| Abstract: | Coexistence of hyperinsulinemia and normal or impaired carbohydrate tolerance indicates insulin resistance which is frequently observed in patients with liver diseases such as liver cirrhosis, fatty liver, acute and chronic hepatitis and idiopathic haemochromatosis. Insulin resistance in liver diseases can be due to circulating insulin antagonists or a target tissue defect in insulin action, either due to changes in the state of the insulin receptor or due to a postreceptor defect, that means any abnormality in the insulin action sequence following the initial binding step. High insulin levels in liver diseases are caused by diminished degradation of insulin by the liver whereas hypersecretion only plays a minor role under basal conditions. High levels of glucagon, free fatty acids and growth hormone are well known in liver diseases but until now there is no evidence of the pathogenetic importance of these factors. Conflicting results on insulin binding, methodological criticism on binding data and the question whether or not diminished insulin binding on peripheral blood cells plays any physiological role make it unlikely that studies on insulin receptors of peripheral blood cells contribute to the revelation of insulin resistance in liver diseases. The clamp technique allows to quantify the sensitivity of the body to exogenous insulin. The results on liver cirrhosis in connection with studies on glucose metabolism show that under basal conditions insulin insensitivity is due to peripheral resistance (primarily muscle) according to a postreceptor defect. Finally the causes of insulin resistance in liver diseases are still not known. |
