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Ketotifen Therapy for Acute Ulcerative Colitis in Children (A Pilot Study)

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Abstract

Eosinophils contribute to the inflammatoryprocess in a variety of chronic inflammatory boweldiseases. Ketotifen is beneficial in experimental modelsof colitis and in patients with eosinophilicgastroenteritis. Therefore, we investigated the efficacy ofketotifen therapy for the treatment of active ulcerativecolitis. Children with newly or previously diagnosedulcerative colitis with mild-moderate disease activity were treated with ketotifen at a dosage of 4 mgdaily for eight weeks. Efficacy was determined by aphysician disease severity index and by endoscopic andhistologic examinations. Ten patients were enrolled. Symptoms improved in four patients and resolvedcompletely in one patient. There was endoscopicimprovement in three patients and histologic improvementin one. Increased eosinophils on rectal biopsy at entry were present in two of the responders.Five patients withdrew due to a lack of symptomaticimprovement. No adverse events were identified. Low-doseketotifen offers a limited therapeutic advantage in active ulcerative colitis that may beenhanced in the subgroup of patients with a higheosinophil count in the colonic mucosa. Further study oftherapeutic efficacy with increased dosages of the mast cell stabilizer for acute and maintenancetherapy is warranted.

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Authors
  1. Nicola L. Jones
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  2. Chaim M. Roifman
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  3. Anne Marie Griffiths
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  4. Philip Sherman
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Jones, N.L., Roifman, C.M., Griffiths, A.M. et al. Ketotifen Therapy for Acute Ulcerative Colitis in Children (A Pilot Study). Dig Dis Sci 43, 609–615 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018827527826

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