In the subgroup of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis  , ursodeoxycholic acid  reduced total cholesterol ( WMD : − 29.86 mg/dL , 95 % CI : -47.39 , − 12.33 , p = 0.001 ) and LDL-C ( WMD : -37.27 mg/dL , 95 % CI : -54.16 , − 20.38 , p < 0.001 ) concentrations without affecting TG and HDL-C. Conclusion This meta- analysis suggests that ursodeoxycholic acid therapy might be associated with significant total cholesterol lowering particularly in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis
Objective The aim of this meta- analysis of r and omized placebo-controlled trials was to examine whether ursodeoxycholic acid treatment is an effective lipid-lowering agent .
Serum cholestanol, cholesterol precursors, and plant sterols during placebo-controlled treatment of primary biliary cirrhosis with ursodeoxycholic acid or colchicine.
A r and omized placebo-controlled 2-year study was performed in 69 patients with primary biliary cirrhosis ( PBC ) on serum lipids during ursodeoxycholic acid ( URSO ) and colchicine treatments .  In addition to serum bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase ( AFOS ) , two variables considered to reflect liver function , serum lipoproteins , cholesterol precursors ( squalene , delta 8-cholestenol , lathosterol and desmosterol ) , markers of cholesterol synthesis , cholestanol and plant sterols ( campesterol and sitosterol ) , markers of liver function and cholesterol absorption , were studied before and during the treatments . Serum bilirubin was inconsistently improved by URSO , whereas improvement of AFOS values was better by URSO than colchicine , especially in patients with initially more advanced PBC . Serum total cholesterol was reduced by both drugs , very low-density lipoprotein ( VLDL ) and high-density lipoprotein ( HDL ) cholesterol by URSO .  Cholesterol precursor sterols were increased by both URSO and colchicine mainly in patients with initially less severe PBC . On the other h and , the cholestanol values were markedly increased initially , and the values were related to bilirubin during the 2-year period , were further increased in the placebo group , and reduced in the URSO and colchicine groups , so that the improvement was highest in the URSO-treated patients with the severe form of PBC . The increase of the serum plant sterols , particularly that of sitosterol , was retarded by the two drugs so that the campesterol/sitosterol ratio , which was related to serum bilirubin , was increased especially in the cases with initially more advanced PBC . ( ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS
In the subgroup of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis  , ursodeoxycholic acid  reduced total cholesterol ( WMD : − 29.86 mg/dL , 95 % CI : -47.39 , − 12.33 , p = 0.001 ) and LDL-C ( WMD : -37.27 mg/dL , 95 % CI : -54.16 , − 20.38 , p < 0.001 ) concentrations without affecting TG and HDL-C. Conclusion This meta- analysis suggests that ursodeoxycholic acid therapy might be associated with significant total cholesterol lowering particularly in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis
Objective The aim of this meta- analysis of r and omized placebo-controlled trials was to examine whether ursodeoxycholic acid treatment is an effective lipid-lowering agent .