Drug holiday in patients with polycystic liver disease treated with somatostatin analogues.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Somatostatin analogues (SAs) reduce liver volume and relief symptoms in polycystic liver disease (PLD). Its effect wears off after continuing therapy suggesting development of SA tolerance in patients on chronic therapy. We postulate that a drug holiday resensitizes the liver to its acute pharmacological effects. Therefore, this study examines the liver volume-reducing effect of SAs after a drug holiday.

Methods

Patients were identified from the International PLD Registry and included in our analysis when (1) treated with SAs during two cycles separated by a drug holiday and (2) height-adjusted total liver volume (hTLV) was available at start and end of each cycle. For our primary outcome we compared the effect of SAs (in % per 6 months) on hTLV between the first

SUBMITTER: van Aerts RMM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6172936 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature