N-Acetylcysteine in Severe Acute Alcoholic Hepatitis
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
1969-12-31
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Acute alcoholic hepatitis (AAH) is the most severe form of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) and
is associated with a high risk of dying in the short term. Corticosteroids are generally
recommended in patients with severe AAH, but its use is still controverted and
contraindicated in case of active infection or gastrointestinal bleeding. Therefore,
alternative therapeutic options are needed.Ethanol consumption results in the depletion of
endogenous antioxidant capabilities and patients with ALD have evidence of antioxidant
deficiencies.Due to its effects on glutathion stores restoration and as such the limitation
of the oxidative stress and its good tolerance and safety profile, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is
an attractive agent for the treatment of AAH.In this context, we hypothesized that NAC might
be beneficial in severe AAH.