title: Rescue therapy: ciclosporin or infliximab?
abstract: Severe active refractory ulcerative colitis is a potentially life-threatening disease. The introduction of intensive steroid treatment and early surgery has reduced mortality in recent years. Ciclosporin and infliximab are effective rescue therapies in steroid refractory colitis. A head-to-head study proposed by Laharie et al. failed to demonstrate the superiority of ciclosporin but confirmed the efficacy and safety of infliximab to control active disease and to maintain remission.
authors.affiliation: Inflammatory Bowel Disease Unit, Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Chirurgiche-DIMEC, Ospedale Sant'Orsola-Malpighi, University of Bologna, via Massarenti 9, Bologna 40138, Italy. fernando.rizzello@unibo.it
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rizzello
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Praticò
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Calabrese
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gionchetti
mesh_terms: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D013256:Steroids / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D013256:Steroids; D016572:Cyclosporine