[The influence of ursodeoxycholic acid on some biochemical, immunologic and histopathologic parameters in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis].

UNLABELLED: Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a chronic, inflammatory disease, which affects the small and medium size bile ducts and is characterized by chronic cholestasis. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), that had earlier been used in treatment of cholesterol cholelithiasis, was introduced to pharmacotherapy of PBC 10 years ago. Our study was carried out in 30 patients, who were suffering from PBC and were treated at Department of Gastroenterology, Collegium Medicum, Jagiellonian University in Cracow. Beside the routine biochemical and enzymatic tests all patients had the level of immunoglobulin checked and selected ones acute phase protein. The percutaneous liver biopsy was carried out in each case; the morphological changes were classified according to Ludwig scale. All above tests were carried out before implementing UDCA as well as after one year from the beginning of the treatment. The group of patients is still closely monitored.

CONCLUSIONS

1. By using the UDCA in treatment of PBC biochemical parameters of cholestasis improved, also in some cases the inflammatory reaction decreased; 2. UDCA used in monotherapy had no influence on the process of fibrosis.