Review Article

Optimal Endpoint of Therapy in IBD: An Update on Factors Determining a Successful Drug Withdrawal

Table 4

The influence of the duration of remission or previous therapy on the outcome after drug withdrawal.

AuthorYearDiseaseDrugLength of previous remission in the different groupsLength of previous therapy with the drug in the different groupsBetter outcome at withdrawal after longer remission/therapy

Riis et al. [9]1973UCSulphasalazine12–24 months versus >24 monthsNo

Dissanayake and Truelove [10]1973UCSulphasalazine1–3 years versus >3 yearsNo

Ardizzone et al. [11]1999UC5-ASA1-2 years versus >2 yearsYes

Hawthorne et al. [12]1992UCAzathioprineContinuous analysisYes;

Fraser et al. [26]2002UCAzathioprine<2 years versus 2–4 years vs. >4 yearsNo

Cassinotti et al. [27]2009UCAzathioprine3–6 months versus 48 monthsYes

O’Donoghue et al. [13]1978CDAzathioprine<1 years versus 1-2 years versus >2 years<1 years versus 1-2 years versus >2 yearsNo

Bouhnik et al. [16]1996CDAzathioprine6 months–4 years versus >4 yearsYes

Kim et al. [28]1999CD6-Mercaptopurine<1 year versus 1-2 years versus 2-3 years versus >3 yearsNo

Holtmann et al. [29]2006CDAzathioprine/6-mercaptopurine<3 years versus 3-4 years versus >4 yearsNo

Treton et al. [18]2009CDAzathioprineMedian 62 months versus 80 monthsNo