来自于美国纽约Weill Cornell医疗中心的Samuel H.Sigal博士与Mount Sinai医学院的同事们在近期出版的《美国胃肠病学杂志》(AJG)上报道的一项前瞻性研究的结果显示,在继发于丙型肝炎病毒(HCV)感染的肝硬化患者中,糖尿病共病与肝性脑病的较早发作和严重程度较大相关联。由肠道细菌或肾功能障碍引起的氨水平升高被认为与肝性脑病的发生相关联,且肝性脑病发生前常有便秘。研究人员认为,糖尿病易使肝硬化患者发生肝性脑病,并因胃排空延迟和肠运动缓慢引起的细菌过度生长和氨水平升高而加重。为进一步研究,Sigal等人征集了65例具有HCV相关肝硬化的肝移植患者;其中11例 The results of a prospective study in the recently published issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology (AJG), by Dr. Samuel H. Sigal, Ph.D., of Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York, and colleagues at Mount Sinai Medical School, In patients with cirrhosis secondary to hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, comorbid diabetes is associated with an earlier onset and a greater severity of hepatic encephalopathy. Increased ammonia levels caused by intestinal bacteria or renal dysfunction are thought to be associated with the occurrence of hepatic encephalopathy and constipation often precedes hepatic encephalopathy. The researchers believe that diabetes is susceptible to hepatic encephalopathy in patients with cirrhosis and is exacerbated by bacterial overgrowth and elevated ammonia levels due to delayed gastric emptying and slow bowel movements. For further study, Sigal et al enrolled 65 patients with HCV-associated cirrhosis in liver transplantation; 11