title: The UDCA dosage deficit: a fate shared with CDCA.
abstract: Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is used both as the treatment of choice in many cholestatic syndromes and as complementary therapy in many liver diseases. However, few dose-finding studies exist, and none has evaluated the efficacy and long-term safety of UDCA therapy in primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). There is an open debate about UDCA's impact on the natural history of PBC, and no universal evidence of benefits on the major endpoint exists. This is perhaps due to a UDCA dosage deficit. Most clinical trials on PBC therapy have used conservative dosages of UDCA similar to those of chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) used for dissolution of gallstones. It may be necessary to re-evaluate the dosage of UDCA that provides the most effective treatment.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Gastroenterologia, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Roda
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liva
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ferrara
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Azzaroli
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Giovanelli
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nigro
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Festi
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mazzella
mesh_terms: D002635:Chenodeoxycholic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002769:Cholelithiasis / Q000188:drug therapy; D002779:Cholestasis / Q000188:drug therapy; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D008105:Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary / Q000188:drug therapy; D014580:Ursodeoxycholic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D002635:Chenodeoxycholic Acid; D014580:Ursodeoxycholic Acid