Background: Tacrolimus has shown efficacy in patients with ulcerative colitis.
Aims: To evaluate the efficacy of tacrolimus as remission induction therapy and assess medium to long-term outcomes in patients who achieve remission.
Methods: Forty-four ulcerative colitis patients who were treated with tacrolimus in three institutes during 2009-2013 were retrospectively reviewed. Short-term efficacy was based on the clinical activity index and the Mayo endoscopic subscores. Clinical activity index≤4 meant clinical remission, while Mayo endoscopic subscore 0 or 1 meant mucosal healing. Medium to long-term prognosis was based on relapse free survival in relation to the Mayo endoscopic subscore and duration of tacrolimus therapy in patients who achieved remission.
Results: At 12 weeks, clinical remission was achieved in 29 of 44 patients (65.9%). Thirty-two patients received endoscopic evaluations, and mucosal healing rate was 43.8%. Among patients with clinical remission, mucosal healing rate was 60.9%. Relapse-free survival at 6, 12, and 24 months were 66%, 56%, and 50%, respectively, and was higher in patients on long-term tacrolimus (over 4 months, P=0.03), and patients with better endoscopic subscore (P=0.009).
Conclusions: Mucosal healing observed within 12 weeks or after a longer duration of tacrolimus therapy was associated with significantly better remission maintenance time.
Keywords: Mayo endoscopic subscore; Mucosal healing; Response to tacrolimus; Ulcerative colitis.
Copyright © 2015 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.