title: Efficacy of mesalazine or beclomethasone dipropionate enema or their combination in patients with distal active ulcerative colitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Mesalazine or Beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) enema have been shown effective in treatment of distal active ulcerative colitis (UC). This study was aimed to determine whether the combination of topical mesalazine and BDP is superior to topical mesalazine or BDP used alone in patients with distal active UC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One-hundred and twenty patients with clinical, endoscopic and histological diagnosis of distal active UC were randomly assigned to a regimen with mesalazine tablets 2.4 g/day associated to either mesalazine enema 4 g/day (group A, n=40), BDP 3 mg/60 ml every day (group B, n=40) or the combination treatment with the two compounds in a single administration (group C, n=40) for eight weeks. After four weeks of treatment all patients underwent clinical controls but only 109 patients returned back for clinical, endoscopic and histological controls at the end of the treatment period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After eight weeks, complete remission rates were of 52%, 47% and 65% respectively, in group A, B and C. From baseline to 4 and 8 weeks the CAI score decreased significantly in all the three groups (p < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All the three combinations achieved equivalent results in terms of symptoms in inducing symptoms relief and mucosa healing in distally active UC.
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences, University "Sapienza" of Rome, Rome, Italy. picrispino@libero.it.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Crispino
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pica
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Unim
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rivera
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cassieri
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zippi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Paoluzi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001507:Beclomethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004733:Enema / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019804:Mesalamine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012074:Remission Induction; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D019804:Mesalamine; D001507:Beclomethasone