[Alcohol-induced toxic hepatitis--a "free radical" associated disease. Lowering fatality by adjuvant antioxidant therapy].

Toxic liver diseases coincide with oxidative stress correlating positively with the seriousness of the course of disease. For the purpose of elucidating the pathogenic significance of an increased radical generation. 56 patients suffering from acute alcohol-toxic hepatitis of the clinical grade of seriousness B and C according to Child/Pugh were classified randomly into antioxidant subgroups (n = 31) and control groups (= 25). The basis therapy being identical, the patients of the antioxidant group received additionally 600 mg of D-alpha tocopherol per day, 200 micrograms of selenium and 12 mg of zinc. Due to the supplementation of antioxidants there were quicker significant changes in the concentration of bilirubin, malondialdehyde and of ammonia in the serum. In comparison with the control group the length of stay in hospital could be reduced by 6 days. In the control group the mortality rates amounted to 40% (10 of 25), in the antioxidant group to 6.5% (2 of 31). The results confirm the pathogenic significance of oxidative stress in alcohol-toxic liver disease because a distinct improvement of prognosis could be achieved by using a low-cost adjuvant antioxidant supplementation.