Effects of ursodeoxycholic acid on proinflammatory cytokines in children with infantile hepatitis syndrome

AIM: To observe the effect of ursodeoxycholic acid( UDCA) on the treatment of infantile hepatitis syndrome( HIS) and to investigate its mechanism. METHODS: The children with infantile hepatitis syndrome were divided into conventional treatment group and the UDCA treatment group. Twenty healthy children were selected as normal control. The children in conventional therapy group were given antiviral and hepatoprotective treatments. The children in UDCA treatment group were given ursodeoxycholic acid( 10 mg·kg- 1·d- 1) in addition to the conventional treatment group for 2 to 3 weeks. The levels of total bilirubin( TBIL),direct bilirubin( DBIL),alanine aminotransferase( ALT),glutamyltransferase( GGT),total bile acids( TBA) and TNF-α,IL-6 were detected before admission and 2 weeks later. RESULTS: The levels of TNF-α and IL-6 were significantly higher in the children with IHS than those in the normal control( P 0. 01). The levels of TBIL,DBIL,ALT,GGT,TBA,TNF-α and IL-6 in conventional treatment group were reduced after therapy( P 0. 01). All the above index in UDCA treatment group were decreased compared with conventional treatment group( P 0. 01). CONCLUSION: On the basis of conventional therapy,ursodeoxycholic acid effectively alleviates the systemic inflammatory response in the children with IHS,reduces the liver damages.