title: [A controlled clinical trial of methylprednisolone in patients with the cholestatic form of alcoholic liver cirrhosis].
abstract: Fourty patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis and refractory hyperbilirubinaemia were included in a prospective, double blind, comparative trial. Twenty of them were randomized to methylprednisolone (1 mg/kg/day i.m. over 3 days), and 20 to placebo (saline) of identical shape. In the active group a significant decrease in the bilirubin level (from 248 to 191 mumol/l, a drop by 23%; p < 0.05) was observed, which was not the case in the control group (from 292 to 300 mumol/l, an increase by 2.7%; p > 0.05). A decrease in the alkaline phosphatase activity was observed in both groups (by 11% in the active and by 20% in the control group: p < 0.05) while the encephalopathic indices did not improve in either. It is concluded that a short course of corticosteroid could speed-up the hospital stay and possibly slow down the progression of alcoholic cirrhosis.
authors.affiliation: Interna Klinika, Odjel za gastroenterologiju i hepatologiju, Klinicka bolnica Firule Split, Croatia.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hozo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mise
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Rumboldt
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bagatin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tonkić
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002779:Cholestasis / Q000150:complications*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D008775:Methylprednisolone
vernacular_title: Kontrolirano klinicko ispitivanje metilprednisolona u bolesnika sa kolestatskim oblikom alkoholne ciroze jetre.