Effectiveness of polyene phosphatidylcholine and its combination with other drugs in patients with liver diseases based on real-world research

Objectives Polyene phosphatidylcholine (PPC) is a widely used hepatoprotective drug. We aim to explore the effectiveness of PPC in patients with liver diseases based on real-world research, and compare with other hepatoprotective drugs. Methods This was a 'three-phase' retrospective study, including a descriptive study, a self-control case study, and a specific-disease cohort study. A total of 14,800 hospitalized patients were enrolled in phase I from 1 January 2015 to 1 January 2020, of which 793 patients using PPC alone were included for phase II and III. The major measurement of effectiveness analysis was the ALT level and its changes. Wilcoxon signed-rank test, Chi-square test, and Mann-Whitney U test were used. Results In patients without liver tumor, ALT level decreased after using PPC (p < 0.01), and the decrease in ALT level using PPC was greater than using glutathione or magnesium isoglycyrrhizinate alone (p = 0.044; p = 0.038). In patients without liver tumor but having abnormal liver function, the decrease in ALT level using PPC + glutathione was greater than using glutathione alone (p = 0.047). Conclusion PPC had a beneficial effect on liver function in patients without liver tumor, and PPC could enhance the liver protective function of glutathione and magnesium isoglycyrrhizinate.