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Ursodeoxycholic acid treatment in isolated chronic graft-vs.-host disease of the liver

Mutlu Arat1, Ramazan Idilman, Ender Akcaglayan Soydan

  • 1Department of Hematology, Ankara University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. arat@medicine.ankara.edu.tr

Clinical Transplantation
|November 30, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Long-term ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) treatment effectively improved liver tests in patients with chronic graft-vs.-host disease (cGVHD) of the liver. The therapy was safe and well-tolerated, with no major adverse events reported.

Area of Science:

  • Hepatology
  • Immunology
  • Transplantation Medicine

Background:

  • Limited data exist on long-term ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) treatment for chronic graft-vs.-host disease (cGVHD) of the liver.
  • Isolated liver cGVHD following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation requires effective and safe therapeutic options.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of long-term UDCA treatment in patients with isolated liver cGVHD.
  • To assess the tolerability and safety of UDCA in this patient population.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective study included fifteen patients with de novo isolated liver cGVHD.
  • Patients received UDCA at 13 mg/kg/d for one year, with clinical and laboratory assessments at regular intervals.

Main Results:

  • Sixty percent of patients achieved normal liver tests, while 40% showed improvement.
  • Significant reductions in serum aminotransferases, alkaline phosphatase, and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase were observed (p < 0.01).
  • Pruritus resolved in seven of nine patients, and all patients tolerated the treatment without major adverse events.

Conclusions:

  • Long-term UDCA therapy is effective for individuals with cGVHD involving the liver.
  • UDCA treatment is safe and well-tolerated in this patient group.
Abstract

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