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Pentoxifylline, a tumor necrosis factor α synthesis inhibitor, has been shown to reduce portal hypertension in experimental models and to benefit patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (JW Gastroenterol Dec 15 2004).
To further assess the efficacy of pentoxifylline in patients with advanced liver disease, investigators in France conducted a randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled, multicenter study involving 335 adults with Child-Pugh class C disease and biopsy-proven cirrhosis who had been hospitalized for at least 2 days. Patients received pentoxifylline (400 mg 3 times daily) or placebo for 6 months.
Mortality rates did not differ significantly between the pentoxifylline group and the placebo group at 2 months (16.5% and 18.2%, respect…