Bezafibrate may attenuate biliary damage associated with chronic liver diseases accompanied by high serum biliary enzyme levels.
BACKGROUND
Bezafibrate is a commonly used medicine for hyperlipidemia, and recently several reports have suggested the efficacy of bezafibrate for the treatment of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). To assess its efficacy for other liver diseases, we administered bezafibrate to patients with various categories of hepatobiliary impairment.


METHODS
Bezafibrate (400 mg/day) was orally administered to 67 patients with chronic liver disease [22 with PBC, six with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), 20 with chronic liver disease associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection (CLD-C), seven with auto immune hepatitis (AIH), ten with alcoholic liver injury, and two with drug-induced liver injury].


RESULTS
The levels of biliary enzymes, such as alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase, decreased promptly and dramatically. The abnormally high level of alanine aminotransferase also showed a gradual decrease over 6 months in five of the eight PBC patients, all three PSC patients, eight of the 17 CLD-C patients, and all seven alcoholic liver injury patients. The level of immunoglobulin M showed a gradual decrease in 17 of the 22 PBC patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Bezafibrate significantly reduced the level of biliary enzymes in various chronic liver diseases and may be useful for the treatment of certain liver disease subsets.
Kita
Ryuichi
R
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Osaka Red Cross Hospital, 5-53 Fudegasaki-cho, Tennoji-ku, Osaka, 543-8555, Japan.
Takamatsu
Seigo
S
Kimura
Toru
T
Kokuryu
Hiroyuki
H
Osaki
Yukio
Y
Tomono
Naomi
N
D000368:Aged; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood* / Q000187:drug effects; D001629:Bezafibrate / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001659:Biliary Tract / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008105:Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood* / Q000187:drug effects
D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D001629:Bezafibrate