Experience of a single center with congenital hepatic fibrosis: A review of the literature

Table 2 Several antifibrotic agents studied in the setting of hepatic fibrosis of different etiologies[33-43]

Authors	Antifibrotic agent studied	Patient group (n)	Dose used	Therapeutic efficacy
Kershenobich et al[33], 1988	Colchicine	Cirrhosis - all causes (100)	0.6-1.8 mg/d	5-yr survival rates: colchicine 75%, placebo 34%; Histological improvement: colchicine 30%, placebo 0%
Pockros et al[34], 2007	IFN-γ	Cirrhosis - HCV-related (488)	IFN-γ 1b 100 mg and 200 mg	Histological improvement in select group with IFN-inducible T cell a chemoattractant (I-TAC),
Weng et al[35], 2005	IFN-γ	Cirrhosis - HBV-related (99)	50 mg IFN-γ intramuscularly on a daily basis for 3 mo	Histological improvement: treatment group 63%, control group 24.1%
Debernardi-Venon et al[36], 2007	Angiotensin II receptor blockers (candesartan)	Cirrhosis - all causes (47)	8 mg/d	Has been shown to decrease hepatic venous pressure gradient in patients with cirrhotic portal hypertension; studies investigating histological improvement still underway
Neuschwander-Tetri et al[37], 2003	PPAR ligands (rosiglitazone)	NASH associated fibrosis (30)	4-8 mg/d	Significant improvements in zone 3 perisinusoidal fibrosis
Armendáriz-Borunda et al[38], 2006	Pirfenidone	HCV-related fibrosis (15)	1200 mg/d	Histological improvement in 30% of patients
Ferenci et al[39], 1989	Silymarin	Cirrhosis - all causes (170)	140 mg three times daily	4-yr survival rate: silymarin 58%, placebo 39%; no histopathological studies available
Nelson et al[40], 2003	Interleukin-10	HCV related fibrosis (30)	subcutaneously at a daily or thrice weekly dose of 8 pg/kg or a thrice weekly dose of 4 pg/kg	Significant improvements in histology
Poupon et al[41], 2003	Ursodeoxycholic acid	PBC (367)	15-20 mg/kg per day	Significantly delayed progression of histopathological changes
Lieber et al[42,43], 2003	Polyenylphosphatidylcholine	Chronic alcoholics (789)	1.5 g three times daily	No improvement in fibrosis; new study underway

HCV: hepatitis C virus; HBV: Hepatitis B virus; IFN-γ: Interferon-γ; PPAR: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor; NASH: Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis; PBC: Primary biliary cirrhosis.