Serum immunoreactive insulin (IRI) responses to an oral administration of 100g glucose were studied in 14 patients with liver cirrhosis and 6 patients with chronic hepatitis.
Hyperresponses of serum IRI were demonstrated in the patients with liver cirrhosis, including the patients with normal glucose tolerance. Hyperresponses of serum IRI were also showed in the patients with chronic hepatitis.
Serum free fatty acids (FFA) and growth hormone (HGH) responses to intravenous administration of regular insulin (0.1 u/kg) were studied in 14 patients with liver cirrhosis and 7 patients with adult-onset diabetes mellitus with low degree impairment of GTT.
After insulin administration, the decrease of serum FFA was more marked in the cirrhotic patients compared with the normal subjects and the diabetic patients.
Fasting HGH levels were significantly high in the patients with liver cirrhosis. After insulin administration, hyperresponses of serum HGH were demonstrated in most of the patients with liver cirrhosis, but the very low responses were shown in two cirrhotic patients with diabetic GTT.
These results suggest that the high frequency of glucose intolerance and hyperresponses of serumIRI in the patients with liver cirrhosis may be related at least in part to the high levels of serum HGH and hyperresponses of HGH.