Efficacy of Tiopronin in treatment of severe non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

M.-C. Tang, L. Cheng, L. Qiu, R.-G. Jia, R.-Q. Sun, X.-P. Wang, G.-Y. Hu, Y. Zhao

Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. yanzhaocn@163.com

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• Gastroenterology

BACKGROUND: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a clinicopathologic syndrome of which the main feature is diffuse macrovesicular hepatic steatosis caused by deposition of excessive free fatty acid and triglyceride in liver parenchyma.
AIM: To observe the efficacy of Tiopronin in treatment of severe nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

PATIENTS AND METHODS: 30 patients with severe NAFLD were treated with Tiopronin for 3 months. 30 healthy people were selected as control. The body mass index (BMI) and plasma levels of endotoxin (ET), leptin, IL-6 and IL-8 were measured before and after treatment.

RESULTS: The serum levels of ET, leptin, IL-6 and IL-8 in severe NAFLD group were significantly higher than those in control group (p < 0.05). After treatment with Tiopronin, these indexes were significantly lower than before (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: The intestinal endotoxemia (IETM) occurs in patients with severe NAFLD. Leptin, IL-6 and IL-8 play important roles in pathogenesis of NAFLD. Tiopronin can reduce the levels of ET, leptin, IL-6 and IL-8 for treatment of NAFLD.

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