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Query: UMLS:C0023890 (cirrhosis)
 42,195 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Abnormal liver tests, right upper quadrant pain and hepatomegaly occurring in an obese or in a diabetic patient may point to the presence of fat or of glycogen accumulation in the liver parenchymal cells. Marked hepatomegaly due to cytoplasmic glycogen deposition is mainly found in poorly controlled insulin-dependent diabetic patients. If accompanied by cushingoid features, growth retardation and by delayed puberty, a diagnosis of Mauriac syndrome can be made. Hyperglycaemia, insulin administration and increased concentrations of the counterregulatory hormone cortisol may all play a role in the glycogen deposition by their concerted actions on the glycogen phosphorylase and synthase enzymes, promoting the accumulation of glycogen. Hypercortisolism may be responsible for growth retardation and delayed puberty in Mauriac patients. Regression of hepatomegaly and of the associated clinical characteristics may be obtained by a better metabolic control due to the administration of long-acting insulin and the change from single to twice daily injections. Fatty liver is rare in insulin-dependent diabetic patients and is indicative of a poor diabetic control. This process is quickly reversible by adequate insulin treatment. Steatosis is frequently found in maturity-onset diabetics and in obese patients. The pathogenetic mechanisms leading to the accumulation of triglycerides and of fatty acids in the hepatocytes can easily be understood from the normal cycling of fatty acids between the adiopose tissue and the liver. Histologic features of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis can also be found in obese and in diabetic patients. Steatohepatitis may rarely evolve into cirrhosis. In general, there is no correlation between the degree of the biochemical alterations and the severity of the histological findings.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Liver disturbances in obesity and diabetes mellitus. 858 Oct 74

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is one of the most common liver disorders. This is highly prevalent in obese and diabetic subjects. Persons with central obesity are at particular risk. Other clinical predictors are age more than 40-50 years and hyperlipidemias, but none of these factors is invariable for causation of NASH. Other reported associations are, celiac disease, Wilson's Disease and few other metabolic diseases. Drugs, particularly amiodarone, tamoxifen, nucleoside analogues and methotrxate have also been linked to NASH. The disease is evenly distributed in both sexes but advanced disease is more common in women. Ethnic variation exists and African Americans are less affected than Hispanic Americans. Specific clinical features of NASH are infrequent. Patients usually come to clinical attention by elevated liver enzymes found on routine evaluation but on history, about two third of patients will admit to have mild fatigue and about half will report right upper quadrant pain. Rarely, patient may present with a complication of cirrhosis. Physical examination may reveal hepatomegaly and splenomegaly. Research in last few years has stressed that development of steatosis, stetohepatitis, fibrosis with subsequent cirrhosis are most probably the result of insulin resistance. Therefore, clinical features may reflect existence of insulin resistance. Obesity, particularly central obesity is most important of these. Patients may have sleep apnea syndrome. Hypertension and manifestations of diabetes mellitus like polyuria, polydypsia, and neurological deficits may occur. Patients may have varying combination of obesity, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension and impaired fibrinolysis (syndrome X). Children with insulin resistance may show acanthosis nigricance. Patients with polycystic ovary syndrome, which consists of insulin resistance, diabetes, obesity, hirsutism, oligo or polymenorrha and hyperlipidemia may have NASH. Other rare manifestations of insulin resistance, which can be seen in patients of NASH are lipomatosis, lipoatrophy/lipodystrophy and panniculitis. Most other rare conditions known to cause NASH like peroxisomal diseases, mitochondialpathies, Weber-Christian disease, Mauriac syndrome, Madelung's lipomatosis and abetaliopprotenemia also have insulin resistance. This is believed that primary defect underlying insulin resistance is impairment in postreceptor pathways (through tyrosine kinase activity) of insulin action. Primary defect in insulin receptors appear uncommon. This results in down regulation of insulin receptor substance 1 (IRS-1) signaling by excess free fatty acids. In muscle, activated IRS-1 promotes translocation of glucose transporter protein 4 (GLUT4) to cell membrane. As a result, monocyte glucose uptake by GLUT4 increases glucose disposal from blood and reduced need for insulin. PKC-0 is a likely candidate as serine kinase in muscle regulated by fatty acids that can impair the activation of IRS-1. Insulin resistance is usually evaluated by fasting insulin levels, Quantitative Insulin Check Index (QUICKI) and Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA), C-peptid/insulin ratio oral glucose tolerance test and hyper insulinemic euglycemic clamp. The clamp technique is considered the gold standard.
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PMID:Insulin resistance and clinical aspects of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). 1619 20

Glycogenic hepatopathy (GH) is a rare cause of serum transaminase elevations in type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM). We describe a 29-year-old woman with a history of poorly controlled type 1 DM who presented with hepatomegaly and severe transaminase flares. Liver histology confirmed GH, with glycogen accumulation due to severe fluctuations in both glucose and insulin. GH can be regarded as an adult variant of Mauriac's syndrome. Despite severe laboratory abnormalities, it does not cause liver cirrhosis. Treatment consists of improving glycaemic control.
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PMID:Glycogenic hepatopathy: a rare cause of elevated serum transaminases in diabetes mellitus. 2000 16