ascorbic-acid and Hepatitis--Chronic

In 42 patients with chronic active hepatitis (CAH), liver biopsies were subjected to histological study and morphometry before and after prednisolone treatment (21 patients comprising group I) and treatment with a complex of vitamins B1, B6, B12 and C (21 patients comprising group II). Combined study of liver biopsies during treatment makes it possible to evaluate objectively enough the results of prednisolone therapy of CAH patients. The authors confirmed the efficacy of prednisolone therapy of patients with sero-negative CAH. These patients demonstrated a reduction in dystrophic alterations, volume of inflammatory cells in the portal tracts and in the areas of necrosis, a lowering of the number of aggressive lymphocytes. Prednisolone was discovered to have an adverse effect on seropositive CAH, to activate virus replication in liver tissue, intensify necrotic alterations in the parenchyma and inflammatory reaction in the portal tracts.

Topics: Ascorbic Acid; Clinical Trials as Topic; Drug Therapy, Combination; Follow-Up Studies; Hepatitis B; Hepatitis, Chronic; Humans; Liver; Prednisolone; Vitamin B Complex

We have applied our method for the simultaneous detection of plasma ubiquinol-10 (reduced form) and ubiquinone-10 (oxidized form) (S. Yamashita and Y. Yamamoto, Anal. Biochem. 250, 66-73, 1997) to plasmas of normal subjects (n = 16) and patients with chronic active hepatitis (n = 28), liver cirrhosis (n = 16), and hepatocellular carcinoma (n = 20) to evaluate the pressure of oxidative stress in these patients. The average ubiquinone-10 percentages (+/- S.D.) in total ubiquinone-10 and ubiquinol-10 in the four groups were 6.4 +/- 3.3, 12.9 +/- 10.3, 10.6 +/- 6.8, and 18.9 +/- 11.1, respectively, indicating a significant increase in ubiquinone-10 percentage in patient groups in comparison to normal subjects. These results and a significant decrease in the plasma ascorbate level in patient groups indicate that oxidative stress is evident after the onset of hepatitis and the subsequent cirrhosis and liver cancer.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Antioxidants; Ascorbic Acid; beta Carotene; Biomarkers; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Carotenoids; Cholesterol; Cholesterol Esters; Female; Hepatitis, Chronic; Humans; Liver Cirrhosis; Liver Diseases; Liver Neoplasms; Lycopene; Male; Middle Aged; Oxidative Stress; Ubiquinone; Vitamin E

Results of examination and treatment of 157 patients with cholelithiasis against the background of a liver pathology were summed up. The antioxidant system in such patients was studied. The degree of a decrease of catalase activity in the liver and blood serum as well as the ascorbic acid content were found to depend on the liver state of patients with cholelithiasis. Greatest changes were found in patients with cirrhosis of the liver and chronic active hepatitis. The method of complex treatment of cholelithiasis patients with non-enzymatic antioxidants alpha-tocopherol and ascorbic acid is proposed. Activity of organ specific liver enzymes urokaninase and histidase was used for the estimation of treatment efficiency. Complex administration of ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol was shown to improve the liver function in patients operated upon for cholelithiasis.

Topics: Antioxidants; Ascorbic Acid; Bile; Biopsy; Catalase; Cholelithiasis; Combined Modality Therapy; Hepatitis, Chronic; Histidine Ammonia-Lyase; Humans; Liver; Liver Cirrhosis; Urocanate Hydratase