ABSTRACT
Despite rigorous safety requirements in drug development and a better understanding of
mechanisms of drug action and toxicity, drug-induced liver injury remains one of the main
consequences of drug-related toxicity. Drug-induced liver injury accounts for approximately
2% to 5% of hospitalizations for jaundice, 10% of cases of hepatitis in all adults and more
than 40% of hepatitis cases in adults older than 50 (1). According to the consensus
conference of the Council for International Organization of Medical Sciences, drug-
induced liver injury can be classified into hepatocellular, cholestatic and mixed types of
liver damage depending on serum biochemistry markers (2). While hepatocellular injury is
mainly characterized by the elevation of serum transaminases, cholestatic liver damage is
reflected by increased levels of alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, and
conjugated bilirubin in serum.
