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Early predictors of responses and clinical outcomes of corticosteroid treatment for severe ulcerative colitis.
Scand J Gastroenterol. 2014 Apr;49(4):424-33
Authors: Han W, Xu JM, Hu NZ, Mei Q, Liu MW
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Patients with severe ulcerative colitis (SUC) have a high risk of requiring colectomy or resorting to a second-line treatment. However, neither clinical outcomes nor factors predictive of poor response have been clearly established in the treatment of SUC.
OBJECTIVE: To assess prospectively the effects and predictors of corticosteroids (CS) use in clinical outcomes of SUC during 1 year of follow-up.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: Consecutive inpatients with SUC, who had been treated with intravenous CS, were enrolled. Patients were monitored by clinical, laboratory, and endoscopic examinations, and the data were recorded for 1 year. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed at 1 week.
RESULTS: There were 22.6% (14/62) nonresponders at 7 days. Several predictors were associated with nonresponse to CS. These included Mayo Score at baseline (p = 0.007), partial Mayo Score, number of bowel movements, blood presence in stool, abdominal pain, and levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), hemoglobin (Hgb), platelet count (PLT), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) on day 3 (p < 0.05). Multiple logistic regression analysis identified the Partial Mayo Score at day 3 as an independent predictor of outcome (p = 0.012). A total of 12 patients underwent colectomy within 1 year. The short-term response rates to intravenous cyclosporin (CsA) and infliximab (IFX) in SUC were 71.4% (5/7) and 77.8% (7/9), respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: Many patients with SUC eventually became refractory to or dependent on CS. The Mayo score and laboratory characteristics were factors useful in predicting short-term outcome of CS treatment. Secondary medical therapy can help avoid emergency surgery.
PMID: 24533622 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]