Database	Time of search	Search strategy
The Cochrane Hepato‐Biliary Group Controlled Trials Register	April 2011	propylthiouracil OR PTU
Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) in The Cochrane Library (Wiley)	Issue 2, April 2011	#1 MeSH descriptor Propylthiouracil explode all trees in MeSH products #2 propylthiouracil OR PTU in All Fieldsin all products #3 (#1OR #2) #4 MeSH descriptor Liver Diseases, Alcoholic explode all trees in MeSH products #5 alcoholic and (liver disease* or steatosis or fibrosis or hepatitis or cirrhosis) in All Fields in all products #6 (#4 OR #5) #7 (#3 AND #6)
MEDLINE (Ovid SP)	1948 to April 2011	#1 exp Propylthiouracil/ #2 (propylthiouracil or PTU).mp. [mp=protocol supplementary concept, rare disease supplementary concept, title, original title, abstract, name of substance word, subject heading word, unique identifier] #3 1 or 2 #4 exp Liver Diseases, Alcoholic/ #5 (alcoholic and (liver disease* or steatosis or fibrosis or hepatitis or cirrhosis)).mp. [mp=protocol supplementary concept, rare disease supplementary concept, title, original title, abstract, name of substance word, subject heading word, unique identifier] #6 4 or 5 #7 3 and 6 #8 (random* or placebo* or blind* or meta‐analysis).mp. [mp=protocol supplementary concept, rare disease supplementary concept, title, original title, abstract, name of substance word, subject heading word, unique identifier] #9 7 and 8
EMBASE (OvidSP)	1980 to April 2011	#1 exp PROPYLTHIOURACIL/ #2 (propylthiouracil or PTU).mp. [mp=title, abstract, subject headings, heading word, drug trade name, original title, device manufacturer, drug manufacturer] #3 1 or 2 #4 exp alcohol liver disease/ #5 (alcoholic and (liver disease* or steatosis or fibrosis or hepatitis or cirrhosis)).mp. [mp=title, abstract, subject headings, heading word, drug trade name, original title, device manufacturer, drug manufacturer] #6 4 or 5 #7 3 and 6 #8 (random* or blind* or placebo* or meta‐analysis).mp. [mp=title, abstract, subject headings, heading word, drug trade name, original title, device manufacturer, drug manufacturer] #9 7 and 8
Science Citation Index Expanded (ISI Web of Knowledge)	1900 to April 2011	#1 TS=(propylthiouracil or PTU) #2 TS=(alcoholic and (liver disease* or steatosis or fibrosis or hepatitis or cirrhosis)) #3 #2 AND #1 #4 TS=(random* or placebo* or blind* or meta‐analysis) #5 #4 AND #3