ARGININE TREATMENT FOR ALCOHOLIC HEPATITIS

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The purpose of this study is to test the effectiveness of dietary arginine to reduce liver injury as measured by blood tests. There will be two groups. The first group will have dietary arginine added to their diet in the form of powder mixed into ice cream or sherbet at 4 times the normal amount in the diet. Since the normal amount of arginine in the diet is approximately 1% of the energy intake, you will receive 4% of the energy in the diet as arginine. The second group will receive the placebo treatment consisting of glucose powder added into the ice cream or sherbet in the diet. Patients are entered into the study if they have mild and moderate alcoholic hepatitis. This is determined by having a DF score <33. The DF score is a standard marker of liver injury. Patients will spend 28-30 days in the General Clinical Research Center (GCRC) to measure the effects of additional arginine in the diet. After clinical stability is established, study patients will have several tests and and will also have measurement of how much albumin their liver makes using non-radioactive infusion of leucine. In addition, albumin loss will be measured twice by using a radioisotope of albumin. They will not have this test if the patient has ascites (fluid in the abdomen). Patients will be encouraged to eat 80% or more of their diet. If they are not able to ingest at least 80% of their diet, they will asked to leave the study early.