A dose-up of ursodeoxycholic acid decreases transaminases in hepatitis C patients

Abstract

AIM:To examine whether a dose-up to 900 mg of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) decreases transaminases in hepatitis C patients. METHODS:From January to December 2007, patients with chronic hepatitis C or compensated liver cirrhosis with hepatitis C virus (HCV) (43-80 years old) showing positive serum HCV-RNA who had already taken 600 mg/d of UDCA were recruited into this study. Blood parameters were examined at 4, 8 and 24 wk after increasing the dose of oral UDCA from 600 to 900 mg/d. RESULTS:Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and gammaglutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) levels were significantly decreased following the administration of 900 mg/d as compared to 600 mg/d. The decrease in ALT from immediately before the dose-up of UDCA to 8 wk after the dose-up was 14.3 IU/L, while that for AST was 10.5 IU/L and for GGT was 9.8 IU/L. Platelet count tended to increase after the dose-up of UDCA, although it did not show a statistically significant level (P = 0.05). Minor adverse events were observed in 3 cases, although no drop-outs from the study occurred. CONCLUSION:Oral administration of 900 mg/d of UDCA was more effective than 600 mg/d for reducing ALT, AST, and GGT levels in patients with HCV-related chronic liver disease.

Effects of Chemical Modification of Ursodeoxycholic Acid on TGR5 Activation

“…While UDCA is in use as a therapeutic agent for dissolution of cholesterol gallstones in humans, 2) this naturally occurring bile acid has been shown to be efficient for the improvement of liver function in patients with diverse liver diseases, including chronic hepatitis C and primary biliary cirrhosis. [3][4][5] These effects could not be detected in other bile acids. UDCA is structurally unique in that it possesses a b-oriented hydroxyl group at the C-7 position as compared to other naturally occurring bile acids.…”

“…In the above studies, UDCA exceptionally exhibited higher affinity for TGR5 rather than FXR. Therefore, we prepared diverse 4 Vol. 34, No.…”

Ursodeoxycholic acid: A therapeutic niche in an internist’s practice

“…Результаты тех биохимических печеночных проб могли бы увеличить приверженность к этой терапии как врачей, так и пациентов [42]. Однако данные достаточно большого коли-чества исследований по этой нозологии в целом не свидетель-ствуют в пользу замедления прогрессирования заболевания [43,44].…”

Review article: management of chronic hepatitis C in patients with contraindications to anti‐viral therapy

“…The majority of the posterior studies have confirmed that UDCA treatment in chronic hepatitis C decreases serum ALT and gamma‐GTP levels, although with no anti‐viral effect, 600 mg/day being the preferred UDCA dose . However, in a large double‐blind trial, 596 patients with chronic hepatitis C (including nonresponders to IFN treatment) were treated with UDCA at 150, 600 or 900 mg/day for 24 weeks and it was found that, although changes in ALT and aspartate amino transferase (AST) were similar between doses of 600 and 900 mg/day, gamma‐GTP decreased significantly more in the group receiving 900 mg/day .…”