Corticosteroid therapy in ulcerative colitis: Clinical response and predictors

Table 1 Demographic, clinical, laboratory characteristics and auxiliary medication in 101 ulcerative colitis cases before initial administration of corticosteroid n (%)

	Prolonged response	Dependence	Refractoriness	Total
Cases	42	50	9	101
Female	24 (57.1)	22 (44.0)	2 (22.8)	48 (47.5)
Age (≥ 30 yr)	39 (92.8)	41 (82.0)	6 (66.7)	85 (84.2)
Disease duration (≥ 5 yr)	12 (29.3)	15 (31.9)	2 (22.2)	29 (33.3)
Relapse frequency (> 3/yr)	2 (5.9)	4 (9.3)	0	6 (7.0)
Previous colectomy	4 (9.5)	3 (6.0)	1 (11.1)	8 (7.9)
UC location
Proctitis	7 (17.5)	6 (12.2)	2 (22.2)	15 (15.3)
Left-side colitis	5 (12.5)	9 (18.4)	1 (11.1)	15 (15.3)
Extensive colitis	28 (70.0)	34 (69.4)	6 (66.7)	68 (69.4)
Sutherland score
Mild (3-5)	2 (4.8)	2 (4.0)	1 (11.1)	5 (5.0)
Moderate (6-10)	21 (50.0)	25 (50.0)	2 (22.2)	48 (47.5)
Severe (11-12)	19 (45.2)	23 (46.0)	6 (66.7)	48 (47.5)
Heart rate (≥ 90/min)	8 (19.5)	18 (36.0)	5 (55.6)	31 (31.0)
Diarrhea ( ≤ 6/d)	14 (33.3)	25 (50.0)	4 (44.4)	43 (42.6)
Bloody stool	34 (80.1)	44 (88.0)	8 (88.9)	86 (85.1)
Mucus	34 (81.0)	39 (78.0)	6 (66.7)	79 (78.2)
Tenesmus	25 (59.5)	16 (32.0)	4 (44.4)	45 (44.6)
Abdominal pain	34 (81.0)	47 (94.0)	9 (100.0)	90 (89.1)
Abdominal distention	6 (14.3)	8 (16.0)	4 (44.4)	18 (17.8)
Weight loss	17 (40.5)	18 (36.0)	7 (77.8)	42 (41.6)
Fever	13 (31.0)	13 (26.0)	5 (55.6)	31 (30.7)
Extra-intestinal manifestation	6 (14.3)	7 (14.0)	2 (22.2)	15 (14.9)
Hemoglobin (< 12.0 mg/dL)	32 (76.2)	31 (62.0)	9 (100.0)	72 (71.3)
Leukocyte (4-10 × 109/L)	21 (50.0)	29 (58.0)	9 (100.0)	59 (58.4)
Neutrophil (50%-70%)	20 (47.6)	28 (56.0)	6 (66.7)	54 (53.5)
Platelet (> 300 × 1012/L)	26 (61.9)	26 (52.0)	4 (44.4)	56 (55.4)
Albumin (< 3.5 mg/dL)	27 (64.3)	27 (54.0)	5 (55.6)	59 (58.4)
K+ (< 3.5 mmol/L)	16 (15.8)	16 (32.0)	3 (33.3)	35 (34.7)
ESR (> 15 mm/h)	27 (64.3)	27 (54.0)	7 (77.8)	61 (60.4)
Auxiliary medication
None	2 (4.8)	7 (14.0)	1 (11.1)	10 (9.9)
Only SASP or 5-ASA (A)	32 (76.2)	29 (58.0)	5 (55.6)	66 (65.3)
Only immunosuppressant (B)	1 (2.4)	4 (8.0)	1 (11.1)	6 (5.9)
Only infliximab (C)	0	0	0	0
A + B	6 (14.3)	9 (18.0)	2 (22.2)	17 (16.8)
A + C	1 (2.4)	1 (2.0)	0	2 (2.0)

The demographic, clinical and laboratory characteristic were displayed respectively according to the cohorts of different corticosteroid response. The auxiliary medication after the start of corticosteroid treatment was also displayed. UC: Ulcerative colitis; ESR: Erythrocyte sediment rate; 5-ASA: 5-aminosalicylates; SASP: Sulfasalazine.