Effect of iron reduction by phlebotomy in Japanese patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis: A pilot study☆

Increased hepatic iron deposition may play a role in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). This study aimed to test whether iron removal by phlebotomy improves serum transaminase activities in patients with NASH. Eleven patients (six males and five females) with biopsy-proven NASH underwent phlebotomy biweekly until they reached near-iron deficiency (NID) (serum ferritin concentration lower than or equal to 30 ng/ml). Nine patients completed this study. Serum ferritin levels in these patients fell from 563 ± 322 to 18 ± 9 ng/ml (p = 0.001). The treatment reduced mean serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity from 126 ± 47 to 56 ± 17 IU/l (p = 0.002). Their weight did not change significantly throughout the study period. Although two patients withdrew from the study, none was affected by any side effects of repeated phlebotomy that required discontinuing the treatment. In conclusion, this pilot study suggests that iron reduction therapy by phlebotomy will be one of the promising therapies for NASH.