Summary
Eleven male cirrhotic subjects, all with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), were studied. Insulin binding to circulating erythrocytes was evaluated. The specific bound fraction was decreased compared to normals (5.95 ± 0.76vs 7.08 ± 0.84%; p<0.005). A negative correlation was found between fasting insulin and bound fraction (r=−0.68; p<0.05). We suggest that serum insulin may be chronically augmented as a consequence of liver damage. This induces a down-regulation of insulin receptors that is responsible for insulin resistance and at least in part for the impairment of glucose tolerance.
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Greco, A.V., Bertoli, A., Caputo, S. et al. Decreased insulin binding to red blood cells in liver cirrhosis. Acta diabet. lat 20, 251–256 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02581269
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02581269