title: Randomised controlled trial of azathioprine withdrawal in autoimmune chronic active hepatitis.
abstract: To assess the value of azathioprine in the maintenance therapy of autoimmune chronic active hepatitis a controlled trial of azathioprine withdrawal was carried out in 50 patients who had been maintained in remission on a combination of azathioprine and prednisolone. The patients were randomly allocated to remain on combination therapy (23) or to discontinue azathioprine (27). These 2 groups were comparable at the start of the study. Over a follow-up period of up to 3 years, biochemical and histological relapse occurred in 8 patients in the azathioprine-withdrawal group but in only 1 patient in the combination-therapy group. Cumulative probability of relapse was 32% among the patients in the withdrawal group, compared with 6.0% for those in the combination group.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Stellon
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Hegarty
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Portmann
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001379:Azathioprine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011897:Random Allocation
chemical_list: D011239:Prednisolone; D001379:Azathioprine