Budesonide in collagenous colitis: a double-blind placebo-controlled trial with histologic follow-up. Comparison of budesonide and 5-aminosalicylic acid enemas in active distal ulcerative colitis. Budesonide treatment for collagenous colitis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial. Budesonide treatment of collagenous colitis: a randomised, double blind, placebo controlled trial with morphometric analysis. Oral budesonide versus prednisolone in patients with active extensive and left-sided ulcerative colitis. Oral mesalamine (Asacol) for mildly to moderately active ulcerative colitis. A multicenter study. An oral preparation of mesalamine as long-term maintenance therapy for ulcerative colitis. A randomized, placebo-controlled trial. The Mesalamine Study Group.
Collagenous colitis (CC) is a well-described entity causing chronic diarrhea and characteristic histologic findings. Several treatment options have been suggested, but no controlled data are available. We conducted a placebo-controlled trial to show the clinical and histologic effects of budesonide in CC.
                Twenty-eight patients were randomly assigned to receive placebo (n = 14) or budesonide 9 mg daily (n = 14) for 8 weeks. Patients were evaluated clinically, and blinded biopsy specimens were analyzed from fixed locations at weeks 0 and 8. Clinical response was defined as a decrease of at least 50% in the disease activity score (number of bowel movements in the last 7 days). At week 8, nonresponders received open-label budesonide for the next 8-week period; responders discontinued treatment and were followed up.
                Three patients discontinued the study prematurely. Intention-to-treat analysis showed clinical response in 8 of 14 patients in the budesonide group compared with 3 of 14 responders for placebo (P = 0.05) after 8 weeks of blinded therapy, together with improved stool consistency. Histologically, there was no change in the mean thickness of the collagen band but a significant decrease of the lamina propria infiltrate in the budesonide group (P < 0.001).
                Budesonide is efficacious in inducing short-term clinical response in CC with significant reduction of the histologic infiltrate in the lamina propria. Budesonide is a new corticosteroid with high topical anti-inflammatory activity but little systemic effect. The aim of the present study was to compare the efficacy and safety of budesonide enema (2 mg/100 mL) and 5-ASA enema (mesalazine 1 g/100 mL) given for 4 weeks in the treatment of active distal ulcerative colitis and proctitis.
                Ninety-seven patients were studied in a multicentre single-blind randomized group-comparative trial. The primary efficacy variables were endoscopy and histopathology scores obtained at 0, 2 and 4 weeks. Clinical symptoms were the secondary efficacy variables. Haematology, chemistry and adverse events were the safety variables.
                Budesonide and 5-ASA enemas both resulted in a significant improvement in endoscopy and histopathology scores but no difference could be demonstrated between the two treatment groups. There was also a significant improvement of symptoms (number of bowel movements per day, quality of stools, presence of blood and mucus, and state of well-being) within both groups but no difference between the two treatment groups. The clinical remission rate at 4 weeks was, however, 38% for patients treated with budesonide enema but 60% for those treated with 5-ASA enema (P = 0.03). No adverse events attributed to the study drugs were recorded in either of the groups.
                Budesonide enema 2 mg/100 mL appears to be as efficient and well-tolerated as 5-ASA enema in the treatment of active distal ulcerative colitis and proctitis. Collagenous colitis is an idiopathic microscopic colitis characterized by chronic watery diarrhea, a typical subepithelial collagen layer, and lymphoplasmacellular infiltration. We investigated the effect of budesonide on symptoms and histology in patients with collagenous colitis in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter trial.
                Patients with chronic diarrhea and histologically proven collagenous colitis were randomized to receive either oral budesonide (Entocort capsules; AstraZeneca, Sodertalje, Sweden) 9 mg/day for 6 weeks or placebo. Complete colonoscopy was performed before and after treatment. Histopathology was assessed by a single pathologist blinded to the patients' treatment. Clinical symptoms were assessed by standardized questionnaires.
                Fifty-one patients were randomized; 45 patients were available for per protocol analysis. The rate of clinical remission was significantly higher (P < 0.001) in the budesonide group than in the placebo group (per protocol 86.9% vs. 13.6%, respectively; intention-to-treat 76.9% vs. 12.0%, respectively). Histologic improvement was observed in 14 patients of the budesonide group (60.9%) and in 1 patient of the placebo group (4.5%; P < 0.001). Two patients in the budesonide group (7.7%) and 1 patient in the placebo group (4.0%) discontinued treatment prematurely because of side effects.
                Oral budesonide (Entocort capsules) is an effective and safe treatment modality for patients with collagenous colitis. Long-term follow-up of these patients is necessary to investigate whether clinical and histologic remission is sustained. Collagenous colitis is characterised by diarrhoea, lymphocytic inflammation, and a thickened subepithelial collagen layer in the colorectal mucosa. No standard treatment of the disease is established.
                To investigate the clinical and histological effect of oral budesonide (Entocort, AstraZeneca) in the treatment of collagenous colitis.
                Twenty patients with collagenous colitis (collagen layer >10 micro m) and diarrhoea (>4 stools/day and/or stool weight >200 g/day).
                A randomised, double blind, placebo controlled trial of budesonide treatment. Patients were randomised to placebo or budesonide for eight weeks. Stool frequency and stool weight were registered before and after treatment. Sigmoidoscopy was performed before and after treatment, and biopsies at fixed locations were obtained for morphometric analysis.
                Ten patients were randomised to budesonide and 10 to placebo. All 10 patients receiving budesonide had a clinical response compared with two in the placebo group (p<0.001). In the budesonide group, stool weight was reduced from 574 g/day to 200 g/day and stool frequency was reduced from 6.2/day to 1.9/day (p<0.01). The histological inflammation grade in the sigmoid mucosa and the thickness of the collagen layer were significantly reduced. A correlation between the grade of inflammation as well as collagen layer thickness and stool weight was found. No side effects were reported. Eight of 10 patients had relapse of symptoms within eight weeks after stopping treatment.
