Premium
Ursodeoxycholic and tauro‐ursodeoxycholic acids for the treatment of primary biliary cirrhosis: a pilot crossover study
Author(s) -
LARGHI A.,
CROSIGNANI A.,
BATTEZZATI P. M.,
DE VALLE G.,
ALLOCCA M.,
INVERNIZZI P.,
ZUIN M.,
PODDA M.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
alimentary pharmacology and therapeutics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.308
H-Index - 177
eISSN - 1365-2036
pISSN - 0269-2813
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2036.1997.124295000.x
Subject(s) - ursodeoxycholic acid , medicine , gastroenterology , primary biliary cirrhosis , crossover study , biliary cirrhosis , cirrhosis , bile acid , pathology , placebo , alternative medicine , disease , autoimmune disease
Background: Results from animal studies and preliminary data from pilot studies in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis suggest that tauro‐ursodeoxycholic acid has metabolic properties that may favour its long‐term use as an alternative to ursodeoxycholic acid for patients with chronic cholestatic liver diseases. No direct comparison of tauro‐ursodeoxycholic and ursodeoxycholic acids have yet been carried out in primary biliary cirrhosis. Methods: The effects of ursodeoxycholic and tauro‐ursodeoxycholic acids were compared in 23 patients with primary biliary cirrhosis according to a crossover design. Both drugs were administered at the daily dose of 500 mg, in a randomly assigned sequence for two 6‐month periods separated by a 3‐month wash‐out period. Results: Serum liver enzymes related to cholestasis and cytolysis consistently improved, as compared to baseline values, during the administration of both ursodeoxycholic and tauro‐ursodeoxycholic acids, but no significant difference between these two bile acids was found. Both treatments were well tolerated and no patient complained of side effects. Conclusion: In the short‐term, tauro‐ursodeoxycholic acid appears to be safe and at least as effective as ursodeoxycholic acid for the treatment of primary biliary cirrhosis.