Immunomodulation therapy for alcoholic hepatitis: Rationale and efficacy

Abstract

Alcohol is a widespread, socially-accepted hepatoxin in most countries. Approximately two-thirds of the adult U.S. population drinks at least 18 drinks a year (1), and 7 to 10% of the US population meet the diagnostic criteria for alcohol abuse or alcoholism (2). In industrialized countries, up to 66% of all chronic liver disease is related to alcohol use (3). Alcohol accounts for 40 to 50% of all deaths owing to cirrhosis (1) and remains the most common cause of liver-related mortality (4). However, alcoholic liver disease (ALD) represents a spectrum of histologic changes and clinical outcomes, as shown in Fig. 1. © 2007 Humana Press Inc.