• Journal of Life Science
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.145-150
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• 1995

Alcoholic liver disease is defined by the development of three types of liver damage following chronic heavy alcohol consumption, namely, alcoholic fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, and alcoholic cirrhosis, The clinical features and laboratory tests often do not distinguish among these types of liver injuries. In addition, a considerable number of the patients who have clinical and laboratory features compatible with alcoholic liver disease are diagnosed on liver biopsy to have chronic viral hepatitis or other lesion. Because of these factors, liver biopsy is frequently needed to arrive a definite diagnosis of the disease, its activity, and its chronicity. Fatty liver is usually a benign and reverible condition that disappears on abstinence from alcohol. However, alcoholic hepatitis is usually regarded as a precursor of cirrhosis. The principle factors in the development of alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis are the quantity and length of ingestion of alcohol. women are much more susceptible than men to hepatic injuries. Since only 10 - 20% of alcoholics develop cirrhosis, however, it is conceivable that other factors, either genetic, environmental, or nutritional may contribute in the genesis of liver injuries. The most important factor in the treatment of alcoholic liver disease is prolonzed abstinence from alcohol, since abstinence by itself improves clinical status and survival, Nutritional support in patients with nutritional deficiency, and specific drug therapies such as corticosteroid or anabolic steroids for hospitaliged patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis also play an important role in devreasing morbidity and improving survival. Liver transplantation is a newer treatment modality in the patients with advanced cirrhosis, not responsible to medical treatment.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.213-219
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• 2000

We treated a 53 year-old male patient. He had alcoholic liver cirrhosis and diabetes. The main symptoms were fatigue, ascites, edema, anorexia, indigestion, constipation, and abdominal pain. We diagnosed him as 'the retention of pathogenic damp-heat in the liver and gall bladder’ and adminstered Saenggangeonbi-tang three times a day. We observed clinical symptoms, liver function test(AST, ALT, ${\gamma}-GT$, ALP, total bilirubin), nutritional state(total protein, albumin) and capillary blood glucose. After treatment, all the main symptoms disappeared and the patient's nutritional state has improved. Child's grade using the improvement index in liver cirrhosis has changed from B to A. Although the very mechanism of Saenggangeonbi-tang was not proven, we could suggest that Saenggangeonbi-tang is not toxic to the liver and has a good effect on alcoholic liver cirrhosis with diabetes mellitus.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.778-783
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• 2012

We report a rare case of non-traumatic spontaneous intramuscular mass of blood stasis, especially gastrocnemius muscle, associated with alcoholic liver cirrhosis. A 53-year-old man with alcoholic liver cirrhosis was admitted to our hospital for ICH. It was improved by Korean Medicine treatments, however, he was complaint of severe pain in left calf. Ultrasound revealed intramuscular hypoechoic mass at the left gastrocnemius muscle and we diagnose it as mass of blood stasis, which is similarly called 'hematoma' in Western medicine. Herbal extracts, acupuncture and indirect moxibustion reduced it, but the effects could not be compared as there were no reports of these kinds. It seems important to consider intramuscular mass of blood stasis as a complication of alcoholic liver cirrhosis and Ultrasound seems to be very useful in diagnosis and observation of intramuscular mass of blood stasis.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.48-60
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• 1997

The purpose of this study was to evaluate alcohol consumption and nutritional status in patients with alcoholic liver disease. The subjects were 80 patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis and 12 patients with alcoholic fatty liver. Also 57 alcoholics without liver disease, 32 patients with viral liver cirrhosis and 194 normal men were included as control groups. Data on anthropometric index, socioeconomic status, alcohol consumption, dietary habits and dietary intakes were collected by individual interview. Alcoholic liver disease group had significantly lower triceps skinfold thickness and mid-uppr-arm circumferences than other groups. Socioeconomic status of alcholoci subjects was middle class or lower than that. The amount, duration and frequency of alcohol consumption were significantly higher and the quality of side dishes consumed with alcoholic beverage was significantly poorer in patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis than others. Patients with alchololic liver disease ingested approximately 40% of daily caloric intake as alcohol and all alcoholic subjects had lower average intakes of protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins and minerals as compared with Korean adult average intakes. The results suggest that alcohol and poor dietary intake could cause malnutrition and might be two of the important risk factors to develop alcoholic liver disease in alcoholics. But other factors like genetic and immunological factors should be also considered in elucidating the causes of alcoholic liver disease. An extensive nutritional education should be emphasized for alcohol consuming population to prevent development of alcoholic liver disease.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.161-169
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• 2007

We applied Chunggangunbi-tang-gamibang to a 64 year-old male patient who had alcoholic liver cirrhosis with ascites. Chunggangunbi-tang-gamibang has been used to treat alcoholic liver disease and because of its beneficial effects. The patient with the disease expected several symptoms induced by Alcoholic liver cirrhosis, and we diagnosised differentiation of symptoms, using Chunggangunbi-tang-gamibang while removing dampness through diuresis and invigorating the spleen. After medication we could find remarkable effects on clinical symptoms, blood test results and abdomen ultrasonographic images. From this case, it is thought that using Chunggangunbi-tang-gamibang is very effective to improve the symptom of alcoholic liver cirrhosis with ascites.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.1161-1165
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• 2009

