Faculty Collaboration Database

Prednisone for chronic active liver disease: dose titration, standard dose, and combination with azathioprine compared. Gut 1975 Nov;16(11):876-83

Date

11/01/1975

Pubmed ID

1104411

Pubmed Central ID

PMC1413126

DOI

10.1136/gut.16.11.876

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-0016802724 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   296 Citations

Abstract

Among 120 consecutive patients with chronic active liver disease (CALD) randomized to different treatments, those receiving maintenance doses of prednisone 20 mg daily (Pred), prednisone in doses given on alternate days and titrated to secure resolution of clinical and biochemical abnormalities (Pred-Titrad), or a combination of prednisone 10 mg and azathioprine 50 mg daily (Comb) survived and underwent resolution of clinical and biochemical features of disease more often than a control group receiving placebo or azathioprine 100 mg daily. Histological remission occurred significantly more often with Pred and Comb than with other regimens. Major side-effects of therapy were commoner with Pred than with Comb or Pred-Titrad, which did not differ. We conclude that Comb is the initial treatment of choice for CALD, since clinical, biochemical, and histological resolution of disease activity occurs as often as with Pred, whereas early side-effects are significantly less frequent.

Author List

Summerskill WH, Korman MG, Ammon HV, Baggenstoss AH

Author

Helmut V. Ammon MD Adjunct Professor in the Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Azathioprine
Child
Chronic Disease
Clinical Trials as Topic
Drug Therapy, Combination
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Liver Diseases
Male
Middle Aged
Placebos
Prednisone
Remission, Spontaneous