[The results of phase III multicenter open randomized controlled study REM-Chol-III-16 in patients with intrahepatic cholestasis syndrome caused by chronic diffuse liver diseases].

AIM: To assess the safety and efficacy of Remaxol, solution for infusion, compared with parenteral form of S-adenosyl-L-methionine, in the treatment of patients with intrahepatic cholestasis syndrome accompanying chronic diffuse liver diseases of various etiology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a multicenter open-label comparative study of the safety and efficacy of Remaxol (inosine + meglumine + methionine + nicotinamide + succinic acid) 317 patients aged 18 to 65 years were randomized into 2 groups: patients of the experimental group (n=168) received intravenous Remaxol, solution for infusion, 400 ml, and patients of the control group (n=149) Heptral (S-adenosyl-L-methionine) 800 mg. The duration of treatment was 10 days. The primary efficacy endpoint was the proportion of patients who responded to therapy, as demonstrated by dynamics of laboratory parameters of liver functional status: decrease in gamma glutamyl transpeptidase level by 40%, and/or alkaline phosphatase level by 30%, and/or decrease total bilirubin level by 30% from baseline by the end of the treatment course. RESULTS: The proportion of responders was 51% in the Remaxol group vs. 44.9% in the Heptral group (p=0.303); the lower limit of the one-sided 95% confidence interval for the difference in the proportions of responders was -4.01%, which exceeds the non-inferiority margin pre-defined by the study protocol, thus, the non-inferiority hypothesis was proven, i.e. Remaxol at a dose of 400 ml/day demonstrates similar efficacy to Heptral at a dose of 800 mg/day in patients with intrahepatic cholestasis syndrome associated with chronic diffuse liver diseases. Similar positive trends in the levels of transaminases, total bilirubin and the severity of pruritus were revealed in both treatment groups. We did not reveal statistically significant between-group differences in the frequency of adverse events definitely related to the study treatment. CONCLUSION: Administration of Remaxol as a part of the pathogenetic therapy of patients with intrahepatic cholestasis syndrome who need hepatoprotection is justified.

EXPERIMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF THE SPECIFIC EFFICIENCY OF NEW METABOLIC DRUG RUNIKHOL ON MODELS OF NON-ALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER DISEASE.

We present results of preclinical evaluation of the specific efficiency of new metabolic corrector runikhol on models of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in laboratory rats (228 albino males of gray Wistar rats weighing 220 - 240 g). The drug based on succinic acid positively influences the key types of metabolism impaired under conditions of development of the metabolic syndrome. Results of research testify to high efficiency and good prospects of using runikhol in the treatment of metabolic syndrome accompanied by organ disorders.

[Metabolic correction of dyslipidemia in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease as a new therapy policy].

AIM: To study the impact of infusion therapy with the metabolic modulator remaxol on lipid metabolic parameters and target organ (liver, kidney) function in metabolic syndrome (MS). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The investigation enrolled 90 patients (54 men and 36 women) with primary nonalcoholic steatohepatitis that was associated with insulin-resistance and MS; their age was 21 to 77 years. Every day the study group patients (n = 50) took as a component of combination therapy the metabolic hepatoprotective modulator remaxol intravenously in a dropwise manner in a dose of 400 ml once daily; the comparison group patients (n = 40) received ademetionine 400 mg diluted in 400 ml of isotonic sodium chloride. The duration of infusion therapy was 11 days. RESULTS: Infusion therapy with remaxol caused a pronounced blood lipid composition-regulating effect, by reducing the level of major atherogenic lipids (total cholesterol, triglycerides) and improving liver function and renal nitrogen-excreting and filtration function in patients with Stage IV diabetic nephropathy in the presence of MS. CONCLUSION: Therapy with the metabolic hepatoprotective modulator remaxol ensures reliable metabolic control and multifactorial correction of risk factors of organ lesions in MS: cardio-, hepato-, and nephroprotection.

[Meglumine acridonacetate in combined antiviral treatment of HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B].

647 patients with HBeAg positive chronic hepatitis B who have not previously received antiviral therapy were participated in randomized, post-marketing, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Interferon inducer cycloferon was presented as study drug. 323 patients with chronic hepatitis B (HBV) with "wild" HBeAg(+) strain of HBV were treated with cycloferon and Lamivudin for 48 weeks. Control group included 324 patients with similar pathology, treated with Lamivudin and placebo for 48 weeks. The study has shown the benefit of cycloferon+lamivudin treatment in comparison with lamivudin monotherapy. Improving of liver histology in 48 weeks of the therapy was observed in 71% of patients in Study group in comparison with 57% in control group (p<0.01). Combined therapy has resulted in decrease of relapse by 24 week of the follow-up period (13% vs. 86%, p<0.001). The higher efficacy of cycloferon+lamivudin in patients with HBeAg positive chronic hepatitis B has proven the role of own antiviral effect of interferon inducer cycloferon, interferon effect of cycloferon in the elimination of virus-infected hepatocytes, as well as the presence of an immunomodulatory effect of the preparation, aimed at the elimination of HBeAg and HBsAg with the following seroconversion. 48-week course of combined antiviral therapy of HBeAg-positive patients with chronic hepatitis B is recommended as first-line therapy for patients with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B, who have not previously received nucleoside analogues, as well as alternative therapy of Lamivudin-refractory patients.

