Efficacy of thiopurines and adalimumab in preventing Crohn's disease recurrence in high-risk patients - a POCER study analysis.
Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2015;
42:867-79. [PMID:
26314275 DOI:
10.1111/apt.13353]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2015] [Revised: 06/12/2015] [Accepted: 07/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Crohn's disease recurs in the majority of patients after intestinal resection.
AIM
To compare the relative efficacy of thiopurines and anti-TNF therapy in patients at high risk of disease recurrence.
METHODS
As part of a larger study comparing post-operative management strategies, patients at high risk of recurrence (smoker, perforating disease, ≥2nd operation) were treated after resection of all macroscopic disease with 3 months metronidazole together with either azathioprine 2 mg/kg/day or mercaptopurine 1.5 mg/kg/day. Thiopurine-intolerant patients received adalimumab induction then 40 mg fortnightly. Patients underwent colonoscopy at 6 months with endoscopic recurrence assessed blind to treatment.
RESULTS
A total of 101 patients [50% male; median (IQR) age 36 (25-46) years] were included. There were no differences in disease history between thiopurine- and adalimumab-treated patients. Fifteen patients withdrew prior to 6 months, five due to symptom recurrence (of whom four were colonoscoped). Endoscopic recurrence (Rutgeerts score i2-i4) occurred in 33 of 73 (45%) thiopurine vs. 6 of 28 (21%) adalimumab-treated patients [intention-to-treat (ITT); P = 0.028] or 24 of 62 (39%) vs. 3 of 24 (13%) respectively [per-protocol analysis (PPA); P = 0.020]. Complete mucosal endoscopic normality (Rutgeerts i0) occurred in 17/73 (23%) vs. 15/28 (54%) (ITT; P = 0.003) and in 27% vs. 63% (PPA; P = 0.002). The most advanced disease (Rutgeerts i3 and i4) occurred in 8% vs. 4% (thiopurine vs. adalimumab).
CONCLUSIONS
In Crohn's disease patients at high risk of post-operative recurrence adalimumab is superior to thiopurines in preventing early disease recurrence.
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