PubMed2001

An evaluation of extended vs weighted least squares for parameter estimation in physiological modeling.

Weighted least squares (WLS) is the technique of choice for parameter estimation from noisy data in physiological modeling. WLS can be derived from maximum likelihood theory, provided that the measurement error variance is known and independent of the model parameters and the weights are calculated as the inverse of the measurement error variance. However, using measured values in lieu of predicted values to quantify the measurement error variance is approximately valid only when the noise in the data is relatively low. This practice may thus introduce sampling variation in the resulting estimates, as weights can be seriously mis-specified. To avoid this, extended least squares (ELS) has been used, especially in pharmacokinetics. ELS uses an augmented objective function where the measurement error variance depends explicitly on the model parameters. Although it is more complex, ELS accounts for the Gaussian maximum likelihood statistical model of the data better than WLS, yet its usage is not as widespread. The use of ELS in high data noise situations will result in more accurate parameter estimates than WLS (when the underlying model is correct). To support this claim, we have undertaken a simulation study using four different models with varying amounts of noise in the data and further assuming that the measurement error standard deviation is proportional to the model prediction. We also motivate this in terms of maximum likelihood and comment on the practical consequences of using WLS and ELS as well as give practical guidelines for choosing one method over the other.

Computational Biology↗
PubMed2001

Impact of cyclosporine and low-dose steroid therapy on insulin sensitivity and beta-cell function in patients with long-term liver grafts.

To examine whether factors controlling glucose tolerance, i.e., insulin sensitivity (SI) and first-(phi1) and second-phase insulin secretion (phi2), are impaired in after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT), they were assesssed in patients that had undergone OLT for cirrhosis (n = 10) with cyclosporin A and low-dose steroid therapy (5 mg prednisone per day) and were compared with those of healthy matched control subjects (n = 10). These factors were determined by means of computer-based analysis of frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance tests (FSIGTT). Glucose and insulin profiles (posthepatic insulin) did not differ between both groups, whereas C-peptide levels (prehepatic insulin) were elevated in the transplant group after the FSIGTT, indicating an increased hepatic insulin degradation. SI and (phi1 did not differ between both groups. phi2, however, was significantly enhanced (23.94 +/- 2.63 vs 13.88 +/- 1.25 min(-1), P < 0.05). These results indicate that cyclosporine and low-dose steroid therapy do not impair SI and phi1. However, enhanced phi2 compensates the increased hepatic insulin clearance.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Serum and lower respiratory tract drug concentrations after tobramycin inhalation in young children with cystic fibrosis.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the serum and lower respiratory tract tobramycin concentrations (C(T)) produced by a single dose of tobramycin for inhalation delivered by a nebulizer and a compressor in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) 6 months to 6 years of age. STUDY DESIGN: We performed a dose escalation study of serum C(T) measured before and 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 hours after a single dose of inhaled tobramycin, either 180 mg (10 patients) or 300 mg (19 patients). In a separate group of 12 patients, epithelial lining fluid (ELF) C(T) was measured by bronchoalveolar lavage 30 to 45 minutes after a 300-mg dose. RESULTS: A 180-mg dose of inhaled tobramycin produced a mean peak serum C(T) of 0.5 microg/mL (SD 0.4; range, <0.2 to 1.4 microg/mL). A 300-mg dose produced a mean peak serum C(T) of 0.6 microg/mL (SD 0.5; range, <0.2 to 1.2 microg/mL). These peak values are well below the accepted maximum trough concentration with parenteral dosing (2 microg/mL). The target ELF C(T) was 20 microg/mL, 10-fold greater than the minimal inhibitory concentration for most Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from very young patients with CF (2 microg/mL). Mean ELF C(T) was 90 microg/mL (SD 54; range, 16 to 204 microg/mL) and exceeded the target concentration in 11 patients. CONCLUSION: In patients with CF ages 6 months to 6 years, a single 300-mg dose of inhaled tobramycin appears to produce safe peak serum concentrations and drug concentrations in the bactericidal range in the lower respiratory tract.

Administration, Inhalation↗
PubMed2001

The iterative two-stage population approach to IVGTT minimal modeling: improved precision with reduced sampling. Intravenous glucose tolerance test.

