title: Alcoholic Hepatitis: Steroids vs. Pentoxifylline.
abstract: Alcoholic hepatitis (AH) remains a major cause of liver-related morbidity and mortality in the United States and is actually increasing in certain areas of Europe. Thus, there is a pressing need for new therapies/approaches. Major barriers for reducing morbidity, mortality, and costs of care include: lack of translational animal and human studies of new therapies for AH; limited trials of combination therapies in AH targeted at specific disease mechanisms (e.g., gut permeability, cytokines, oxidative stress); limited studies on non-invasive, non-mortality end points; few studies on mechanisms of steroid non-responsiveness; and inadequate prognostic indicators, to name only a few. In spite of these gaps, we have made major advances in understanding mechanisms for AH and appropriate therapies for AH. This article reviews mechanisms and rationale for use of steroids and pentoxifylline in AH and future directions in therapy.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, University of Louisville, School of Medicine, Louisville, KY 40202 ; Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, School of Medicine, Louisville, KY 40202.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Smart
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gobejishvili
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Crittenden
authors.forename: Shirish
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barve
authors.forename: Craig J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: McClain
keywords: Alcoholic Hepatitis; Pentoxifylline; Steroid Resistance; Steroids