Table 5 Composition of serum bile acid in patients with chronic hepatitis C treated with UDCA

	Dose (mg/day)	Before treatment	After treatment	p Value
Total bile acid concentration (μmol/l)	150	8.63±9.76	13.69±19.28	<0.001
	600	9.42±12.04	21.89±24.20	<0.001
	900	9.17±9.30	28.74±39.78	<0.001
Cholic acid (%)	150	17.69±10.33	11.35±7.08	<0.001
	600	17.75±10.35	5.93±4.53	<0.001
	900	18.15±9.54	5.14±4.19	<0.001
Deoxycholic acid (%)	150	21.62±16.24	13.84±11.39	<0.001
	600	19.86±16.84	6.50±7.06	<0.001
	900	18.74±15.29	5.68±6.58	<0.001
Chenodeoxycholic acid (%)	150	54.46±14.12	39.93±11.61	<0.001
	600	55.37±13.95	24.66±10.01	<0.001
	900	55.95±13.65	23.31±12.72	<0.001
Ursodeoxycholic acid (%)	150	5.93±8.72	34.25±13.75	<0.001
	600	6.70±9.72	62.26±13.69	<0.001
	900	6.83±10.6	65.12±16.84	<0.001
Lithocholic acid (%)	150	0.30±0.99	0.62±1.66	0.010
	600	0.33±1.23	0.66±1.35	0.010
	900	0.33±1.12	0.75±1.49	0.001

Data are expressed as mean±SD. The p values refer to paired t test (before vs after treatment).