Abstract: Objective This study aimed to investigate combination of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) and GanShuang granules, a herbal medicine compound, in the treatment of patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). Methods 91 patients with PBC were encountered in our hospital between April 2022 and April 2024, and were assigned to receive UDCA (n=45 in control) or UDCA and GanShuang granules combination treatment (n=46 in observation) for six months. Serum hyaluronic acid (HA), laminin (LN), procollagen type III (PCIII) and type IV collagen (IV-C) levels were detected by using fully automated immunoassay analyzer, and serum superoxide dismutase (SOD), nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and hemeoxygenase-1 (HO-1) levels were assayed by using ELISA. Results By end of six month-treatment, serum bilirubin, gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels in observation group were 21.6±3.8μmol/L, 182.8±9.7 U/L and 269.4±27.7 U/L, all significantly lower than [26.4±4.9μmol/L, 313.5±105.7 U/L and 312.0±33.3 U/L, respectively, P<0.05] in the control; serum HA, PCⅢ and IV-C levels were 46.4±6.6μg/L, 6.4±0.8 μg/L and 51.8±6.1 ng/mL, all significantly lower than [54.4±8.6μg/L, 8.9±1.1μg/L and 67.2±7.5 ng/mL, respectively, P<0.05] in the control; serum SOD, Nrf2 and HO-1 levels were 83.5±8.3 U/L, 713.3±82.3 U/L and 27.7±3.1 U/L, all significantly higher than [72.5±7.8 U/L, 664.7±75.3 U/L and 20.7±2.5 U/L, respectively, P<0.05] in the control group. Conclusion Combination of UDCA and Chinese herbal medicine in treatment of patients with PBC is efficacious, with improved liver function tests, which might be related to inhibition of liver fibrosis and induction of antioxidation activity.

Key words: Primary biliary cholangitis, Ursodeoxycholic acid, Herbal medicine, Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2, Hemeoxygenase-1, Therapy