Ursodeoxycholic acid therapy in children with cholestatic liver disease

The beneficial effect of ursodeoxycholic acid have been documented in adults but experience with this agent is limited in the pediatric population. The objective of this study was to evaluate ursodeoxycholic acid treatment in children with cholestatic liver disease. Twenty-four patients with intr...

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Main Authors: Gönül Dinler, Nurten Koçak, Aysel Yüce, Figen Gürakan, Hasan Özen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Hacettepe University Institute of Child Health 1999-01-01
Series:The Turkish Journal of Pediatrics
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Online Access:https://turkjpediatr.org/article/view/3203
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author Gönül Dinler
Nurten Koçak
Aysel Yüce
Figen Gürakan
Hasan Özen
author_facet Gönül Dinler
Nurten Koçak
Aysel Yüce
Figen Gürakan
Hasan Özen
author_sort Gönül Dinler
collection DOAJ
description The beneficial effect of ursodeoxycholic acid have been documented in adults but experience with this agent is limited in the pediatric population. The objective of this study was to evaluate ursodeoxycholic acid treatment in children with cholestatic liver disease. Twenty-four patients with intrahepatic cholestasis (neonatal hepatitis 7, Byler disease 7, idiopathic intrahepatic cholestasis 10) whose ages ranged from 1.5 months to 15 years were treated with ursodeoxycholic acid (15-20 mg/kg/day) for 12 months. Liver biopsy was performed initially on all patients and on 17 at the end of the twelve months. The outcome was evaluated by monitoring clinical and biochemical markers of cholestasis, including alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, cholesterol, total serum fasting bile acids and total and conjugated bilirubin at entry and every three months of treatment. Pruritus was ameliorated in all patients; there was complete disappearance of itching in 16.7 percent. There were significant decreases in mean serum levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase. Liver biopsy specimens showed a significant improvement in the cholestasis but not in fibrosis. No adverse effects of therapy were noted. The improvements in the clinical and biochemical parameters and tolerability of the drug suggest that ursodeoxycholic acid is a safe and effective treatment in children with intrahepatic cholestasis.
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publishDate 1999-01-01
publisher Hacettepe University Institute of Child Health
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spelling doaj-art-3e3bca6a851d41d58633ecd8124decca2025-08-20T02:59:42ZengHacettepe University Institute of Child HealthThe Turkish Journal of Pediatrics0041-43012791-64211999-01-0141110.24953/turkjpediatr.1999.3203Ursodeoxycholic acid therapy in children with cholestatic liver diseaseGönül Dinler0Nurten Koçak1Aysel Yüce2Figen Gürakan3Hasan Özen4Hacettepe University Faculty of MedicineHacettepe University Faculty of MedicineHacettepe University Faculty of MedicineHacettepe University Faculty of MedicineHacettepe University Faculty of Medicine The beneficial effect of ursodeoxycholic acid have been documented in adults but experience with this agent is limited in the pediatric population. The objective of this study was to evaluate ursodeoxycholic acid treatment in children with cholestatic liver disease. Twenty-four patients with intrahepatic cholestasis (neonatal hepatitis 7, Byler disease 7, idiopathic intrahepatic cholestasis 10) whose ages ranged from 1.5 months to 15 years were treated with ursodeoxycholic acid (15-20 mg/kg/day) for 12 months. Liver biopsy was performed initially on all patients and on 17 at the end of the twelve months. The outcome was evaluated by monitoring clinical and biochemical markers of cholestasis, including alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, cholesterol, total serum fasting bile acids and total and conjugated bilirubin at entry and every three months of treatment. Pruritus was ameliorated in all patients; there was complete disappearance of itching in 16.7 percent. There were significant decreases in mean serum levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase. Liver biopsy specimens showed a significant improvement in the cholestasis but not in fibrosis. No adverse effects of therapy were noted. The improvements in the clinical and biochemical parameters and tolerability of the drug suggest that ursodeoxycholic acid is a safe and effective treatment in children with intrahepatic cholestasis. https://turkjpediatr.org/article/view/3203childrenursodeoxycholic acidcholestatic liver disease
spellingShingle Gönül Dinler
Nurten Koçak
Aysel Yüce
Figen Gürakan
Hasan Özen
Ursodeoxycholic acid therapy in children with cholestatic liver disease
The Turkish Journal of Pediatrics
children
ursodeoxycholic acid
cholestatic liver disease
title Ursodeoxycholic acid therapy in children with cholestatic liver disease
title_full Ursodeoxycholic acid therapy in children with cholestatic liver disease
title_fullStr Ursodeoxycholic acid therapy in children with cholestatic liver disease
title_full_unstemmed Ursodeoxycholic acid therapy in children with cholestatic liver disease
title_short Ursodeoxycholic acid therapy in children with cholestatic liver disease
title_sort ursodeoxycholic acid therapy in children with cholestatic liver disease
topic children
ursodeoxycholic acid
cholestatic liver disease
url https://turkjpediatr.org/article/view/3203
work_keys_str_mv AT gonuldinler ursodeoxycholicacidtherapyinchildrenwithcholestaticliverdisease
AT nurtenkocak ursodeoxycholicacidtherapyinchildrenwithcholestaticliverdisease
AT ayselyuce ursodeoxycholicacidtherapyinchildrenwithcholestaticliverdisease
AT figengurakan ursodeoxycholicacidtherapyinchildrenwithcholestaticliverdisease
AT hasanozen ursodeoxycholicacidtherapyinchildrenwithcholestaticliverdisease