AIM: To clarify the impact of cytomegalovirus (CMV) activation and antiviral therapy based on CMV antigen status around the long-term clinical course of ulcerative colitis (UC) patients. remission, colectomy and relapse prices were completed using the technique of Kaplan and Meier. Statistical evaluation was completed by Log-rank check. Univariate and multivariate evaluation utilizing a Cox proportional threat model had been also conducted. worth < 0.05 was considered significant statistically. All statistical analyses ver were performed using JMP.9 software program (SAS Institute, Cary, NC, USA). RESULTS Individual characteristics The scientific characteristics of examined sufferers are summarized in Desk ?Desk1.1. A complete of 118 UC patients with known CMV antigen position were treated through the scholarly research period; CI994 (Tacedinaline) 40 had been contained in the CMV-positive group and 78 had been in the CMV-negative group. CMV antigen was discovered more often in male sufferers (= 0.009). The dosage of corticosteroids at Fshr the start of the procedure was considerably higher for the sufferers in the CMV-positive group than those in the CMV-negative group (35 mg/d of prednisolone 20 mg/d, = 0.0003). CMV position of all CMV-positive sufferers except those that underwent colectomy in a brief term became harmful, of ganciclovir administration or not regardless. The common period between your start of measurement and therapy of CMV antigenemia assay was 10.8 13.4 d. Desk 1 Features of the analysis inhabitants (= 118) The relationship between CMV antigen position and IHC for CMV in the colonic mucosa was analyzed using 49 patients who underwent colonoscopy around the time of the CMV antigenemia assay. Of the 23 patients in the CMV-positive group, 9 (39.1%) were positive for IHC. On the other hand, 25 (96.2%) of the 26 patients in the CMV-negative group were negative for IHC. The results of the CMV antigenemia assay were closely correlated with IHC of inflamed colon mucosa for CMV (= 0.003, Fishers exact test). Taking IHC as the gold standard, positive CMV antigen status CI994 (Tacedinaline) predicted positive IHC with 90% sensitivity and 64% specificity. Initial treatment for patients Figure ?Physique11 is a flow chart of the clinical courses of the 118 patients treated according to the strategy based on CMV antigen status. Of the 38 patients in the CMV-positive group who had received corticosteroids, 30 (78.9%) underwent dose reduction of corticosteroids. The remaining 8 patients did not undergo dose reduction of corticosteroids; 3 received colectomy in the early period and 5 showed a marked response to the corticosteroids. Twenty-eight (70%) patients in the CMV-positive group received ganciclovir infusion. On the other hand, 68 (87.2%) of the 78 patients in the CMV-negative group received corticosteroids without any dose reductions. Six (7.7%) patients in the CMV-negative group were administered ganciclovir infusion because CMV reactivation was suspected, based on specific endoscopic findings and clinical refractoriness to the first-line therapy with clinical symptoms worsening. In both groups, apheresis and calcineurin inhibitors were used relatively frequently. Physique 1 Clinical course of ulcerative colitis patients treated according to the status of cytomegalovirus antigen. A flow chart of the clinical CI994 (Tacedinaline) courses of the 118 patients according to the strategy based on cytomegalovirus (CMV) antigen status is shown. UC: Ulcerative … Short-term remission rates according to CMV antigen status In the CMV-positive group, 25 (62.5%) patients went into remission and 5 (12.5%) received colectomy during the short-term treatment. The remaining 10 (25%) patients improved, but did not fulfill the criteria of remission. Among the CMV-negative CI994 (Tacedinaline) group, on the other hand, 54 (69.2%) patients entered remission successfully, 14 (17.9%) improved, and 10 (12.8%) underwent colectomy in the short-term (Determine ?(Physique1,1, center part). Two types of the Kaplan-Meier curves for the rate of remission induction are shown (Physique ?(Figure2).2). Physique ?Determine2A2A indicates the remission rate from the starting day of the remission-induction therapy and Determine ?Physique2B2B shows from the day when the CMV antigen status was determined. Both curves show the better clinical course in the CMV-negative group (= 0.0006 and = 0.03, respectively, Log-rank.