P-1649. Impact of Ursodeoxycholic Acid on COVID-19 Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Abstract Background The efficacy of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) in managing cholestatic liver disease is well-established. UDCA inhibits the farnesoid X receptor (FXR), leading to the down-regulation of ACE2, a critical entry receptor for SARS-CoV-2. Despite this mechanism, the impact of UDCA on patients with COVID-19 remains controversial. This study aims to assess the association between UDCA administration and COVID-19-related mortality, hospitalization, and symptoms.Figure 1.Forest plot of studies comparing mortality between UDCA and Control groups Methods We conducted a systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science (WOS), and all studies involving patients treated with UDCA and infected with COVID-19 were included. We utilized Review Manager (RevMan 5.4 for Windows) for statistical analysis. Results Nine observational studies published between 2023 and 2024, encompassing 30,066 patients, were included in the meta-analysis. We found no statistically significant differences between UDCA and non-UDCA groups regarding mortality (RR = 0.99; 95% CI [0.80, 1.23]; P = 0.94), or COVID-19-related hospitalization (RR = 0.98; 95% CI [0.89, 1.08]; P = 0.74). However, the UDCA group demonstrated significant improvements in COVID-19 symptoms, including cough (OR = 0.43; 95% CI [0.31, 0.60]; P < 0.00001), muscle or joint pain (OR = 0.70; 95% CI [0.51, 0.96]; P = 0.03), and pharyngalgia (OR = 0.28; 95% CI [0.09, 0.82]; P = 0.02). Conclusion Our results showed a limited role of UDCA in reducing mortality rates or COVID-19-related hospitalization. However, they provide insights into the efficacy of UDCA in managing mild to moderate symptoms of COVID-19 as cough, muscle or joint pain, and pharyngalgia. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures
Authors
- Ayah Abdulgadir (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5905-5271)
- Omar Elkoumi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1172-7574)
- Mohammed Gamal (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4674-6516)
- Ahmed Elkoumi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-0965-7550)
- Mariam Khaled Elbairy
- Ahmad Beddor
- Younes F. Samara
- Ahmed L. Youseif
- Abdullah Yousef Aldalati
- Mohamed S Elgendy
- Mohamed A Aldemerdash
Institutions
- Beni-Suef University (EG)
- Damietta University (EG)
- Suez University (EG)
- University of Khartoum (SD)
- Zarqa University (JO)
- Jordan University of Science and Technology (JO)
- Hashemite University (JO)
- Tanta University (EG)
- Tanta University Hospital (EG)
- Egyptian Russian University (EG)
- Yarmouk University (JO)
- Sohag University (EG)
- Irbid National University (JO)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Open Forum Infectious Diseases
- Published
- 2026-01-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofaf695.1824
- Primary Topic
- Drug Transport and Resistance Mechanisms
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00