Monitoring of liver enzymes in patients treated with traditional Chinese drugs.
BACKGROUND
Use of traditional Chinese drug treatment is widespread. While cases of hepatotoxic effects have been reported, little is known about the frequency of such effects.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the frequency, magnitude and course of liver enzyme elevations in patients treated with traditional Chinese drugs.


METHODS
Retrospective study.


METHODS
Hospital for traditional Chinese medicine in Germany.


METHODS
All 1507 patients admitted for inpatient treatment between February 1994 and July 1995.


METHODS
Number of patients who presented at discharge with a more than 2-fold elevation of alanine amino transferase (ALT) levels (over maximum normal values or elevated admission values).


RESULTS
A more than 2-fold elevation of ALT values was observed in 14 patients (0.9%). In 13 cases a causal relationship with Chinese drug therapy seemed possible and, for one patient, likely. However, all patients were also on non-Chinese drug treatment. Follow-up values of ALT within 8 weeks after discharge were normal in 11 patients (six of them had continued to take traditional Chinese drugs) and close to normal in the remaining three. In five patients there were indications for previous liver damage.


CONCLUSIONS
In the population and setting studied, clinically relevant liver enzyme elevations occurred in about 1/100 patients treated with traditional Chinese drugs.
Melchart
D
D
Department of Internal Medicine, Technical University, München, Germany.
Linde
K
K
Hager
S
S
Kaesmayr
J
J
Shaw
D
D
Bauer
R
R
Weidenhammer
W
W
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015984:Causality; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology*; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012306:Risk