RT Journal
A1 BEUERS U, RITTER MM, RICHTER WO, PAUMGARTNER G
T1 LIpoprotein (a) serum levels in chronic cholestatic liver disease during treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid
JF Archives of Internal Medicine
JO Archives of Internal Medicine
YR 1990
FD July 1
VO 150
IS 7
SP 1542
OP 1542
DO 10.1001/archinte.1990.00390190174032
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archinte.1990.00390190174032
AB To the Editor.—Ursodeoxycholic acid is used in the treatment of cholelithiasis and has recently been reported to induce beneficial effects on clinical and biochemical parameters of chronic cholestatic liver disease.1 The use of ursodeoxycholic acid seems to be safe and almost free of side effects. Its influence on lipid metabolism, however, is not fully elucidated, and the consequences of altered biliary secretion of cholesterol and phospholipids are not completely understood. Risk of atherogenesis as documented by levels of high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides has not been raised by ursodeoxycholic acid treatment in patients with gallstones.2 Another independent risk factor of atherosclerosis, lipoprotein (a), 3 has never been investigated during treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid. Therefore, we studied the influence of ursodeoxycholic acid treatment (13 to 15 mg/kg per day) on serum levels of lipoprotein (a), high-density and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides in 10 patients with