Research Article

Ursodeoxycholic Acid Improves Bilirubin but Not Albumin in Primary Biliary Cirrhosis: Further Evidence for Nonefficacy

Table 2

Mean ± standard error of serum albumin (g/L) and bilirubin ( mol/L) levels at baseline and end of the followup (before crossover, if any) for considered trials.

First bilirubin UDCA/no UDCALast bilirubin UDCA/no UDCAFirst albumin UDCA/no UDCALast albumin UDCA/no UDCAMedian followup

Poupon et al. [12], 199123.2 ± 2.6 μmol/L
21.2 ± 2.5 μmol/L
12.3 ± 0.9 μmol/L
17.9 ± 2.2 μmol/L
38.9 ± 0.5 g/L
40.1 ± 0.5 g/L
39.8 ± 0.6 g/L
39.8 ± 0.7 g/L
24 months

Battezzati et al. [13], 199331.5 ± 4.0 μmol/L
32.5 ± 3.7 μmol/L
27.2 ± 3.4 μmol/L
32.8 ± 4.7 μmol/L
40.7 ± 1.0 g/L
40.9 ± 0.8 g/L
41.9 ± 0.9 g/L
40.4 ± 0.8 g/L
9 months

Vuoristo et al. [14], 199522.7 ± 3.4 μmol/L
25.5 ± 6.8 μmol/L
20.4 ± 6.8 μmol/L
15.3 ± 1.7 μmol/L
35.0 ± 0.7 g/L
35.6 ± 0.7 g/L
35.7 ± 0.1 g/L
35.3 ± 0.6 g/L
25 months

Pares et al. [15], 200022.1 ± 1.7 μmol/L
27.2 ± 3.4 μmol/L
23.8 ± 3.4 μmol/L
35.7 ± 3.1 μmol/L
41.9 ± 0.6 g/L
40.6 ± 0.6 g/L
40.3 ± 0.5 g/L
40.3 ± 0.6 g/L
3.4 years

Papatheodoridis et al. [16], 2002*23.8 ± 0.78 μmol/L
22.1 ± 1.02 μmol/L
35.7 ± 5.7 μmol/L
39.1 ± 8.5 μmol/L
37 ± 5 g/L
38 ± 4 g/L
32 ± 6 g/L
34 ± 5 g/L
7 years

Bilirubin values in mg/dL were converted for the statistical evaluation (1 mg/dL = 17.1 μmol/L).
*In this trial, the untreated control group did not receive placebo.