Neurosteroid Activation of GABA-A Receptors: A Potential Treatment Target for Symptoms in Primary Biliary Cholangitis?

Table 4

Allopregnanolone (ng/ml) levels, by UDCA therapy, POISE criteria, liver blood tests, and cirrhosis.

Status	Number of participants	Allopregnanolone (ng/ml)	Significance+
UDCA therapy	93
Therapeutic dose	37 (40%)	0.033 (0.044)	u = 965
Subtherapeutic dose	56 (60%)	0.031 (0.045)
POISE criteria
Responder	79 (72%)	0.025 (0.043)	u = 1446
Nonresponder	31 (28%)	0.037 (0.49)
Abnormal LFTs
Normal	42 (38%)	0.022 (0.032)	u = 1717
Abnormal	68 (62%)	0.036 (0.048)
Cirrhosis
Noncirrhotic	99 (90%)	0.031 (0.041)	u = 379
Cirrhotic	11 (10%)	0.012 (0.049)

median (IQR); POISE criteria: ALP ≤ 1.67 × upper limit normal (ULN) and/or bilirubin ≤ 1 × ULN; LFT: liver function tests; +analysis using Mann–Whitney U.