Effects of reduced glutathione therapy on chronic hepatitis B.

Developed chronic hepatitis B (CHB) causes death in approximately one million patients every year. Therefore, natural drugs with high therapeutic efficacy and minimal side effects must be developed for CHB treatment. This study aimed to relate the therapeutic effects of glutathione on CHB. A total of 104 CHB patients were randomly divided into two groups: the control group, which received an intravenous drip of 0.4 g of inosine injection with 250 ml of 5% glucose once a day for eight weeks, and the treatment group, which received an intravenous drip of 1200 mg of glutathione on the basis of the treatment of the control group. Glutathione treatment decreased the serum levels of asparaginic acid transaminase, alanine aminotransferase, total bilirubin, total bile acids, haluronic acid, collagen IV, laminin, transforming growth factor-β, tumour necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, and interleukin-8, compared with the control group. The results indicate that glutathione treatment can improve liver function and inhibit inflammation and hepatic fibrosis in CHB patients.