                Budesonide is a highly effective and well tolerated treatment of collagenous colitis. There is a high risk of relapse after stopping eight weeks of treatment. Systemic glucocorticosteroids (GCSs) have proven efficacy in active ulcerative colitis but cause undesired systemic side effects. Therefore, new GCSs with high topical activity and a high rate of metabolism may be of clinical value in this condition. The aim of this study was to explore the efficacy and safety of the topically acting GCS budesonide in an oral controlled-release formulation in extensive or left-sided, mild to moderately active ulcerative colitis.
                A 9-week, randomized, double-blind, controlled trial was performed, and treatments with 10 mg budesonide or 40 mg prednisolone daily, both gradually tapered, were compared. Endoscopic improvement and effect on endogenous plasma cortisol were assessed.
                Thirty-four patients were administered budesonide, and 38 patients were administered prednisolone. Mean endoscopic scores improved significantly in both groups but without difference between the groups. Five patients in the budesonide group and 7 patients in the prednisolone group deteriorated and were withdrawn from the study. Morning plasma cortisol levels were suppressed in the prednisolone group (entry, 449 nmol/L; 2 weeks, 116 nmol/L; 4 weeks, 195 nmol/L) but were unchanged in the budesonide group.
                The GCS budesonide administered in an oral controlled-release formulation seems to give an overall treatment result in active ulcerative colitis approaching that of prednisolone but without suppression of plasma cortisol levels. This concept merits further evaluation. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a pH-sensitive, polymer-coated oral preparation of mesalamine in patients with mildly to moderately active ulcerative colitis.
                A multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized trial.
                Five university-based medical centers, one inflammatory bowel disease center, and three private practice sites.
                A total of 158 patients with newly or previously diagnosed active ulcerative colitis.
                A pH-sensitive, polymer-coated oral preparation of mesalamine (5-aminosalicylic acid) was used at 1.6 and 2.4 g/d for 6 weeks.
                Efficacy was measured by scores for stool frequency, rectal bleeding, patient's functional assessment, sigmoidoscopic findings, and physician's global assessment. Stringent criteria for disease activity were established prospectively.
                The analysis of protocol-compliant patients showed a significant improvement at 3 weeks in patients taking 2.4 g/d of mesalamine compared with patients taking placebo (32% versus 9%; P = 0.003). At 6 weeks, both the 1.6 g/d (43%) and 2.4 g/d (49%) doses were significantly superior to placebo (23%) (P = 0.03 and P = 0.003, respectively). In addition, more patients worsened in the placebo group compared with the 2.4 g/d group (50% versus 19%; P = 0.003); however, there was no statistically significant difference in worsening between the 1.6 g/d mesalamine group and the placebo group. The oral mesalamine tablet was well tolerated, and no clinically significant changes were observed in hematologic, hepatic, or renal laboratory profiles.
                Colon-targeted oral mesalamine at 2.4 g/d is effective therapy for mildly to moderately active ulcerative colitis. It is well tolerated and should provide a viable therapeutic alternative to sulfasalazine. To compare the safety and efficacy of a pH-sensitive, polymer-coated oral formulation of mesalamine (Asacol, Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals, Cincinnati, Ohio) with those of placebo in maintaining remission in patients with ulcerative colitis.
                Multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial.
                Eight private practices, five university-based medical centers, and four hospitals or clinics.
                264 patients with ulcerative colitis that had been maintained in remission for at least 1 month while the patients were receiving stable doses of sulfasalazine or any oral mesalamine product.
                Coated mesalamine at oral dosages of 0.8 g/d or 1.6 g/d or matching placebo for 6 months.
                Treatment success, defined as maintenance of remission after 6 months, and treatment failure, defined as relapse during the study (as indicated by proctosigmoidoscopy at 1, 3, or 6 months of treatment) or withdrawal due to adverse events. Safety was assessed on the basis of laboratory analyses and patient- and investigator-noted adverse events.
                189 patients were compliant with the protocol for 6 months or stopped receiving therapy because of relapse or adverse events. Of these 189 patients, 25 of the 63 patients (39.7%) in the placebo group had treatment success compared with 40 of the 68 patients (58.8% [95% CI, 46.4% to 71.3%]) in the group receiving mesalamine, 0.8 g/d (P = 0.036) and 38 of the 58 patients (65.5% [CI, 52.4% to 78.6%]) in the group receiving mesalamine, 1.6 g/d (P = 0.006). In the intention-to-treat analysis of all patients, 42 of the 87 patients (48.3%) in the placebo group had treatment success compared with 57 of the 90 patients (63.3% [CI, 52.8% to 73.8%]) in the group receiving mesalamine, 0.8 g/d (P = 0.050) and 61 of the 87 patients (70.1% [CI, 59.9% to 80.3%]) in the group receiving mesalamine, 1.6 g/d (P = 0.005). Age, sex, and race were not found to predict treatment success or failure. The mesalamine tablet was well tolerated, and no clinically significant changes were seen in hematologic, hepatic, or renal laboratory profiles.
                Coated mesalamine at oral dosages of 0.8 g/d and 1.6 g/d is safe and effective in maintaining remission in patients with quiescent ulcerative colitis.
Budesonide is effective for inducing and maintaining clinical and histological response in patients with collagenous colitis. The evidence for benefit with bismuth subsalicylate and for mesalamine with or without cholestyramine is weak. There is no evidence for the effectiveness of Boswellia serrata extract, prednisolone, or probiotics. These agents and other therapies require further study.