A Study Evaluating the Safety and Efficacy of Curcumin in Patients With Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC)

Number of subjects who experience a reduction of Serum Alkaline Phosphatase (SAP) to less than 1.5 x Upper Limit of Normal or a 40% reduction between baseline and week 12.

AST is an enzyme found in high amounts in liver, heart, and muscle cells. This test is mainly done along with other tests such as alkaline phosphatase and bilirubin to diagnose and monitor liver disease. This test evaluates hepatocyte integrity, as serum levels of this enzyme rise in response to a variety of forms of injury to hepatic cells. The normal range is 10 to 40 Unit/Liter (U/L)

Bilirubin is a yellowish pigment found in bile, a fluid made by the liver. A small amount of older red blood cells are replaced by new blood cells every day. Bilirubin is left after these older blood cells are removed. The liver helps break down bilirubin so that it can be removed from the body in the stool. The normal range for total bilirubin is 0.3 to 1.9 milligrams/deciliter (mg/dL)

C-reactive protein is a substance produced by the liver in response to inflammation. Normal CRP levels are below 3.0 milligrams/Liter (mg/L)

The Mayo Risk Score (R) = (0.0295 * (age in years)) + (0.5373 * natural logarithm(total bilirubin in mg/dL)) - (0.8389 * (serum albumin in g/dL)) + (0.5380 * natural logarithm(AST in IU/L) + (1.2426 * (points for variceal bleeding)) where:

AST = serum aspartate aminotransferase level, Points for variceal bleeding: 0 if none, 1 if present. Each unit increase in the Mayo Risk Score (R) is associated with a 2.5-fold increase in the risk of death. Most references to the score round the coefficients to 2 decimal places. The score shows very slight upward slope over time in stable patients, but during the terminal phase it shows an acceleration in progression.

Fatigue will be measured by a Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS). This instrument provides an assessment of the effects of fatigue in terms of physical, cognitive, and psychosocial functioning. The full-length MFIS consists of 21 items. Subjects rate on a 5-point scale with 0 = never to 4 = almost always. The total score for the MFIS is the sum of the scores for the 21 items ranging from score of 0-84. Higher numbers indicate greater fatigue.

Pruritus will be measured by the 5-D itch Scale. The 5-D itch scale was developed as a brief but multidimensional questionnaire designed to be useful as an outcome measure in clinical trials." The five dimensions are degree, duration, direction, disability and distribution. The duration, degree and direction domains each include one item, while the disability domain has four items. All items of the first four domains were measured on a five-point Likert scale (1 = Not present/resolved/never, 5 = Unbearable/getting worse/always).The distribution domain included 16 potential locations of itch, including 15 body part items and one point of contact with clothing or bandages.The scores of each of the five domains are achieved separately and then summed together to obtain a total 5-D score. 5-D scores can potentially range between 5 (no pruritus) and 25 (most severe pruritus)