[Colchicine: rationale for its use in liver disease]

Abstract

Colchicine is a substance derived from the Colchicum Autumnale plant, its pharmacological uses have been demonstrated over the years. Initially used for the treatment of acute gout, it has been utilized for a wide variety of diseases, including mediterranean familial fever, alcoholic, posthepatitic and primary biliary liver cirrhosis. We have demonstrated in different studies that colchicine reduces markedly mortality rates in cirrhotics and the levels of interleukin-1 in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis.