Introduction

non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, gallstones, Gallstone disease, nausea, NAFLD, diarrhea, skin rash, PBC, gallstone disease
GALLSTONES, PBC, MORBID OBESITY, INFLAMMATION, COMPLICATION, NON-ALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER DISEASE, GALLSTONE DISEASE, PRIMARY BILIARY CIRRHOSIS
Gallstone disease is a common complication after bariatric surgery, the most effective long-term treatment for morbid obesity. Recently, the UPGRADE trial demonstrated that in patients without gallstones before bariatric surgery the prophylactic use of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) for 6 months after surgery reduces the occurrence of symptomatic gallstone disease [UDCA is a naturally occurring bile acid, which is orally prescribed. The most common side effects include diarrhea, nausea, and skin rash. On the other hand, beneficial effects of UDCA treatment such as a reduction in liver enzymes and total cholesterol were reported in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) [Furthermore, the exact functions and exerting mechanisms of several bile acids are still not fully understood, but influences on lipids, glucose metabolism, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) have been described previously [The UPGRADE trial, in which patients were randomized to receive either UDCA or placebo, provides us with the possibility to investigate the effects of a high dose of UDCA on liver enzymes, glucose and lipid metabolism, and inflammation. The present study aimed to explore these effects in blood samples of patients before and six months after bariatric surgery.