What are the pathobiologic mechanisms responsible for alcoholic liver damage?
Alcoholic hepatitis usually appears after a drinking binge and runs the spectrum of being asymptomatic or symptomatic with liver failure. Tender hepatomegaly accompanies hyperbilirubinemia; elevated alkaline phosphatase, aminotransferases, and gamma-glutamyl transferase; neutrophilic leukocytosis; and, occasionally, fever. The presence of fibrosis in the liver implies irreversible injury. However, further damage and progression to cirrhosis may be avoided if individuals abstain from alcohol ingestion and consume a nutritious diet.
