Table 1 Baseline characteristics of liver transplant recipients with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) therapy and controls.
| Characteristic | UDCA group (n = 14) | Placebo group (n = 12) | p Value* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (y) | 56.3 (12.6) | 50.7 (15.7) | 0.3 |
| Sex (M:F) | 7:7 | 6:6 | NS |
| OLT indications (%) | |||
| Cryptogenic | 7 | 25 | |
| Cholestatic | 36 | 8 | |
| Alcoholic | 36 | 8 | |
| Autoimmune | 14 | 17 | |
| Miscellaneous | 7 | 42 | |
| No of previous rejections | 0 (1) | 0 (1) | NS |
| Time since OLT (months) | 51.8 (12.8) | 60.2 (29.2) | 0.3 |
| Biochemistry | |||
| ALT (U/l) | 18.8 (8.7) | 29.9 (29.5) | 0.1 (4–26) |
| AST (U/l) | 23.8 (9.5) | 32.8 (20.3) | 0.1 (5–27) |
| ALK PH (U/l) | 93.1 (25.2) | 123 (50.6) | 0.08 (16–98) |
| Bilirubin (μmol/l) | 12.4 (4.5) | 15.2 (6.6) | 0.2 (3.4–17.1) |
| Creatinine (μmol/l) | 144.1 (55.7) | 163.6 (60.3) | 0.3 (71–168) |
| Immunosuppression | |||
| CyA dose (mg twice daily) | 128 (42.6) | 139.58) | 0.6 |
| CyA level (ng/ml) | 130.3 (68) | 172.5 (50) | 0.1 |
| Regimens | NS | ||
| CyA+AzA | n = 8 | n = 6 | |
| CyA+prednisone | n = 2 | n = 3 | |
| CyA alone | n = 4 | n = 3 |
Data are expressed as mean (SD).
ALK PH, alkaline phosphatase; ALT, alanine aminotransferase; AST, aspartate aminotransferase; AzA, azathioprine; CyA, ciclosporin; OLT, orthotopic liver transplantation.
*t test or Fisher's exact test as appropriate.