[Experience in the diagnosis and treatment of primary biliary liver cirrhosis].

Altogether 31 cases of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) were diagnosed over the period of 1972-1985. All the patients were women (an average age of 51.6). PBC diagnosis was based on the syndrome of chronic intrahepatic cholestasia with prevailing skin itching, mitochondrial antibodies (in 26 patients), an increase in the IgM level (in 23 patients) and specific symptoms in liver biopsy specimens. As a result of late PBC diagnosis most patients were at III-IV morphological stages (17 cases). Immunosuppressive therapy (combination of azathioprine with prednisolone) of the PBC patients insignificantly improved liver parenchymal function though the patients' survival increased. Highly specific methods of PBC diagnosis and treatment necessitate the concentration of PBC patients in specialized centers fitted out with appropriate techniques.