The Treatment of Cirrhosis of the Liver With Choline and Cystine

Choline

“…Studies with twenty-three patients with cirrhosis characterized by ascites and large palpable livers were reported (59). The pa tients received a high protein and low fat diet supplemented with 30 to 45 gm.…”

The Effects of Lipotropic Factors on Phospholipide Turnover in the Plasma of Patients With Cirrhosis of the Liver, as Indicated by Radioactive Phosphorus 1

“…Numerous observers have noted a reduction in liver size and both clinical and laboratory evidence of improvement which they felt could be attributed directly to the use of choline or methionine (7). Others have been unwilling to ascribe any specific benefit to these substances (8).…”

Factors in the Treatment of Laennec's Cirrhosis. I. Clinical and Histological Changes Observed During a Control Period of Bed-Rest, Alcohol With-Drawal, and a Minimal Basic Diet 12

“…Clinical observations suggest that dietary deficiency may also play a role in the pathogenesis of Laennec's cirrhosis in man (11), and a number of investigators have reported that dietary supplements of protein, vitamins and lipotropes affect the course of the disease favorably (11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18).…”

“…In the first, longevity statistics are used as the criterion for comparing treated and untreated groups, the latter having usually been observed some years previously (11,15,16). In the other, the effects of various dietary measures are compared either in the same patient or in small groups, using serial clinical, functional and, in some instances, histological observations as the basis for comparison (13,14,17,18). There are valid objections to both methods, but serial observations during alternating courses of therapy in the same subject appear to offer the most practical means for conducting experiments under controlled conditions.…”

“…The difficulty in obtaining complete and reliable follow-up data in a large series, the relatively high mortality from unrelated diseases and the changing outlook in the treatment of the two most common serious complications, hemorrhage and infection, are some of the factors which distort the results. The importance of the experimental method and the type of control employed is well illustrated by the conflicting reports of Patek and Post (11) and Wade (19) on the effects of dietary therapy in cirrhosis, and of Volwiler (18) and Beams (14) on the effects of lipotropic substances.…”