부산대학교 도서관

Objective Metadoxine is approved in Europe for alcohol intoxication and is also indicated for alcoholic liver disease (ALD). This study aims to investigate the use of metadoxine as a potential pharmacotherapy for alcohol dependence (AD). Methods This is a retrospective study of 94 outpatients with AD, who received metadoxine for alcohol intoxication and were assessed for alcohol consumption, craving [Visual Analog Scale (VAS)] and liver-related and alcohol-related biomarkers [aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase, mean corpuscular volume]. Results Range of metadoxine dose was 500-2000 mg/day, with a mean dose of 1277(s.d.290) mg/day, and for a period of 2-42 days, with a mean period of 8.9(s.d.7.0) days. Follow-up data were available for 52 patients (55.3%); 35(67.3%) patients were completely abstinent. There was a significant decrease in drinks per week, even after substituting baseline drinking as follow-up data for dropouts ( p < 0.001) and examining drinking pre-treatment and post-treatment for those who did not achieve abstinence ( p < 0.001). There was a significant decrease in the VAS ( p < 0.001) and a significant improvement in the AST/ALT ratio ( p = 0.03). Discussion Despite important limitations, this study represents a further preliminary observation suggesting metadoxine as a novel alcohol pharmacotherapy, including in alcohol-dependent patients with ALD. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]