There was no significant change in the γGT levels .
Significant differences were not found .
CONCLUSION Silymarin minimally reduced , but without clinical relevance , the serum levels of ALT and AST .
AIM To evaluate the effect of silymarin on the serum levels of alanine aminotransferase ( ALT ) , aspartate aminotransferase ( AST ) and gamma glutamyl transpeptidase ( γGT ) in patients with liver diseases .
A randomized controlled trial to assess the safety and efficacy of silymarin on symptoms, signs and biomarkers of acute hepatitis.
PURPOSE Milk thistle or its purified extract , silymarin ( Silybum marianum ) , is widely used in treating acute or chronic hepatitis . Although silymarin is hepatoprotective in animal experiments and some human hepatotoxic exposures , its efficacy in ameliorating the symptoms of acute clinical hepatitis remains inconclusive . In this study , our purpose was to determine whether silymarin improves symptoms , signs and laboratory test results in patients with acute clinical hepatitis , regardless of etiology . METHODS This is a r and omized , placebo-controlled trial in which participants , treating physicians and data management staff were blinded to treatment group . The study was conducted at two fever hospitals in Tanta and Banha , Egypt where patients with symptoms compatible with acute clinical hepatitis and serum alanine aminotransferase ( ALT ) levels > 2.5 times the upper limit of normal were enrolled . The intervention consisted of three times daily ingestion of either a st and ard recommended dose of 140 mg of silymarin ( Legalon , MADAUS GmbH , Cologne , Germany ) , or a vitamin placebo for four weeks with an additional four-week follow-up . The primary outcomes were symptoms and signs of acute hepatitis and results of liver function tests on days 2 , 4 and 7 and weeks 2 , 4 , and 8 . Side-effects and adverse events were ascertained by self-report . RESULTS From July 2003 through October 2005 , 105 eligible patients were enrolled after providing informed consent . No adverse events were noted and both silymarin and placebo were well tolerated . Patients r and omized to the silymarin group had quicker resolution of symptoms related to biliary retention : dark urine ( p=0.013 ) , jaundice ( p=0.02 ) and scleral icterus ( p=0.043 ) . There was a reduction in indirect bilirubin among those assigned to silymarin ( p=0.012 ) , but other variables including direct bilirubin , ALT and aspartate aminotransferase ( AST ) were not significantly reduced . CONCLUSIONS Patients receiving silymarin had earlier improvement in subjective and clinical markers of biliary excretion . Despite a modest sample size and multiple etiologies for acute clinical hepatitis , our results suggest that st and ard recommended doses of silymarin are safe and may be potentially effective in improving symptoms of acute clinical hepatitis despite lack of a detectable effect on biomarkers of the underlying hepatocellular inflammatory process
There was no significant change in the γGT levels .
Significant differences were not found .
CONCLUSION Silymarin minimally reduced , but without clinical relevance , the serum levels of ALT and AST .
AIM To evaluate the effect of silymarin on the serum levels of alanine aminotransferase ( ALT ) , aspartate aminotransferase ( AST ) and gamma glutamyl transpeptidase ( γGT ) in patients with liver diseases .