S‐adenosyl‐L‐methionine Treatment for Alcoholic Liver Disease: A Double‐Blinded, Randomized, Placebo‐Controlled Trial

Background S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) is the methyl donor for all methylation reactions and regulates the synthesis of glutathione (GSH), the main cellular antioxidant. Previous experimental studies suggested that SAM may benefit patients with established alcoholic liver diseases (ALD). The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of SAM in treatment of ALD in a 24 week trial. The primary endpoints were changes in serum aminotransferase levels and liver histopathology scores, and the secondary endpoint was changes in serum levels of methionine metabolites.