title: Hepatoprotective and immunomodulatory effects of antioxidant therapy.
abstract: The hepatoprotective and immunomodulatory effects of silymarin and amino-imidazole-carboxamide-phosphate were studied in 40 patients with alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver in a one-month double-blind clinical trial. Treatment with either of the drugs normalized the elevated levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and serum bilirubin, markedly reduced the high level of gamma-glutamyl transferase, increased lectin-induced lymphoblast transformation, decreased the percentage of OKT8+ cells and suppressed lymphocytotoxicity. None of these changes occurred in the placebo-treated group. Thus, the hepatoprotective effects of silymarin and amino-imidazole-carboxamide-phosphate in alcoholic cirrhosis can partly be attributed to the immunomodulatory activity of the drugs.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Medicine, Semmelweis University Medical School, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Láng
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Deák
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nékám
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Müzes
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: González-Cabello
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gergely
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fehér
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000620:Aminoimidazole Carboxamide / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000920:Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity / Q000187:drug effects; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005260:Female; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D012265:Ribonucleotides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012838:Silymarin / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D005419:Flavonoids; D007093:Imidazoles; D012265:Ribonucleotides; D012838:Silymarin; D000620:Aminoimidazole Carboxamide; C031143:AICA ribonucleotide