title: Bezafibrate for the treatment of primary sclerosing cholangitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It is known that bezafibrate decreases serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in patients with hyperlipidemia, and the efficacy of this drug for the treatment of primary biliary cirrhosis has been confirmed. However, there has been little evidence of its efficacy for the treatment of primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Bezafibrate (400 mg/day) was orally administered to 7 consecutive patients with PSC, and we analyzed their clinical features and the drug efficacy in terms of the effect on hepatobiliary enzymes, including ALP, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GTP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) after 6 months. The latest hepatobiliary enzyme levels were also evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 3 patients (effective group), the levels of all hepatobiliary enzymes had decreased after 6 months. Mean ALP had decreased to approximately 40% of the baseline in this group. The efficacy of bezafibrate was observed for a long period (range, 8-27 months) in these 3 patients. There seemed to be no definite association between the efficacy of bezafibrate and the clinical features in the short term.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed that bezafibrate could lower the levels of hepatobiliary enzymes in about half of a cohort of patients with PSC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan.
authors.forename: Suguru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mizuno
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirano
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tada
authors.forename: Keisuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yashima
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yagioka
authors.forename: Kazumichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawakubo
authors.forename: Yukiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Hirofumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kogure
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: Toshihiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Arizumi
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Togawa
authors.forename: Saburo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsubara
authors.forename: Yousuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakai
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sasahira
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsujino
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Isayama
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawabe
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Omata
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Koike
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects; D001629:Bezafibrate / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015209:Cholangitis, Sclerosing / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D001629:Bezafibrate