title: Antimycobacterial chemotherapy in inflammatory bowel disease.
abstract: We report on a case, ulcerative colitis and another of Crohn's disease. During a relapse which was unresponsive to conventional therapy, acid-fast bacilli were found in colonic biopsies. Conventional therapy was substituted with antimycobacterial chemotherapy (rifampicin, isoniazid and ethambutol) which was responsible for a marked improvement. However, a relapse occurred during chemotherapy and no acid-fast bacilli were found. The patients became responsive to sulphasalazine and corticosteroid therapy once again. It appears that Mycobacteria play a collateral role in inflammatory bowel disease and that once they have been eliminated the original disease re-emerges.
authors.affiliation: Cattedra di Gastroenterologia Università di Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Picciotto
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Gesu
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Schito
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Testa
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Varagona
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Celle
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D004977:Ethambutol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007538:Isoniazid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000187:drug effects*; D012293:Rifampin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012460:Sulfasalazine / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D012460:Sulfasalazine; D004977:Ethambutol; D007538:Isoniazid; D012293:Rifampin