Polyene phosphatidylcholine for liver function improvement in liver-injury patients: A multicenter retrospective study

Objective: To investigate the heterogeneous effects of polyene phosphatidylcholine (PPC) on different liver diseases. Methods: This multicenter retrospective study used the Cooperative Registry of Hospital Prescription from 264 Grade-A hospitals in 16 provinces in China. Eligible patients had abnormal baseline liver functions and follow-up liver function tests. We used linear mixed-effects growth curve analysis to analyze the change of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) and total bilirubin after adjusting for age and sex. Statistical significance was set at P <0.05. Results: Among 1 454 patients (median age 52 years; 63.8% male), PPC significantly controlled abnormal ALT, AST, GGT and total bilirubin ( P <0.05). Patients with drug-induced liver injury exhibited higher baseline ALT levels and more rapid ALT decline. Cirrhotic patients had lower baseline ALT/AST and slower recovery. Patients with alcoholic liver disease had a sharp GGT decline ( P <0.001). ALT/AST recovery was not impacted by autoimmune hepatitis. Patients with higher baseline ALT received higher PPC doses, resulting in an adequate ALT/AST normalization time. Conclusions: PPC’s hepatoprotective effects differed by liver disease subtypes. Higher doses suited patients with elevated baseline ALT/AST.