The minimal model method is widely used to estimate glucose effectiveness (S(G)) and insulin sensitivity (S(I)) from intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT) data. In the standard protocol (sIVGTT, 0.33 g/kg glucose bolus given at time 0), which allows the simultaneous assessment of beta-cell function, the precision of the individualized estimates often degrades and particularly so in the presence of reduced sampling schedules. Here, we investigated the use of a population approach, the iterative two-stage (ITS) approach, to analyze 16 sIVGTTs in healthy subjects and to obtain refined estimates of S(G) and S(I) in the population and in the individual subjects. The ITS is based on calculation of the population mean and standard deviation of the parameters at each iteration and then use of them as prior information for the individual analyses. Theoretically, the use of a prior in the ITS should improve the precision of the individual estimates. The customary approach (standard two stage, STS), where modeling is performed separately for each individual subject, does not take the population knowledge into account. We used both frequent (FSS, 30 samples) and (quasi-optimally) reduced (RSS, 14 samples) sampling schedules. For the FSS, STS gave estimates (mean +/- SD) for S(G) = 2.66 +/- 1.09 x 10(-2). min(-1) and S(I) = 6.46 +/- 6.99 10(-4). min(-1). microU(-1). ml, with an average precision of 51 (range 5-176) and 33% (3-91), respectively. RSS radically worsened the precision of both S(G) and S(I). However, RSS and ITS gave S(G) = 2.59 +/- 0.73 and S(I) = 6.06 +/- 7.28, with an average precision of 23 (12-42) and 27% (), respectively. In conclusion, population minimal modeling of sIVGTT data improves the precision of individual estimates of glucose effectiveness and insulin sensitivity, as the theory predicts, and, even with reduced sampling, the improvement is substantial.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Triglyceride enrichment of HDL does not alter HDL-selective cholesteryl ester clearance in rabbits.

Triglyceride (TG) enrichment of high density lipoprotein (HDL), which occurs in hypertriglyceridemic states, significantly enhances the rate at which HDL apolipoprotein (apo)A-I is cleared from the circulation of healthy humans. In the New Zealand White (NZW) rabbit, a species naturally deficient in hepatic lipase (HL), TG enrichment of HDL requires prior lipolytic modification to enhance apoA-I clearance. However, the effect of TG enrichment of HDL on the subsequent clearance of HDL cholesteryl ester (CE) has not previously been examined in vivo. Therefore, we investigated, in the NZW rabbit, the effect of ex vivo TG enrichment of rabbit HDL (by incubation with human very low density lipoprotein) on the clearance of HDL CE and apoA-I radiolabeled with (3)H-cholesteryl oleyl ether and with (131)I, respectively. In nine experiments, TG enrichment of rabbit HDL resulted in an 87% average increase in HDL TG and a corresponding 31% reduction in HDL CE content. The calculated apoA-I and CE fractional catabolic rates associated with TG-rich versus fasting HDL tracers were not significantly different (apoA-I: 0.119 +/- 0.017 vs. 0.107 +/- 0.024 pools per h, P = 0.68; CE: 0.147 +/- 0.014 vs. 0.114 +/- 0.019 pools per h, P = 0.20). In an animal model deficient in HL, TG enrichment of HDL did not alter the rates of HDL apoA-I or selective CE clearance. Further studies are needed to determine whether, in the presence of HL, TG enrichment of HDL alters selective HDL CE clearance.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Regulation of glucose tolerance in patients after liver transplantation: impact of cyclosporin versus tacrolimus therapy.

BACKGROUND: We investigated the factors regulating glucose homeostasis in 10 healthy (control) subjects, as well as in stable, long-term, liver-grafted patients receiving monotherapy in the form of either cyclosporin A (n=10) or tacrolimus (n=10). METHODS: We measured insulin sensitivity, first- and second-phase insulin secretion, with a minimal modeling technique based on the analysis of glucose, insulin, and C-peptide profiles during frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance tests (FSIGTT). Proinsulin levels, as a marker of beta-cell dysfunction, were measured in the fasting state and during FSIGTT. RESULTS: Glucose and insulin concentrations before and after glucose loading did not differ in liver transplant patients and in control subjects. Fasting C-peptide levels in both liver-grafted groups were higher than in healthy subjects and remained elevated during FSIGTT (P<0.05). Intravenous glucose tolerance [(K(G)), i.e. the slope of the regression of logarithm of the blood glucose concentrations vs. time], insulin sensitivity, and first-phase insulin secretion did not differ in liver-grafted groups and healthy subjects. Second-phase insulin secretion was about 56% higher in liver-grafted patients than in controls (P<0.05). Body mass index was the overall determinant of insulin sensitivity in all groups. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term monotherapy with cyclosporin A or tacrolimus has no deleterious effects on insulin sensitivity, first-phase insulin secretion, and insulin synthesis in liver transplant patients. Normal insulin sensitivity (posthepatic insulin effect) and enhanced second-phase insulin secretion (prehepatic insulin) point to an accelerated hepatic insulin clearance rate in liver transplant patients. Increased hepatic insulin clearance is compensated by enhanced insulin secretion, indicating that insulin clearance is the major determinant of pancreatic function in liver-grafted patients.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Synthesis and correlations between experimental and calculated lipophilic indices of new 1,2-benzisothiazole derivatives with potential antimicrobial activity.

