Therapeutic efficacy of an angiotensin II receptor antagonist in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

The therapeutic efficacy of angiotensin II receptor antagonist, losartan, was studied in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Seven patients with both NASH and hypertension were treated with losartan (50 mg/d) for 48 weeks. Treatment with losartan resulted in a significant decrease in blood markers of hepatic fibrosis, plasma TGF-beta1 and serum ferritin concentration concurrently with an improvement in serum aminotransferase levels. Histological assessment showed improvement of hepatic necroinflammation in five patients, reduction of hepatic fibrosis in four patients, and disappearance of iron deposition in two patients. No side effect of treatment was noted at any time during the study. In conclusion, the present data raise the possibility that an angiotensin II receptor antagonist may be therapeutically efficacious for NASH.