[Capsule metadoxine in the treatment of alcoholic liver disease: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Capsule metadoxine in the treatment of alcoholic liver disease.


METHODS
A randomized double blind multicenter placebo-controlled clinical study was performed to evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness and safety of capsule metadoxine. Patients in metadoxine group received capsule metadoxine 500mg tid po. Patients in placebo group received placebo 2 pillows tid po. The treatment duration was 6 weeks. Patients were followed up 2 weeks after the treatment. Patients were visited once every 3 weeks during the treatment period. Clinical symptoms and liver function were evaluated in all the patients before treatment, at week 3, week 6 and 2 weeks after therapy. CT scan was done in some patients before treatment and at the end point of therapy.


RESULTS
254 patients were recruited in the study, 126 in metadoxine group and 128 in placebo group. Median ALT, AST, GGT level in metadoxine group were decreased from 80.0 U/L, 59.2 U/L, 123.0 U/L (before treatment) to 41.1 U/L, 36.0 U/L, 57.0 U/L (after 6 weeks therapy). The improvement in liver function was more significant in metadoxine group than in placebo group (P less than 0.05). For the patients who stopped drinking during the study, the total effective rate of improvement in liver function was 82.8% in metadoxine group, much higher than that in placebo group (55.7% , P=0.0000). For the patients who did not stop drinking during the study, the total effective rate of improvement in liver function was 65.4% in metadoxine group, which is not significantly higher than that in placebo group (44.8%, P=0.1767). The CT value ratio of liver to spleen was significantly improved in metadoxine group (P=0.0023), and there was no significant difference between the two groups (P=0.6293). The rate of adverse was 1.6% in both of groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Capsule metadoxine is an effective and safe treatment for alcoholic liver disease.
Mao
Yi-Min
YM
Renji Hospital Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine,Shanghai 200001, China. mym11968@yahoo.com.cn
Zeng
Min-de
MD
Li
You-Ming
YM
Wang
Bing-Yuan
BY
Shang
Jia
J
Shi
Rui-Hua
RH
Liu
Ji-Yong
JY
Lu
Lun-Gen
LG
Cao
Ai-Ping
AP