Antioxidants for Chronic Hepatitis C: liveonearth

In a recently published phase-I, open label clinical trial, 50 patients with chronic HCV infection were treated orally with a combination of seven antioxidative oral preparations (glycyrrhizin, schisandra, silymarin, ascorbic acid, lipoic acid, L-glutathione, and alpha-tocopherol) on a daily basis for 20 weeks, along with four different intravenous preparations (glycyrrhizin, ascorbic acid, L-glutathione, B-complex) twice weekly for the first 10 wk[11]. Normalization of liver enzymes occurred in 44% of patients who had elevated pretreatment ALT levels. A decrease in viral load by one log or more was observed in 25% of the patients. Histological improvement, with twopoint reduction in the HAI score, was noted in 36.1% of the patients. The SF-36 quality of life score improved in 26 of 45 patients (58%) throughout the trial. No major adverse reactions were noted. These findings suggest that antioxidant therapy may have a beneficial effect on necroinflammatory variables in these patients.

Then they did this study:
http://www.wjgnet.com/1007-9327/13/5317.pdf

METHODS: One hundred chronic HCV infection
patients failed in interferon treatment were enrolled and
randomly assigned to receive combined intravenous and
oral antioxidants or placebo, or oral treatment alone.
Primary end points were liver enzymes, HCV-RNA levels
and histology.

RESULTS: Combined oral and intravenous antioxidant
therapy was associated with a significant decline in
ALT levels in 52% of patients who received antioxidant
therapy vs 20% of patients who received placebo (P =
0.05). Histology activity index (HAI) score at the end of
treatment was reduced in 48% of patients who received
antioxidant therapy vs 26% of patients who received
placebo (P = 0.21). HCV-RNA levels decreased by 1-log
or more in 28% of patients who received antioxidant
therapy vs 12% who received placebo (P = NS). In part
Ⅱ of the trial, oral administration of antioxidants was not
associated with significant alterations in any of the end
points.

CONCLUSION: Antioxidant therapy has a mild beneficial
effect on the inflammatory response of chronic HCV
infection patients who are non-responders to interferon.
Combined antiviral and antioxidant

The aim of the present trial was to determine the effect of a mixture of antioxidants
on the inflammatory response of chronic HCV infection patients who were
non-responders to interferon, in a double blind placebo controlled trial. Two
different treatment regimens were studied and compared. The data suggest
that the combined use of intravenous and oral antioxidants mildly alleviates the
inflammatory response in these patients.

Antioxidants for Chronic Hepatitis C

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