Summary
Serum levels of squalene, cholesterol and bile acid were measured before and after short-term prednisoIone administration in patients with chronic active hepatitis. Comparison with normal controls indicated that serum bile acid levels were increased significantly (p<0.01) in patients with chronic active hepatitis, but serum levels of squalene and cholesterol did not differ significantly between the two groups. After short-term prednisolone treatment, serum levels of squalene and cholesterol were increased significantly (p<0.01) as compared with the pretreatment level. On the other hand, while serum fasting bile acid levels were found to be increased significantly (p<0.01), serum clearance after oral administration of ursodeoxycholic acid improved significantly (p<0.05) after treatment. These results indicated that short-term prednisolone treatment increases sterol metabolism in the liver in patients with chronic active hepatitis, resulting from an increase in hepatic clearance of bile acids.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Dietschy JM, et al: Cholesterol synthesis in the squirrel monkey: relative rates of synthesis in various tissues and mechanisms of control. J Clin Invest 47: 166, 1968
Eriksson S: Biliary excretion of bile acids and cholesterol in bile fistula rats. Bile acids and sterols. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med (NY) 94: 578, 1957
Sandhofer F, et al: Cholesterol turnover in patients with chronic liver disease. Europ J Clin Invest 3: 10, 1973
Adlersberg D, et al: Development of hyper-cholesteroremia during cortisone and ACTH therapy. JAMA 144:909, 1950
Oswald B, et al: The stimulation of the cholesterol synthesis in rat liver by hydrocortisone. Helv Chim Acta 59:2179, 1976
Bagdade JD, et al: Steroid-induced lipemia. Arch Intern Med 125: 129, 1970
Yamanishi Y, et al: Serum squalene levels in hepatobiliary diseases. Clin Chim Acta 88: 105, 1978
Hirayama C, et al: Serum cholesterol and squalene in hepatocellular carcinoma. Clin Chim Acta 91: 53, 1979
Yamanishi Y, et al: Oral ursodeoxycholic acid tolerance test in patients with digestive disease. Gastroenterologia Jpn 16: 472, 1981
Hirayama C, et al: Diagnostic significance of fasting serum bile acid in liver disease. Acta Hepato-Gastroenterol 23: 385, 1976
Shull HJ, et al: Normal disposition of oxazepam in acute viral hepatitis and cirrhosis. Ann Intern Med 84: 420, 1976
Cook GC, et al: Controlled prospective trial of corticosteroid therapy in active chronic hepatitis. Quart J Med 40: 159, 1971
Soloway RD, et al: Clinical, biochemical and histological remission of severe chronic active liver disease: A controlled study of treatments and early prognosis. Gastroenterology 63: 820, 1972
Murray-Lyon IM, et al: Controlled trials of prednisone and azathioprine in active chronic hepatitis. Lancet 7: 735, 1973
Sandek CD, et al: Plasma squalene: Lipoprotein distribution and kinetic analysis. J Lipid Res 19: 827, 1978
McIntyre N: Plasma lipids and lipoproteins in liver disease. Gut 19: 526, 1978
Nikkila EA: Lipid Metabolism, Obesity and Diabetes Mellitus edited by Levine R, et al. Gesrg Thieme Publ, Stuttgart 1974, p 29
Paumgartner G, et al: Serum bile acids and tolerance tests in liver disease. Barbara L, Dowling RH, Hofmann AF, Roda E eds. Bile acids in gastroenterology. MTP Press Limited, Lancaster1982, p 217
Ohkubo H, et al: Ursodeoxycholic acid oral tolerance test in patients with constitutional hyperbilirubinemias and effect of phenobarbital. Gastroenterology 81: 126, 1981
Mitropoulos KA, et al: The role of glucocorticoids in the regulation of the diurnal rhythm of hepatic βhydroxy β-methylglutaryl-Coenzyme A reductase and cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase. Biochem J 160: 49, 1976
Myant NB, et al: Cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase. J Lipid Res 18: 135, 1977
Scullard GH, et al: Effects of immunosuppressive therapy on viral markers in chronic active hepatitis B. Gastroenterology 81: 987, 1981
Lam KC, et al: Deleterious effect of prednisolone in HBsAg-positive chronic active hepatitis. N Eng J Med 304: 380, 1981
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Yamanishi, Y., Nosaka, Y., Kawasaki, H. et al. Sterol and bile acid metabolism after short-term prednisolone treatment in patients with chronic active hepatitis. Gastroenterol Jpn 20, 246–251 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02774711
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02774711