Colchicine therapy of fibrosing liver diseases--report of a randomized double-blind study

• Published in: Deutsche Zeitschrift fur Verdauungs- und Stoffwechselkrankheiten Vol. 46; no. 5; p. 257
• Main Authors: Reinhardt, M, Jorke, D, Jahn, G, Krombholz, B, Müller, A, Machnik, G, Kunath, H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: German
• Published: Germany 1986
• Subjects: Clinical Trials as Topic; Colchicine - adverse effects; Colchicine - therapeutic use; Double-Blind Method; Humans; Liver - pathology; Liver Cirrhosis - drug therapy; Liver Cirrhosis - pathology; Liver Function Tests; Random Allocation
• ISSN: 0012-1053

It is reported on results of a double blind study of colchicine therapy in fibrotic liver diseases over a period of three years. The study includes 74 probands; 37 of them had been treated after randomization for five days a week with 4 X 0,25 mg/d colchicine, 37 with placebo. 53 probands attained the 12th month of treatment, 43 of them 24th, 24 probands were in the study for 36 months. 3 diagnoses groups had been formed with regard to the histological grades of fibrosis: chronic hepatitis (without structural transformation); structural liver transformation/moderate liver cirrhosis; severe liver cirrhosis. In 38 cases the disease was caused by alcohol. 45 data had been studied (clinical results, paraclinical data concerning hepatological diagnostic and connective tissue metabolism and morphologic data). The biometric evaluation was carried out with the stage variant analysis by Friedman. Rebiopsies have been carried out in 40 probands after 1 year, in 4 probands after 2 years. 4 data (Serumalbumine, Gamma-GT, ALAT, KP) showed significant changes in the colchicine-group as well as in the placebo-group. In both therapy groups the morphologic supervisions of the fibrosis grades (rebiopsies) showed improvements, no changes, and deterioration about in the same frequency. In this study there was no effectiveness of colchicine on the course of fibrotic liver diseases to be stated. Concerning the contradictions in the recent literature and probable the insufficient colchicine dose, the authors recommend further studies on colchicine therapy in liver diseases with incipient i.e. reversible fibrosis.