Treatment of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease With Probiotics and Prebiotics

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2012-01-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

The investigators' aim is to determine whether probiotic and prebiotic treatment plus lifestyle advice is more effective in reducing hepatic fat content than lifestyle advice alone in patients with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD).

• Phase: N/A
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Chinese University of Hong Kong

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age 18 to 70 years

• Fatty liver identified by imaging studies including ultrasound, computer tomography or magnetic resonance imaging

• Elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) according to Prati's criteria (>30 IU/l in men and >19 IU/l in women)18

• Written informed consent obtained

Exclusion Criteria:

• Positive hepatitis B surface antigen, anti-hepatitis C virus antibody, or anti-nuclear antibody titer above 1/160

• Alcohol consumption above 30 g per week in men or 20 g per week in women

• ALT above 10 times the upper limit of normal

• Liver decompensation, as evidenced by bilirubin above 50 µmol/l, platelet count below 100 × 109/l, prothrombin time above 1.3 times the upper limit of normal, albumin below 35 g/l, presence of ascites or varices

• Use of systemic corticosteroids and methotrexate in the last 6 months

• Evidence of hepatocellular carcinoma

• Terminal illness or cancer, unless in complete remission for more than 5 years