<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the epidemiological status of
cholestasis in first-hospitalized
patients with chronic
liver disease in Shanghai, and to provide a scientific basis for developing prevention and
treatment measures.</p><p><b>
METHODS</b>From April 2005 to September 2014, 5,146 first-hospitalized
patients in Shanghai with a
diagnosis of chronic
liver disease were enrolled in this study. Clinical data of the 4,660
patients who fit the study criteria for participation were collected for retrospective
analysis.
Diagnosis of
cholestasis was made according to
serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels higher than 1.5 times the upper limit normal (ULN) and
gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) levels higher than 3 times the ULN. The
incidence rate of
cholestasis was assessed for relation to age,
sex,
etiology, and type of
liver disease, and statistically compared to the general clinical data and specific biochemical
indicators with potential
sex-related differences. T-test and
chi-square test were performed for the statistical analyses.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of the 4,660 study participants, 10.26% had
cholestasis; the
prevalence of
cholestasis increased with increasing age in
male patients. The distribution of the
cholestasis incidence according to the type of chronic
liver disease was 75.00%,
primary sclerosing cholangitis; 42.86%,
primary biliary cirrhosis; 35.97%, hepatic
tumor; 30.77%,
autoimmune hepatitis; 28.31%, drug-induced liver disease; 16.46%,
alcoholic hepatitis; 13.98%, cryptogenic
cirrhosis; 12.99%, schistosomal
cirrhosis; 7.53%,
alcoholic cirrhosis; 7.32%, mixed
cirrhosis; 5.94%, viral
liver cirrhosis; 2.70%,
nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. There was no significant difference in the
prevalence of
cholestasis between the two sexes. In the
patients with
cholestasis, the levels of GGT and total
bilirubin were significantly different between the two sexes.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The
incidence rate of
cholestasis in first-hospitalized
patients with chronic
liver disease was 10.26%, and the rate increased with increased age.
Patients with
primary sclerosing cholangitis or
primary biliary cirrhosis had higher
incidence rates of
cholestasis.
Incidence rates of
cholestasis of the various chronic
liver diseases were not related to
sex.</p>