Type 2 diabetes mellitus and the risk of hepatitis C virus infection: a systematic review

Sci Rep. 2013 Oct 18:3:2981. doi: 10.1038/srep02981.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and to examine whether T2DM enhances the risk of HCV infection compared with the risk in the general population. We followed standard guidelines to perform a meta-analysis. The associated literature was selected based on the established inclusion criteria. The summary odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were used to investigate the strength of the association. Through electronic database and manual searching, 22 studies were identified for the final analysis, which included a total of 78,051 individuals. Based on the random effects model, the meta-analysis results showed that patients with T2DM were at a higher risk of acquiring HCV infection than non-T2DM patients (summary OR = 3.50, 95% CI = 2.54-4.82, I(2) = 82.3%). Based on the current limited evidence, this study suggests that T2DM is associated with increased susceptibility to HCV infection.

Publication types

  • Meta-Analysis
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review
  • Systematic Review

MeSH terms

  • Case-Control Studies
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / complications*
  • Disease Susceptibility
  • Hepatitis C / etiology*
  • Humans
  • Risk