Usefulness of an elemental diet in Crohn's disease.
Crohn's disease is a chronic relapsing disease for which no complete cure is available. Although drug therapy with agents such as corticosteroids and azathiopurine is useful, the long-term side effects of these drugs are problematic. The advent of infliximab has recently brought a change in treatment, but the long-term side effects of this agent remain uncertain. In contrast, nutritional therapy produces no drug-induced side effects and is effective in inducing and maintaining remission. However, sufficient efficacy cannot be expected in patients in whom compliance with nutritional regimens gradually decreases owing to unpalatability. In these cases, combination therapy with agents such as immunosuppressors and infliximab may be useful.
Takahashi
H
H
Department of Gastroenterology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan.
Ando
T
T
Watanabe
O
O
Maeda
O
O
Ishiguro
K
K
Ohmiya
N
N
Niwa
Y
Y
Goto
H
H
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005526:Food, Formulated; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000069285:Infliximab; D010349:Patient Compliance; D013649:Taste
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D000069285:Infliximab