Alcoholic hepatitis and neupogen? wtf

OBJECTIVES: Severe alcoholic hepatitis has high short-term mortality. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that treatment of patients with alcoholic hepatitis with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) might mobilize bone marrow-derived stem cells and promote hepatic regeneration and thus improve survival. METHODS: Forty-six patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis were prospectively randomized in an open study to standard medical therapy (SMT) plus G-CSF (group A; n=23) at a dose of 5 μg/kg subcutaneously every 12 h for 5 consecutive days or to SMT alone (group B; n=23) at a tertiary care center...

Severe alcoholic hepatitis is a life-threatening liver disease. Although corticosteroid treatment is recommended and improves survival, mortality remains high and 35% of patients die within 6 months. There is no available medical treatment for patients who do not respond to corticosteroids. A new randomized pilot trial shows that the administration of the cytokine granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) improves liver function and 3-month survival in patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis. These results suggest a new therapeutic approach for severe alcoholic hepatitis...