title: Acute hepatitis associated with the Chinese herbal product jin bu huan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the hepatotoxicity associated with ingestion of the Chinese herbal product Jin Bu Huan Anodyne Tablets (Lycopodium, serratum) and to propose possible mechanisms of injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Academic hepatology units and private practice facilities.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seven previously healthy patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical, laboratory, radiologic, and histologic studies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Acute hepatitis occurred after a mean of 20 weeks (range, 7 to 52 weeks) of Jin Bu Huan ingestion and resolved in six patients within a mean of 8 weeks (range, 2 to 30 weeks); another patient is currently improving. Hepatitis was associated with symptoms of fever, fatigue, nausea, pruritus, and abdominal pain and with signs of jaundice and hepatomegaly. Biopsy specimens showed that one patient had hepatitis with eosinophils (consistent with a drug reaction) and the other had mild hepatitis, moderate fibrosis, and microvesicular steatosis. Decreasing the Jin Bu Huan dose in one patient improved liver test results. Reusing Jin Bu Huan in two other patients caused abrupt recrudescence of hepatitis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Jin Bu Huan can cause liver injury. Although the hepatotoxic mechanisms are not defined, they may include hypersensitive or idiosyncratic reactions or direct toxicity to active metabolites. Hepatotoxicity caused by herbal products underscores the toxicity caused by herbal products underscores the importance of national surveillance programs and quality control of the manufacture of these products.
authors.affiliation: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Woolf
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Petrovic
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Rojter
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wainwright
authors.forename: F G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Villamil
authors.forename: W N
authors.initials: WN
authors.lastname: Katkov
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Michieletti
authors.forename: I R
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Wanless
authors.forename: F R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Stermitz
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Beck
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Vierling
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011786:Quality Control; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal