title: Review article: remission rates achievable by current therapies for inflammatory bowel disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  New medical therapies have improved outlook in inflammatory bowel disease but published impact on surgical rates has been modest suggesting that many patients are still not attaining remission.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To review remission rates with current medical treatments for inflammatory bowel disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  We searched MEDLINE (source PUBMED, 1966 to January, 2011).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Induction and maintenance of remission was observed in 20% (range, 9-29.5%) and 53% (range, 36.8-59.6%) of ulcerative colitis (UC) patients treated with oral 5-ASA derivatives. Induction of remission was noted in 52% (range, 48-58%) of Crohn's disease (CD) patients and 54% of UC patients treated with steroids in population-based cohorts. Maintenance of remission was reported in 71% (range, 56-95%) of CD patients on azathioprine over a 6-month to 2-year period and in 60% (range, 41.7-82.4%) in UC at 1 year or longer. Induction and maintenance of remission was noted in 39% (range, 19.3-66.7%) and 70% (range, 39-90%) of CD patients on methotrexate over a 40-week period. Induction of remission was reported in 32% (range, 25-48%), 26% (range, 18-36%) and 20% (range, 19-23%) of CD patients on infliximab, adalimumab or certolizumab pegol, respectively. The corresponding figures were 45% (range, 39-59%), 43% (range, 40-47%) and 47.9% at weeks 20-30 among initial responders. Induction of remission was observed in 33% (range, 27.5-38.8%) and 18.5% of UC patients on infliximab or adalimumab, respectively. Maintenance of remission was noted in 33% (range, 25.6-36.9%) of UC patients on infliximab at week 30. Approximately one-fifth of CD and UC patients treated with biologicals require intestinal resection after 2-5 years in referral-centre studies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the era of biologics, the proportion of patients with inflammatory bowel disease not entering remission remains high.
authors.affiliation: INSERM U954 and Department of Hepato-Gastroenterology, University Hospital of Nancy, Henri Poincaré University, Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Peyrin-Biroulet
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lémann
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001379:Azathioprine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D000069285:Infliximab; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012074:Remission Induction; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000069285:Infliximab; D001379:Azathioprine; D008727:Methotrexate