Extrahepatic Insulin Resistance in Chronic Hepatitis C
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2018-06-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
In this pilot study, the investigators plan to treat patients with chronic hepatitis C due to
HCV genotype 3 infection using an interferon-free regimen consisting in the administration of
ribavirin and sofosbuvir/ledipasvir - a combination of a nucleotide RNA polymerase inhibitor
with a non-structural protein 5A inhibitor. Patients will undergo a euglycemic
hyperinsulinemic clamp, using tracers, and indirect calorimetry to assess whether the viral
suppression induced by this regimen will be capable of reversing the glucose metabolic
alterations induced by HCV in both the liver and extrahepatic compartments. Adipose and
muscle tissue biopsies will also be performed to assess some specific molecular changes
induced by HCV.