European journal of clinical investigation
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Eur. J. Clin. Invest. · Mar 2003
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Clinical TrialTopical butyrate improves efficacy of 5-ASA in refractory distal ulcerative colitis: results of a multicentre trial.
The treatment of distal ulcerative colitis, refractory to conventional 5-ASA/steroid treatment, is still a matter of debate. The present study aimed at confirming, with adequate statistical power, previous data indicating the usefulness of topical butyrate and 5-ASA in the treatment of this condition. ⋯ The combined treatment with topical butyrate and 5-ASA is significantly more effective than 5-ASA alone in the management of refractory distal colitis. Further improvements in the treatment of refractory distal ulcerative colitis may be feasible based on the identification of patient subgroups and the association of two or more active drugs. Butyrate may well be one of them.