Five series of new hydrazones (1a-m, 2a-m, 3a-m, 4a-m, 5a-m) with potential antimicrobial activity were synthesized from cyclic (1 and 4) or acyclic (2, 3 and 5) 1,2-benzisothiazolylhydrazides and characterized. Condensation of the appropriate hydrazide with aldehydes afforded the designed compounds. Aldehydes carrying different hydrophobic substituents were used and the five series were designed so that the hydrophobicity also varied among congeners. Retention parameters were measured by HPLC employing a deactivated alkyl-bonded silica column and different eluent systems (methanol-aqueous buffer, acetonitrile-water). The hydrophobicity chromatographic parameters (log k') were compared with those provided by measurement of partitioning of solutes between n-octanol and water (log P), and with theoretical partition coefficients, calculated by a fragmental method and scaled according to the experimental values. Correlations between different hydrophobicity indices are reported and discussed.

Aldehydes↗
PubMed2000

Identifiability and interval identifiability of mammillary and catenary compartmental models with some known rate constants.

The identifiability problem is addressed for n-compartment linear mammillary and catenary models, for the common case of input and output in the first compartment and prior information about one or more model rate constants. We first define the concept of independent constraints and show that n-compartment linear mammillary or catenary models are uniquely identifiable under n-1 independent constraints. Closed-form algorithms for bounding the constrained parameter space are then developed algebraically, and their validity is confirmed using an independent approach, namely joint estimation of the parameters of all uniquely identifiable submodels of the original multicompartmental model. For the noise-free (deterministic) case, the major effects of additional parameter knowledge are to narrow the bounds of rate constants that remain unidentifiable, as well as to possibly render others identifiable. When noisy data are considered, the means of the bounds of rate constants that remain unidentifiable are also narrowed, but the variances of some of these bound estimates increase. This unexpected result was verified by Monte Carlo simulation of several different models, using both normally and lognormally distributed data assumptions. Extensions and some consequences of this analysis useful for model discrimination and experiment design applications are also noted.

Algorithms↗
PubMed2000

Evidence for impaired glucose effectiveness in cirrhotic patients after liver transplantation.

To evaluate the impact of acute and chronic liver disease and single immunosuppression (cyclosporine A [CSA] or FK506) on insulin sensitivity and glucose effectiveness in liver-grafted patients, we performed a frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test (FSIGTT) in nondiabetic patients after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) with acute liver failure ([ALF] group, n = 9, with CSA therapy), in patients after OLT with chronic liver disease (CSA group, n = 8; FK506 group, n = 8), and in 9 healthy control subjects. Insulin sensitivity and glucose effectiveness were determined by analyzing glucose and insulin data from the FSIGTT with Bergman's minimal model technique for glucose. The intravenous glucose tolerance index ([KG] ie, the slope of the regression of the logarithm of blood glucose concentration) was not different between the ALF group (2.17 +/- 0.16 min(-1)) and controls (2.29 +/- 0.13 min(-1)), but was lower (P < .05) in both groups with chronic liver disease (CSA group, 1.46 +/- 0.1; FK506 group, 1.61 +/- 0.11 min(-1)) compared with the ALF group (P < .05). A positive relation for the KG and glucose effectiveness was found in all liver-grafted patients and controls. Insulin sensitivity was not different between all liver-grafted patients and controls. The body mass index (BMI) was the overall determinant of insulin sensitivity in all groups. Single immunosuppressive therapy does not impair insulin sensitivity in liver-grafted patients. The lower glucose effectiveness in liver-grafted patients with chronic liver disease but not in patients after ALF points to a defect in the regulation of glucose-mediated glucose uptake in peripheral tissue.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

2-Amino-Benzo[d]isothiazol-3-one derivatives: synthesis and assessment of their antiplatelet/spasmolytic effects.

We describe a series of 2-amino-benzo[d]isothiazol-3-one derivatives (2-8), which were synthesized and screened in vitro for inhibition of platelet aggregation and for their spasmolytic activity, with the awareness that the development of antiplatelet agents with additional vasodilation activity could be beneficial in the treatment of various vaso-occlusive disorders. The tested compounds show a powerful antiplatelet activity and various modifications resulted in molecules possessing antiaggregating effects as well as spasmolytic actions.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗
PubMed2000

