S-adenosyl-L-methionine for the treatment of chronic liver disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis

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#age-factors #chronic-disease #humans #liver-diseases #liver-function-tests

S-adenosyl-L-methionine for the treatment of chronic liver disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Guo et al., 2015 | PLoS One | Meta Analysis

Citation

Guo Tao, Chang Lei, ... Liu Quanyan. S-adenosyl-L-methionine for the treatment of chronic liver disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2015;10(3):e0122124. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0122124

Abstract

It has been well established that S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAMe) is the principal methyl donor in methyltransferase reactions and that SAMe supplementation restores hepatic glutathione (GSH) deposits and attenuates liver injury. However, the effectiveness of SAMe therapy in chronic liver disease has not been adequately addressed. We searched globally recognized electronic databases, including PubMed, the Cochrane Database and EMBASE, to retrieve relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of chronic liver disease published in the past 20 years. We then performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the enrolled trials that met the inclusion criteria.The results showed that twelve RCTs from 11 studies, which examined 705 patients, were included in this research. For liver function, certain results obtained from data synthesis and independent comparisons demonstrated significant differences between the levels of total bilirubin (TBIL) and aspartate transaminase (AST). However, no studies identified significant differences regarding alanine transaminase (ALT) levels. An analysis of the adverse events and long-term prognosis also indicated no significant differences between the SAMe and the placebo groups. In a subgroup analysis of gravidas and children, several of the included data indicated that there was a significant difference in the pruritus score. Furthermore, the results regarding ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) and stronger neo-minophagen C (SNMC) indicated that both treatments were more effective than SAMe was in certain chronic liver diseases. These findings suggest that SAMe could be used as the basis of a medication regimen for liver function improvement because of its safety. However, SAMe also demonstrated limited clinical value in the treatment of certain chronic liver diseases.

Key Findings

However, SAMe also demonstrated limited clinical value in the treatment of certain chronic liver diseases.

Outcomes Measured

  • Requires manual extraction

Population

Field Value
Population See abstract
Sample Size 705
Age Range See abstract
Condition See abstract

MeSH Terms

  • Age Factors
  • Chronic Disease
  • Humans
  • Liver Diseases
  • Liver Function Tests
  • S-Adenosylmethionine
  • Treatment Outcome

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Meta Analysis
  • Publication Types: Journal Article, Meta-Analysis, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Systematic Review
  • Vertical: same

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09