Brief Article
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World J Gastroenterol. Jun 21, 2010; 16(23): 2889-2894
Published online Jun 21, 2010. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v16.i23.2889
Colchicine reduces procollagen III and increases pseudocholinesterase in chronic liver disease
Sergio Muntoni, Marcos Rojkind, Sandro Muntoni
Sergio Muntoni, Sandro Muntoni, Centre for Metabolic Diseases and Atherosclerosis, The Metabolic Diseases and their Complications Association, Viale Trento 27/A, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
Marcos Rojkind, The George Washington University Medical Center, 2300 Eye Street, NW, Washington, DC 20073, United States
Sandro Muntoni, Department of Toxicology, Unit of Oncology and Molecular Pathology, University of Cagliari Medical School, Via Porcell 4, 09124 Cagliari, Italy
Author contributions: All authors equally contributed to the design and writing of the study.
Correspondence to: Sergio Muntoni, Professor, Centre for Metabolic Diseases and Atherosclerosis, The Metabolic Diseases and their Complications Association, Viale Trento 27/A, 09123 Cagliari, Italy. sergiomuntoni@hotmail.com
Telephone: +39-70-273406 Fax: +39-70-284849
Received: January 9, 2010
Revised: February 20, 2010
Accepted: February 27, 2010
Published online: June 21, 2010
Abstract

AIM: To test whether colchicine would be an effective antifibrotic agent for treatment of chronic liver diseases in patients who could not be treated with α-interferon.

METHODS: Seventy-four patients (46 males, 28 females) aged 40-66 years (mean 53 ± 13 years) participated in the study. The patients were affected by chronic liver diseases with cirrhosis which was proven histologically (n = 58); by chronic active hepatitis C (n = 4), chronic active hepatitis B (n = 2), and chronic persistent hepatitis C (n = 6). In the four patients lacking histology, cirrhosis was diagnosed from anamnesis, serum laboratory tests, esophageal varices and ascites. Patients were assigned to colchicine (1 mg/d) or standard treatment as control in a randomized, double-blind trial, and followed for 4.4 years with clinical and laboratory evaluation.

RESULTS: Survival at the end of the study was 94.6% in the colchicine group and 78.4% in the control group (P = 0.001). Serum N-terminal peptide of type III procollagen levels fell from 34.0 to 18.3 ng/mL (P = 0.0001), and pseudocholinesterase levels rose from 4.900 to 5.610 mU/mL (P = 0.0001) in the colchicine group, while no significant change was seen in controls. Best results were obtained in patients with chronic hepatitis C and in alcoholic cirrhotics.

CONCLUSION: Colchicine is an effective and safe antifibrotic drug for long-term treatment of chronic liver disease in which fibrosis progresses towards cirrhosis.

Keywords: Chronic liver disease; Colchicine; Liver cirrhosis; Liver fibrosis; Type III procollagen peptide