| Theme | Advanced Therapy Ulcerative Colitis | |
|---|---|---|
| Title | The Use of Mesalazine | |
| Publish Date | 1997/09 | |
| Author | Akihiro Munakata | First Department of Internal Medicine, Hirosaki University School of Medicine |
| [ Summary ] | 5-Aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) is the active portion of salazosulfapyridine (SASP), used in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. The oral mesalazine preparations has been recognized as being less toxic than SASP. The majority of adverse effects encountered with SASP, including male infertility, orange urine and so forth, are thought to be related to the sulfa moiety. A double-blind, comparative study of the efficacies of mesalazine (Pentasa) and SASP was carried out in patients with mildly to moderately active ulcerative colitis. Overall, 85.7% of patients with the chronic continuous type, being treated with mesalazine, showed improvement in sigmoidoscopic appearance and symptoms as compared with 25% on SASP. It appears that administration of 5-ASA amounts equivalent to those of SASP are sufficient in patients with active ulcerative colitis. Since dose-related adverse effects have not been observed with any of the oral mesalazine preparations, additional dose-response studies are necessary to establish optimal therapeutic doses. |
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