Silymarin Treatment of PSC: An Open-Label Pilot Study.

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Dig

Dis Sci.

2007 Oct 17; [Epub ahead of print]

Silymarin in the Treatment of Patients with

Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis: An Open-Label Pilot Study.

Angulo P, nsen RA, Kowdley KV, Lindor KD.

Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo

Clinic and Foundation, Rochester, MN

No effective medical therapy is available for patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). We evaluated the safety and estimated the efficacy of silymarin in patients with PSC in a pilot study. Thirty patients with PSC were enrolled. Silymarin, 140 mg orally three times daily, was given for 1

year. A statistically significant improvement in serum

alkaline phosphatase activity (1131 +/- 216 vs. 861

+/- 139, P = 0.007), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels (116 +/- 15 vs. 83 +/- 11, P

= 0.01) occurred with treatment. Serum bilirubin levels were not significantly affected by the

treatment, while serum albumin and the Mayo risk score remained essentially

unchanged. Overall, 34% of patients had a positive

response to silymarin as defined by >/=50%

improvement or normal status in liver tests. The

results of this pilot study warrant further evaluation of silymarin

in patients with PSC in a large-scale, controlled trial. PMID: 17940903

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