Long-term treatment of ursodeoxycholic acid in paediatric cholestatic liver diseases.

ABSTRACT

Children with chronic cholestasis usually have pruritus, jaundice, failure to thrive and later, develop diliary cirrhosis. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is a tertiary bile acid which has a positive effect on decreasing cholestasis. The aim of this study is to determine the efficacy of the drug on hepatic functions and symptoms in such patients. Nine children (six boys, three girls) diagnosed with biliary atresia (six cases), idiopathic neonatal hepatitis (two cases) and cryptogenic cirrhosis (one cases), received UDCA in a dose of 15 mg/kg daily for one year. Clinical features, symptoms and liver function tests were evaluated initially and at 1369 and 12 months after starting therapy. Seven patients had a complete 12-month therapy, but two patients were treated for only six months. Decreased cholestatis parameters were found including bilirubin from 11.7+ 4.9 to 7.7+ 3.2 mg/dl, GGT from 637.1+ 146.6 to 328.3+ 59.4 U/L, and AP from 1112.6+ 89.1 787.3+ 103.1 U/L., but there were no statistically significant results. Pruritus was improved in two of four patient with pruritus patients while four patients showed improved appetite.