Efficacy of Silymarin for Acute Hepatitis

Hepatitis Clinical Trial

Official title: Efficacy of Silymarin for Treatment of Acute Hepatitis In Egypt: A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Controlled Trial

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

The overall objective of this project is to assess whether Silymarin therapy shortens illness or prevents complications in patients with acute hepatitis. We will specifically compare responses in acute hepatitis patients treated with Silymarin to those given a control preparation of a vitamin supplements in a double blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

Clinical Trial Description

The study is designed as a double-blinded placebo controlled trial. We compare a 4 week course of therapy with silymarin tablets and a low-dose vitamin preparation (placebo) and then follow-up for a total of 8 weeks to assess treatment response. Outcomes of our randomized controlled trial are improvement in symptoms and signs, normalization of liver functions, time to resuming normal activities, and and sense of well-being. This protocol follows the standard therapeutic care for acute hepatitis except that the patients will receive either a herbal supplement (silymarin), which many patients are taking anyway, or a vitamin placebo.

Freshly collected serum will be tested for anti-HAV IgM, anti-HBc Igm, anti-HBs, HBs Ag, anti-HCV antibody, HCV-RNA, anti-HDV IgM, anti-HEV IgM, CMV and EBV and for alanine aminotransferase (ALT), AST, direct and total bilirubin. ;

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Hepatitis
• Hepatitis A

• NCT number: NCT00412763
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: University of Maryland, Baltimore
• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 4
• Start date: July 2003
• Completion date: October 2005