• B Cömert, M R Mas, H Erdem, A Dinc, U Saglamkaya, M Cigerim, O Kuzhan, T Unal, and F Kocabalkan.
• Department of Internal Medicine, Gülhane School of Medicine, Etlik, Ankara, Turkey. bcomart@ttnet.net.tr
• Dig Liver Dis. 2001 May 1; 33 (4): 353-8.

BackgroundNon-alcoholic steatohepatitis is a chronic liver disease that is capable of progressing to end-stage liver disease, but generally has a benign course. Obesity, non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidaemia are the most common associations of the disease.AimsTo investigate the insulin resistance in patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis who have no other causes of insulin resistance such as obesity, diabetes mellitus, and hyperlipidaemia.PatientsThirteen patients (7 male, 6 female) with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and 12 (6 male, 6 female) healthy volunteers.MethodsAll patients and healthy volunteers were submitted to biochemical tests and hyperinsulinaemic euglycaemic insulin clamp technique.ResultsBasal insulin levels and C-peptide levels were significantly higher in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis group than in controls (p<0.001 and p<0.001, respectively). Hyperinsulinaemic euglycaemic insulin clamp technique revealed lower glucose utilization in the non-alcoholic steatohepatitis group and the difference was statistically significant (p<0.001).ConclusionsOur study revealed marked hyperinsulinaemia and insulin resistance in patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. Hyperinsulinaemia and insulin resistance may contribute to pathogenesis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

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