To investigate the role of different therapeutic regimens in primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC)complicating Sjögren syndrome (SS).
A total of 79 patients diagnosed as PBC complicating SS were enrolled and randomly divided into three groups: Group U (29 patients) received ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) alone, Group UP (37 patients) received UDCA and prednisolone, Group UA (13 patients) received UDCA and azathioprine. The clinical and laboratory data were collected at 0, 3, 6 and 12 months after treatment.
Fatigue and pruritus were improved in each group with no difference among them (P > 0.05). The levels of ALT, AST, alkaline phophatase (ALP), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), TBil, DBil, IgG, and IgM in the three groups were all decreased after treatment (P < 0.05), while there were no statistical differences among the three groups (P > 0.05).
The combination therapy of UDCA with prednisolone or azathioprine was not better than UDCA alone. The therapeutic policy of PBC complicating SS involved in the liver should settle PBC mainly.