MedicalScienceBooks.com medical book review:

 This book is an important contribution to hepatology overall. Prior textbooks relating to drug-induced liver disease are excellent (i.e. Zimmerman) but seriously outdated. A new textbook that includes the hepatotoxicity of recently introduced medications as well as the risks of “alternative” health therapies is a welcome addition to the armamentarium of any gastroenterologist & hepatologist. And it is in this update where the major strength of this book lies.

   The format of the book is well laid out. It consists of Part I which addresses the mechanisms of hepatotoxicity; Part II which outlines the clinical, biochemical and biopsy findings of drug-related hepatotoxicity. Part III and Part IV address the hepatotoxicity of specific medications / herbal remedies and regulatory perspectives, respectively. Each part is clear and easy to read and the authors do a good job in conveying their message. Each Part/chapter has an extensive list of references to assist the reader in expanding on a specific topic if necessary. There are sufficient tables, graphs and figures which are clearly laid out to assist with comprehension of what is written in the text. It would have been nice to have some of the figures in color, especially those from liver biopsies, but I understand this adds substantially to the cost of printing and color figures are not absolutely necessary.

   Overall, in clinical practice, I find this book to be of great value. With this textbook, the reader has a solid reference where to review the epidemiology (i.e. risk) of hepatotoxicity of specific, commonly used medications; the pathogenesis; the clinical, biochemical and histological abnormalities that develop; the treatment/monitoring options available, and the clinical significance (i.e. prognosis). As stated above, the most important features are its relevance to today’s practice of medicine at a time when new drugs are constantly entering the market at an ever-increasing rate and the use of herbal remedies is becoming more and more common, its ease of use (given the outstanding organization of the text) and its comprehensiveness. 

   I do not have any major reservations regarding the book. A few more illustrations and figures as well as color photographs of liver biopsy specimens would have been ideal, but their absence does not take anything away from the quality of the book. The text could have been shortened as some drugs that are mentioned in the textbook are now of “historical interest” as the use of these agents has diminished, and in some cases, ceased completely (i.e. halothane). Overall, I feel this book achieves a good balance between relevance and comprehensiveness and the inclusion of “old drugs” does not take distract the reader from newer information as currently employed drugs are appropriately reviewed.

Ratings (1-4 , 4 being the highest):

Organization of information:    4

Usefulness of book:     4

Suitable for intended audience:    4

Author’s objectives met:      4

Significant number of illustrations:     3

Quality of illustrations:    3

Table of Contents

Part I:  Mechanisms

Chapter 1.     Drug-Induced Liver Disorders: Introduction and Overview

Chapter 2.     The Role of Cytochrome P450s in Drug-Induced Liver Disease

Chapter 3.     Oxidative Stress, Antioxidant Defense, and Liver Injury

Chapter 4.     Hepatotoxicity Due to Mitochondrial Injury

Chapter 5.     Mechanisms of Cell Death and Relevance to Drug Hepatotoxicity

Chapter 6.     The Role of Membrane Transport in Drug-Induced Hepatotoxicity and Cholestasis

Chapter 7.     Immunological Mechanisms in Liver Injury

Chapter 8.     Mechanistic Role of Acyl Glucuronides

Chapter 9.     Nonparenchymal Cells, Inflammatory Macrophages, and Hepatotoxicity

Chapter 10.    Roles of Cytokines and Growth Factors in Liver Regeneration, Repair, and Fibrosis After Liver Injury.

Part II:  Diagnosis and Management

Chapter 11.    Clinicopathological Patterns of Drug-Induced Liver Disease

Chapter 12.    Histopathology of Drug-Induced Liver Disease

Part III:  Hepatotoxicity of Specific Drugs

Chapter 13.    Mechanisms of Acetaminophen-Induced Liver Disease

Chapter 14.    Acetaminophen: Pathology and Clinical Presentation of Hepatotoxicity

Chapter 15.    Mechanisms Underlying the Hepatotoxicity of Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs

Chapter 16.    Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs: Pathology and Clinical Presentation of Hepatotoxicity

Chapter 17.    Mechanisms, Pathology, and Clinical Presentation of Hepatotoxicity of Anesthetic Agents

Chapter 18.    Anticonvulsant Agents

Chapter 19.    Hepatotoxicity of Psychotropic Drugs and Drugs of Abuse

Chapter 20.    Antibacterials and Antifungal Agents

Chapter 21.    Antituberculous Agents-Induced Liver Injury

Chapter 22.    Hepatic Injury from Antiviral Agents

Chapter 23.    Hepatotoxicity of Cardiovascular and Antidiabetic Drugs

Chapter 24.    Cancer Chemotherapy

Chapter 25.    Immunomodulating Agents and the Transplant Situation

Chapter 26.    Methotrexate Controversies

Chapter 27.    Adverse Effects of Hormones and Hormone Antagonists on the Liver

Chapter 28.    Alternative Medicine, Vitamins, and Natural Hepatotoxins

Chapter 29.    Occupational and Environmental Hepatotoxicity

Part IV:  Regulatory Perspectives

Chapter 30.    Regulatory Perspectives

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