Increased serum gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase concentration is associated with nonalcoholic steatosis and not with cholestasis in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Background And Aim: Increased pretreatment gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase (gammaGT) is common in patients with chronic hepatitis C and with little or no alcohol consumption. The mechanism involved in this phenomenon is unclear, and the aim of this study was to investigate factors associated with increased gammaGT levels, specifically looking at the role of cholestasis that frequently accompanies hepatitis C.

Methods: Fifty patients with chronic hepatitis C enrolled in two trials of antiviral treatment, 25 with normal and 25 with elevated pretreatment gammaGT levels, were retrospectively selected.

Ursodeoxycholic acid does not affect ethinylestradiol bioavailability in women taking oral contraceptives.

Objective: Contraception is recommended for female patients during ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) treatment for the potential teratogenic effect of this bile acid, and the aim of our study was to determine whether this treatment affects the bioavailability of ethinylestradiol (EE2).

Methods: In this double-blind, randomised study, we measured EE2 pharmacokinetics in eight healthy volunteers randomly allocated to receive oral contraceptive (30 microg EE2 and 75 microg gestodene) plus either UDCA (8-10 mg/kg per day) or placebo for 21 days during the first of three consecutive menstrual cycles. After a washout period during the second cycle, the subjects received the alternative treatment during the third menstrual cycle.

Value of measuring gallbladder motility in clinical practice.

Measurement of gallbladder motility is a powerful research tool, but its value in clinical practice is uncertain. Three main conditions have been investigated for potential clinical application of this measurement. The first potential application is for identification of patients at risk of recurrence following gallstone dissolution with medical therapy.

Intestinal absorption of the bile acid analogue 75Se-homocholic acid-taurine is increased in primary biliary cirrhosis, and reverts to normal during ursodeoxycholic acid administration.

Background: Whether ileal absorption of bile acid is up or downregulated in chronic cholestasis is still debated, and most evidence has come from animal studies.

Aims: To compare ileal bile acid absorption in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and in healthy control subjects, and to assess the effect of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA).

Patients: We studied 14 PBC patients before and during (n=11) UDCA administration, 14 healthy control subjects, and 14 Crohn's disease patients (as disease controls).

A randomised, open label, controlled trial on the effect of interferon plus amantadine compared with interferon alone for treatment of chronic hepatitis C.

BACKGROUND: Combination of the antiviral drug amantadine with interferon (IFN) may be more effective than IFN monotherapy for treatment of chronic hepatitis C. METHODS: We randomised 93 patients with chronic hepatitis C to IFNIFN 6 MU 3 times/week for 24 weeks, followed by IFN 3 MU 3 times/week for further 24 weeks given in combination with amantadine 100 mg t.i.