Pretrial characteristics of the patients
| AZA (n (%)) | 5-ASA (n (%)) | p Value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| AZA, azathioprine; 5-ASA, 5-aminosalicylic acid. | |||
| No of patients | 36 | 36 | |
| Sex | |||
| Male | 20 (56) | 19 (53) | |
| Female | 16 (44) | 17 (47) | 1.0 |
| Age (y) | |||
| Mean (SD) | 43 (14) | 45 (17) | 0.4 |
| Extent of disease | |||
| Distal colitis | 8 (22) | 10 (28) | |
| Left sided colitis | 12 (33) | 12 (33) | |
| Pancolitis | 16 (45) | 14 (39) | 0.9 |
| Smoking status | |||
| Current | 9 (25) | 6 (17) | |
| Ex or never | 27 (75) | 30 (83) | 0.6 |
| Duration of disease (months) | |||
| Mean (SD) | 64.4 (55.7) | 67.5 (65.8) | 0.8 |
| Familial history | 2 (6) | 3 (8) | 1.0 |
| Pretrial cumulative steroid dose (mg) | |||
| Mean (SD) (mg/dl) | 1153 (1214) | 2362 (2893) | 0.09 |
| Pretrial treatment | |||
| Systemic steroids | 36 (100) | 36 (100) | 1.0 |
| Topical steroids | 18 (50) | 16 (44) | 0.8 |
| 5-ASA or sulphasalazine | 7 (19) | 5 (14) | 0.7 |
| Topical 5-ASA | 16 (44) | 14 (39) | 0.8 |