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ObjectivesTo investigate the role of insulin resistance (IR) and insulin plasma levels (IRI) in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).MethodsWe recruited the following patients: 125 with HCC, 128 with liver cirrhosis (LC) and 133 with chronic hepatitis C (CHC). IR was assessed by the HOMA-IR method. To define IR and hyperinsulinemia we selected as a cut-off level, the value of the 80th percentile for HOMA-IR (2.72) and IRI (11.18) in 113 healthy subjects.ResultsThe mean levels of HOMA-IR and IRI increase progressively among CHC (2.7 ± 2.9 and 11.5 ± 10.5, respectively), LC (5.4 ± 4.5 and 17.6 ± 11.2) and HCC (6.4 ± 9.8 and 18.2 ± 18.8). In the upper quintiles for HOMA-IR and IRI, the frequency of patients in the LC and HCC groups was twice as much in CHC cases. HCC with DM2 have the greatest percentage above the 80th percentile of HOMA-IR, their quintiles distribution is inverted and HOMA-IR mean values are significantly higher in comparison with HCC without DM2 cases.DiscussionOur study shows that the association between IR and CLD begins in the early stages of liver fibrosis. DM2 increases HOMA-IR and IRI mean levels in HCC patients and these metabolic factors could play a major role in the link between diabetes mellitus and hepatocarcinoma.