| dc.description.abstract | This study examined the correlation of survival in primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC)
of the liver
The main objectives of the study were to determine the effect of treatment on
survival of the patients recruited in the clinical trial.
To formulate best fitting survival models based on various measurements and
variables of the patients. To examine the association between explanatory
variables and the survival times of the patients.
The researcher used the data collected for a period often years between January
(1974) and may (1984) by the mayo clinic trial in the PBC of the liver. They
employed a double-blinded randomisation in comparing the drug D -;
Pencillamine on patients with PBC of the liver. A total of 312 of the 424 cases
participated in the trial whereby the remaining 112 cases did not but consented to
have basic measurement recorded and to be followed for survival. Six of the
latter cases were lost to follow-up shortly after diagnosis, so the data remained
with 106 cases as well as 312 randomised participants who largely contained
complete data.
The findings of this study indicates that some .explanatory variables like presence ~
of asicites, hepatogemally, triglicerides, SGOT, and platelets do not influence the
hazard of death for the patients recruited in the trial. Other variables like age,
albumin, bilirubin, prothrombin time and edema immensely influenced the hazard
function. However sexafter day 1000, seems to influence the hazard function.
On the other hand, the drug D-peniccilamine was ineffective or did not have any
treatment effect. Finally the researcher made various recommendations like a
quick progress should be made in research institutions to provide the appropriate
treatment for the disease. Non-governmental and other donor funding agencies, to
help biomedical researchers in facilitating their research activities. | en |
