Methotrexate increases death risk in primary biliary cirrhosis

In reviewing five randomized controlled trials involving 457 people with primary biliary cirrhosis, a liver disease, researchers at Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark found some disturbing results of methotrexate (Rheumatrex) treatment. Their systematic review of the studies showed that individuals with the liver disease who were treated with methotrexate had an increased risk of death. In contrast, the researchers noted that the most frequent treatment for primary biliary cirrhosis, ursodeoxycholic acid (Ursodiol), did not affect mortality or the rate of liver transplantation. The review was published in the August 2005 issue of The Cochrane Library.