Daekumeumja is a herb-medication which has been used for alcoholic damage. This is a report about the effect of Daekumeumja on Ascites in alcoholic liver cirrhosis. The study of abdominal CT and ultrasonography were performed to evaluate the volume change of ascites. And blood tests were done to measure the liver's and kidney's functions. Reduction of ascites is proved by abdominal CT & ultrasonography. And lab findings of liver functions showed improvement. This study suggests that Daekumeumja is probably effective in the treatment of ascites in alcoholic liver cirrhosis.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.176-183
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• 2018

Objectives: To observe the treatment progress of two patients diagnosed with alcoholic liver cirrhosis. Methods: We closely observed two patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis who had visited the Department of Hepato-hemopoietic System, Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital in 2017. They were treated with Chungganhaeju-tang and auricular acupuncture, and we evaluated the changes in their general conditions and laboratory tests. Results: In the first case, the patient underwent continuous drinking despite the treatment, and the laboratory tests showed exacerbation. During the treatment, the patient stopped drinking for one week, and both clinical symptoms and laboratory tests were slightly improved. However, overall, there were no substantial improvements. In the second case, clinical symptoms and laboratory tests were markedly improved as the patient took herbal medicine and was treated with auricular acupuncture combined with abstinence from drinking. Conclusion: Two patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis were observed with the treatment of Chungganhaeju-tang and auricular acupuncture. A patient with continuous drinking showed no improvements while a patient with abstinence from drinking showed substantial improvements in both clinical symptoms and laboratory tests.

• Clinical and Molecular Hepatology
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.417-423
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• 2018

Anemia appears frequently in patients with alcoholic liver disease (ALD) but has never been linked to bilateral nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). A 65-year-old woman with a medical history of alcoholic cirrhosis was admitted for bilateral NAION. On admission, she was found to have a low arterial pressure and severe normocytic anemia (48 g/L). The anemia was related to chronic bleeding due to antral gastritis along with other factors associated with ALD. The applied treatment consisted of urgent transfusion followed by high doses of proton-pump inhibitors, iron and vitamin supplementation, and support in lifestyle measures. Her hemoglobin levels remained stable after 2 years but the patient still suffered from visual loss. This case highlights the link between anemia and bilateral NAION in ALD patients. The optic nerve head is prone to infarction in this context due to the vascularization characteristics of ALD. Hemoglobin levels should be monitored in ALD patients to avoid the severe complication of NAION.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.1244-1252
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• 1998

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the nutritional status of vitamin and minerals in the patients with alcoholic liver disease and to obtain the materials for nutritional education for alcoholics. The subjects consist of 80 patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis(ALC) and 12 patients with alcoholic fatty liver(AFL). The control group included 57 alcoholics without liver disease(A), 32 patients with viral liver cirrhosis(VLC) and 194 normal men(NL). Biochemical evaluation of nutritional status was investigated by the analysis of blood samples. The frequency of vitamin B1 deficiency in the ALC, AFL and A groups as indicated by the erythrocyte transketolase activity coefficient were 46.0%, 66.7% and 57.9% respectively. The frequency of vitamin B2 deficiency in the ALC, AFL and A groups as indicated by the erythrocyte glutathione reductase activity coefficient were 9.8%, 8.3% and 38.6% respectively. Vitamin A deficiency was not detected in the alcoholic subjects. The frequency of vi tamin E deficiency in ALC, AFL and A were 96.3%, 66.7% and 86.0% respectively. The levels of plasma lipid peroxidation products were significantly higher in the alcoholic subjects than in the normal subjects. The frequency of subjects below normal range of hemoglobin were 85.0% in ALC, 50.0% in AFL and 31.6% in A. The frequency of copper deficiency in the ALC, AFL and A groups were 48.4%, 16.7% and 17.5% respectively. The frequency of zinc deficiency in the ALC, AFL and A groups were 83.8%, 41.7% and 66.7% respectively. Overall, the vitamin and minerals status of the alcoholic subjects in this study was evaluated to be very poor on the basis of biochemical assessments. The results suggest that alcohol abuse and poor dietary intake could cause malnutrition and may be important risk factors in causing alcoholic liver disease in alcoholics. In addition, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, Cu, Fe and antioxidant supplementation may be effective in nutritional therapy for chronic alcoholics.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.204-209
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• 2008

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is typically associated with obesity and insulin resistance. Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a more serious form of NAFLD. Although fibrosis is common in pediatric NASH, cirrhosis has been rarely reported. Patients with hypothalamic or pituitary dysfunction are at risk for obesity and insulin resistance with subsequent development of NAFLD. We report a case of NAFLD progressing to cirrhosis in an obese 16 year-old boy with hypopituitarism.