title: Aetiological significance of alcohol in liver cirrhosis on the Jos Plateau.
abstract: Fifty-one patients with histologically diagnosed cirrhosis were studied prospectively over one year period. There were forty-one males and ten females. The majority of patients (75.59%) took alcohol in significant quantity and it was thought to be the most likely cause of the cirrhosis in them. Eighty percent of them had micronodular cirrhosis and 51.3% of them drank only "burukutu" a local alcoholic brew brewed mostly in iron pots and contains two other hepatotoxic agents--aflatoxin and iron. Eight (5.7%) of the patients and five (9.8%) of controls were positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBs.Ag). It is likely that alcohol is very important cause of cirrhosis of the liver seen in Jos.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Jos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria.
authors.forename: E N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Okeke
authors.forename: A O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Malu
authors.forename: J O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Obafunwa
authors.forename: E J C
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Nwana
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000209:etiology; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria; D011446:Prospective Studies