title: Once-daily versus multiple-daily mesalamine for patients with ulcerative colitis: a meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To systematically review the efficacy and safety of once-daily (OD) mesalamine for the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC) compared with multiple-daily (MD) mesalamine.
  
  
  METHODS
  Electronic databases up to July 2011 were searched for related studies evaluating the efficacy of OD vs MD for treatment of UC. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were considered eligible. Remission rates or relapse rates were analyzed using intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) analysis. Pooled relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. Publication bias was assessed with a funnel plot.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall 10 RCTs including 9 full-text manuscripts and one abstract met the inclusion criteria. OD dosing of mesalamine was shown to be as effective as MD dosing for the maintenance of clinical remission in patients with quiescent UC (RR = 1.00, 95% CI 0.89-1.12) by ITT analysis. For active UC, a mild but significant benefit was achieved by OD dosing compared with MD dosing (RR = 0.80, 95% CI 0.64-0.99). Total adverse events were similar using OD and MD mesalamine in quiescent UC (RR = 1.06, 95% CI 0.93-1.20). Compliance with OD was slightly better than with MD (RR = 0.92, 95% CI 0.82-1.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  OD mesalamine is as effective and has a comparable safety profile as MD regimens for the maintenance treatment of UC, and is even more effective for inducing remission in active UC.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine Renji Hospital, Shanghai Institution of Digestive Disease, China.
authors.forename: Jin Lu
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.forename: Mei Lan
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Xi Tao
authors.initials: XT
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Yu Qi
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Qiao
authors.forename: Zhi Hua
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Ran
mesh_terms: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D006801:Humans; D019804:Mesalamine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D055502:Secondary Prevention
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D019804:Mesalamine