Evaluation of factors controlling glucose tolerance in patients with HCV infection before and after 4 months therapy with interferon-alpha.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological data suggest that chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection may contribute to the development of diabetes mellitus. Therapy of HCV infection with recombinant interferon-alpha (r-IFN-alpha) can also impair of glucose metabolism. METHODS: To investigate the impact of HCV infection and the therapy with r-IFN-alpha on glucose metabolism we measured insulin sensitivity, glucose effectiveness, and first and second phase insulin secretion, using the minimal modelling analysis of frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance tests in 13 nondiabetic patients with HCV-induced liver disease before and after therapy with r-INF-alpha (6 x 106 U, subcutaneously, three times a week over 4 months). Liver biopsy was performed to evaluate and score liver fibrosis as a marker of HCV-induced cell injury. RESULTS: Insulin sensitivity (r = - 0.59, P < 0.05) and first phase insulin secretion (r = - 0.66, P < 0.03) were negatively related to the fibrosis score. Insulin sensitivity rose from 1.96 (SEM 0.37, n = 8) to 5.69 (SEM 0.99, n = 8) 10-4 min-1 per microU mL-1 (P < 0.01) in responders and from 2.51 (SEM 0.61, n = 5) to 6.95 (SEM 1.99, n = 5) in nonresponders after 4 months r-INF-alpha therapy. Fasting free fatty acids decreased significantly to about 50% (P < 0.01) in patients with and without therapy response after 4 months, whereas first phase insulin secretion did not change. CONCLUSIONS: HCV-induced liver injury is related to the deterioration of insulin sensitivity and first phase insulin response, thus impairing glucose homeostasis in these HCV-infected patients. The administration of r-INF-alpha three times a week over 4 months is not associated with an impairment of glucose homeostasis.

Blood Glucose↗
PubMed2000

Cellular energetics analysis by a mathematical model of energy balance: estimation of parameters in human skeletal muscle.

Cellular energy balance requires that the physiological demands by ATP-utilizing functions be matched by ATP synthesis to sustain muscle activity. We devised a new method of analysis of these processes in data from single individuals. Our approach is based on the logic of current information on the major mechanisms involved in this energy balance and can quantify not directly measurable parameters that govern those mechanisms. We use a mathematical model that simulates by ordinary, nonlinear differential equations three components of cellular bioenergetics (cellular ATP flux, mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, and creatine kinase kinetics). We incorporate data under resting conditions, during the transition toward a steady state of stimulation and during the transition during recovery back to the original resting state. Making use of prior information about the kinetic parameters, we fitted the model to previously published dynamic phosphocreatine (PCr) and inorganic phosphate (P(i)) data obtained in normal subjects with an activity-recovery protocol using (31)P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The experiment consisted of a baseline phase, an ischemic phase (during which muscle stimulation and PCr utilization occurred), and an aerobic recovery phase. The model described satisfactorily the kinetics of the changes in PCr and P(i) and allowed estimation of the maximal velocity of oxidative phosphorylation and of the net ATP flux in individuals both at rest and during stimulation. This work lays the foundation for a quantitative, model-based approach to the study of in vivo muscle energy balance in intact muscle systems, including human muscle.

Energy Metabolism↗
PubMed2000

Severity of HCV-induced liver damage alters glucose homeostasis in noncirrhotic patients with chronic HCV infection.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To investigate the link between hepatitis C infection and glucose intolerance, we measured insulin sensitivity, glucose effectiveness and beta-cell secretion in noncirrhotic HCV-infected patients with normal glucose tolerance according to WHO criteria as assessed by oral glucose tolerance tests. METHODS: Glucose, insulin and C-peptide data from frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance tests were analyzed using the minimal modeling technique for glucose and C-peptide to determine insulin sensitivity, glucose effectiveness, first and second phase insulin secretion in noncirrhotic HCV-infected patients (n = 10) and in healthy control subjects (n = 10). Histological activity index (HAI) as well as the extent of fibrosis were evaluated by scoring liver biopsies. RESULTS: Insulin sensitivity (2.72 +/- 1.63 vs. 6.84 +/- 1. 20 10(-4) min(-1) per microU/ml, p < 0.01) and glucose effectiveness (2.29 +/- 0.45 vs. 2.89 +/- 0.39 10(-2) min(-1), p < 0.05) ere significantly lower in patients with HCV-induced liver disease. Insulin sensitivity was negatively related to serum alanine aminotransferase (r = -0.47, p < 0.05) and aspartate aminotransferase concentrations (r = -0.65, p < 0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed a strong relation of insulin sensitivity with fibrosis score and HAI (r = -0.82, p < 0.02 for both). Second phase insulin secretion was significantly enhanced in HCV-infected patients (14.30 +/- 2.04 vs. 8.29 +/- 1.65 min(-1), p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: HCV-infected patients with normal glucose tolerance are insulin and glucose resistant. The impairment of glucose tolerance appears to be closely related with the severity of HCV-induced liver damage.

Adult↗