A Case Report of UDCA and <italic>Injinho-tang</italic> Co-administration for Liver Damage Caused by Rifampin

Abstract

We have experienced a case in which herbal medicine was administered to treat drug-induced liver damage and would like to introduce it. A 49-year-old man exhibited a positive result in the interferon-gamma release assay. He had never suffered from tuberculosis in the past, and the route and time of infection could not be confirmed. He had no respiratory or systemic symptoms suggestive of active tuberculosis, and a chest X-ray examination showed no active lung lesions, so he was diagnosed with latent tuberculosis infection. He was confirmed to be within the normal range in the liver function test, renal function test, and complete blood cell count test, and started taking rifampin (600 mg qd). In the screening test performed on the 19th day of taking the drug, other test items were normal, but alanine aminotransferase (ALT) increased to 50 U/L (reference value: 4-40 U/L). In a test performed on the 29th day of taking the drug, ALT was clearly elevated to 102 U/L. Ursodeoxycholic acid and <i>Injinho-tang</i> were taken together with rifampin, and the patient’s progress was observed. In a test performed 14 days later, ALT decreased to 26 U/L, within the normal range. It is presumed that <i>Injinho-tang</i> may have partially contributed to alleviating liver damage in this case.