Metronidazole plus ciprofloxacin therapy for active Crohn's disease.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of metronidazole plus ciprofloxacin for the treatment of Japanese patients with active Crohn's disease.


METHODS
Seven patients (counting one patient twice with 2 enrollments at a 5-month interval) with a flare-up of Crohn's disease were enrolled. While continuing the baseline treatment under which the patients relapsed, they received metronidazole 250 mg twice (4 patients) or three times (3 patients) daily plus ciprofloxacin 200 mg three times daily for 4 weeks. The efficacy was evaluated by the changes in the assessment score of IOIBD, the International Organization for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, and the inflammation markers: C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and white blood cell count.


RESULTS
Metronidazole plus ciprofloxacin decreased the CRP in seven patients and the IOIBD score in six patients. Significant differences were detected in these parameters at weeks 2 and 4 compared with baseline. Five of the patients achieved normalization of CRP and a reduction of the IOIBD score to zero or one. Although one patient complained of taste disturbance, no other adverse events occurred and all patients completed the 4 weeks of study medication.


CONCLUSIONS
The addition of metronidazole plus ciprofloxacin could be a useful intervention for the treatment of Japanese patients with active Crohn's disease.
First Department of Internal Medicine, Gunma University, Maebashi.
Takeshi
T
Ishikawa
Shinichi
S
Okamura
Hirokazu
H
Oshimoto
Ryota
R
Kobayashi
Masatomo
M
Mori
D000328:Adult; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D002939:Ciprofloxacin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008795:Metronidazole / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D008795:Metronidazole; D002939:Ciprofloxacin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein