Liver histology changes in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis after one year of treatment with probucol.
BACKGROUND
Probucol, a lipid-lowering agent with antioxidant effects, is effective in normalizing liver enzymes in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). We studied changes in the liver histology of patients with NASH after use of probucol for one year.


METHODS
Ten patients with biopsy-proven NASH were included. Subjects were given 500 mg probucol daily. Liver biopsies were performed before treatment and after one year.


RESULTS
Eight patients completed treatment. The mean alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels decreased from 94 and 55 to 41 and 26, respectively (P = 0.004 and 0.001 respectively). The scores for hepatic steatosis and necroinflammation decreased from 7.4 to 5.6 (P = 0.03). The fibrosis score changed from 1.1 to 1.3 (P = 0.79). No adverse drug effects were observed.


CONCLUSIONS
Probucol is effective in normalizing aminotransferase levels in patients with NASH. It also significantly reduces the histology grade of steatohepatitis after one year of treatment.
Digestive Disease Research Center, Shariati Hospital, Medical Sciences/University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. merat@ams.ac.ir
Shahin
S
Merat
Mohsen
M
Aduli
Rozana
R
Kazemi
Masoud
M
Sotoudeh
Nahid
N
Sedighi
Masoud
M
Sohrabi
Reza
R
Malekzadeh
D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001706:Biopsy; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011341:Probucol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D011341:Probucol