title: Mesalazine for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) represent a chronic inflammatory condition of the bowel that often require lifelong medical therapy for the induction and maintenance of the remission. Mesalazine therapies are available both as oral delayed-release and sustained-release formulation, topical formulations and as prodrug.
  
  
  METHODS
  Available literature regarding mesalazine is extensively reviewed in this article, covering its mechanism of action, pharmaceutics and pharmacokinetics, clinical efficacy, safety and tolerability in different settings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mesalazine has a well-established role in the management of UC. It is the treatment of choice in active and inactive mild-to-moderate UC combining oral and topical drug. No clear role of mesalazine in prevention of colon cancer has been demonstrated because of the contradictory results coming from case-control and prospective studies. The role of mesalazine in the management of CD is less clear; some studies suggest a potential efficacy of 5-ASA in preventing relapse of CD after surgical resection but more convincing results are needed.
authors.affiliation: University of Palermo, Medicine Department, Ospedali Riuniti Villa Sofia Cervello, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Criscuoli
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Modesto
authors.forename: Ambrogio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Orlando
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cottone
mesh_terms: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000601:surgery; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects; D019804:Mesalamine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D055502:Secondary Prevention
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D019804:Mesalamine