Objective   To investigate the efficacy and mechanism of compound glycyrrhizin on patients with serious hepatitis.    Methods   Thirty patients who were hospitalized from August 2005 to June 2007 with diagnosed with serious hepatitis were enrolled into treatment group and treated by compound glycyrrhizin injection (80 to 100 ml per day

for 3 consecutive weeks) and common supporting medicines

while the other 30 patients in control group were treated only with same supporting medicines. Mortality

biochemical parameters

plasma levels of endotoxin and inflammatory factors in patients of both groups were observed during the treatment.    Results   By the end of three-week of treatment

8 patients in the treatment group died with the mortality of 26.7% (8/30). Thirteen patients died in the control group and the mortality was 43.3% (13/30). Serum ALT and AST levels in treatment group were significantly lower than those of control group during the treatment. The average level of serum total bilirubin and plasma prothrombin time in treatment group was lower than those of control group by end of the third treatment week. The level of TNF-alpha in treatment group was lower than that of control group during treatment. The levels of plasma endotoxin and interleukin-6 in treatment group were significantly lower than those of the control group at the second and third treatment week.    Conclusion   Compound glycyrrhizin improves the biochemical parameters of patients with serious hepatitis

and probably

improves the survival of patients with severe hepatitis. The implying mechanism might be that compound glycyrrhizin declines plasma endotoxin levels and lessen cytokine-induced secondary hepatic injuries.