[Comparative efficacy of etiotropic therapy of patients with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B (by the data of the international comparative placebo-controlled study)].

Comparative placebo-controlled study entrolled 647 patients with verified diagnosis of chronic virus hepatitis B (HBeAg+), not previously subjected to antiviral therapy (with nucleotide analogues or interferons). The drug under the investigation was cycloferon, an earlier interferon inductor. The antiviral combination therapy of the main group patients (323 subjects) included the use of cycloferon + lamivudine for 48 weeks and the therapy of the control group patients (324 subjects) included the use of lamivudine + placebo for 48 weeks. The cycloferon and lamividine combination antiviral therapy was shown preferable vs. the lamivudine + placebo therapy by biochemical remission, virusological response, seroconversion by HBeAg by the 48th week of the treatment and HBsAg clearance. The conbination therapy provided lower frequency of the relapses within 24 weeks of the observation. The higher efficacy of the antiviral combination therapy was evident of the impact of the antiviral activity of cycloferon itself and its immunomodulating and interferon-inducing activity on elimination of the virus-infected hepatocytes. The use of the 48-week course of the antiviral combination therapy is advisable as the prime treatment in the management of patients with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis not previously treated with nucleoside analogues and as a variant of therapy for lamivudine-refractory patients.

[Pathogenetic therapy of metabolic syndrome at the stage of visceral lesions].

Insulin resistance and oxidative stress play an important role in the pathogenetic mechanism of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Hepatoprotective therapy that blocks the second phase of pathogenesis (oxidative stress) is a promising modality for the treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NACH). An alternative approach is the use of medicines recovering the mitochondrial membrane, lipid bi-layer of the plasma membrane, oxidative phosphorilation, and cellular metabolism. In this context, succinic acid-based remaxol showing antioxidative, antihypoxic and cytoprotective activities can be regarded as a promising metabolic hepatoprotector for the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The present original study demonstrated the clinical efficacy of remaxol in pathogenetic therapy of NACH in patients with metabolic syndrome. Its introduction in the combined treatment of NACH increased functional capacity of the liver by decreasing the severity of cytolysis, cholestasis, hepatomegalia, and steatosis (ultrasonic study), improved lipid metabolism, reduced cholesterol level, triglyceridemia, and atherogenic index. Remaxol exerted nephroprotective action in patients with diabetic nephropathy at stage 1 of chronic renal insufficiency (increased glomerular filtration rate and decreased blood creatinine level). The study demonstrated the advantage of medications with antihypoxic properties over traditional therapy of NACH.

[Possibilities of using interferon-induction therapy during latent HBV infection].

The article is devoted to the problem of latent hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, the aspects of etiology, and questions of diagnostics and directions of treatment optimization. Immune violations, developing on the background of disfunction of mononuclear phagocytes of liver and chronic inflammation in a hepatic parenchyma with the elements of autoalteration by immune factors, and their role in latent HBV infection are described. Possibilities of using laboratory (including immunological and immunohistochemical) methods of diagnostics are considered.

[Metabolic correctors based on succinic acid as pathogenic therapy in chronic virus hepatitis].

Chronic viral hepatitides (CVH) run with long-term activation of the system of mononuclear phagocytes associated with hyperproduction of active oxygen forms. This can be considered as risk factors of antioxidant insufficiency which determines the course of the disease. Now, antioxidant, cytoprotective medicines are more and more actively used in hepatology. The results are reviewed of many Russian clinical trials of efficacy of metabolic correctors based on siccine acid (reamberin, remaxol) as pathogenetic treatment in CVH. Metabolic correctors in combined treatment of CVH improve basic clinico-laboratory indices, raise efficacy of basic therapy, correct insufficiency of antioxidant defense. The results of the studies confirm advantage of antihypoxic medication over standard infusion therapy for treatment of CVH patients.

[Reamberin for pathogenetic therapy of acute and chronic viral diseases of the liver].

The study including 427 patients with acute and chronic viral hepatitis was designed to assess results of clinical and laboratory diagnostics of hepatic problems and the state of thiosulfide antioxidative system. It was shown that infusion of succinate-containing preparation reamberin (400 ml/day for 10 days) took less time to eliminate clinical manifestation of the disease (dispeptic and asthenovegetative syndromes) than conventional therapy. Simultaneously the levels of biochemical markers of hepatic cytolysis and cholestasis significantly decreased while serum antioxidative potential recovered. The normal size of the liver was achieved 3.4 times more frequently than in control. No side effects or adverse reactions other than listed in the instruction for use of reamberin occurred. The preparation had to be withdrawn only in one patient.