Background: Polyunsaturated phosphatidyl choline is a preparation often advocated for diseases of the liver.
Methods: In a randomized open controlled trial, a preparation of polyunsaturated phosphatidyl choline, at a dose of 900 mg orally daily, was given to 22 patients with acute viral hepatitis. A control group of 25 patients was not treated.
Results: Serial serum bilirubin and alanine amino transferase levels were measured up to 12 weeks. The falls in their levels after 2 and 5 weeks, and the lengths of time to their normalization, were not significantly different in the treated group compared to the control group.
Conclusion: The results indicated that polyunsaturated phosphatidyl choline had no beneficial effect on the course of acute viral hepatitis.