[Silymarin for the treatment of acute viral hepatitis? Report of a controlled trial (author's transl)].

Silymarin has been claimed to have a benificial effect in various types of liver injury. In a prospective study in patients with acute viral hepatitis (n = 151) the effectiveness of this drug on the cause of the disease was tested. The groups with and without Silymarin (Legalon) were comparable concerning age and sex distribution and the frequency of HBs-antigen positive hepatitis; Laboratory findings (total serum bilirubin, activity of GOT, GPT and alkaline phosphatase and prothrombin time) were determined in intervals of 5 to 7 days over a period of 5 weeks beginning with the onset of jaundice. There were no statistical significant differences between both groups in the decrease of mean values of all parameters tested. The frequency of nearly normalized values of transaminases and serum bilirubin after 10, 20 and 30 days was not higher in the group treated with Silymarin as compared to the controls. It is concluded that Silymarin has no favourable effects on the cause of acute viral hepatitis.