Brief Article
Copyright ©2012 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Sep 28, 2012; 18(36): 5065-5071
Published online Sep 28, 2012. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v18.i36.5065
Propionyl-L-carnitine hydrochloride for treatment of mild to moderate colonic inflammatory bowel diseases
Giuseppe Merra, Giovanni Gasbarrini, Lucrezia Laterza, Marco Pizzoferrato, Andrea Poscia, Franco Scaldaferri, Vincenzo Arena, Francesca Fiore, Achille Cittadini, Alessandro Sgambato, Francesco Franceschi, Antonio Gasbarrini
Giuseppe Merra, Francesco Franceschi, Emergency Department, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, 00168 Rome, Italy
Giovanni Gasbarrini, Medical Research Foundation and non-profit organization, 40123 Bologna, Italy
Lucrezia Laterza, Marco Pizzoferrato, Franco Scaldaferri, Antonio Gasbarrini, Department of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, 00168 Rome, Italy
Andrea Poscia, Institute of Hygiene, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, 00168 Rome, Italy
Vincenzo Arena, Institute of Pathology, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, 00168 Rome, Italy
Francesca Fiore, Department of Internal Medicine and Geriatry, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, 00168 Rome, Italy
Achille Cittadini, Alessandro Sgambato, Institute of General Pathology, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, 00168 Rome, Italy
Author contributions: Gasbarrini G and Gasbarrini A designed the research; Gasbarrini G evaluated the histological samples; Merra G, Fiore F and Franceschi F performed the research; Arena V provided technological and material support; Pizzoferrato M, Poscia A, Scaldaferri F, Cittadini A and Sgambato A analyzed the data; Merra G, Laterza L, Scaldaferri F and Sgambato A wrote and revised the paper.
Correspondence to: Antonio Gasbarrini, MD, Professor of Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, L.go Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy. agasbarrini@rm.unicatt.it
Telephone: +39-6-30156265 Fax: +39-6-30156265
Received: March 6, 2012
Revised: April 26, 2012
Accepted: May 13, 2012
Published online: September 28, 2012
Abstract

AIM: To assess clinical and endoscopic response to propionyl-L-carnitine hydrochloride (PLC) in colonic inflammatory bowel disease.

METHODS: Patients suffering from mild to moderate ulcerative colitis (UC) or Crohn’s disease (CD) colitis, with disease activity index (DAI) between 3 and 10 and under stable therapy with oral aminosalicylates, mercaptopurine or azathioprine, for at least 8 wk prior to baseline assessments, were considered suitable for enrollment. Fourteen patients were enrolled to assume PLC 2 g/d (two active tablets twice daily) orally. Clinical-endoscopic and histological activity were assessed by DAI and histological index (HI), respectively, following a colonoscopy performed immediately before and after 4 wk treatment. Clinical response was defined as a lowering of at least 3 points in DAI and clinical remission as a DAI score ≤ 2. Histological response was defined as an improvement of HI of at least 1 point. We used median values for the analysis. Differences pre- and post-treatment were analyzed by Wilcoxon signed rank test.

RESULTS: All patients enrolled completed the study. One patient, despite medical advice, took deflazacort 5 d before follow-up colonoscopy examination. No side effects were reported by patients during the trial. After treatment, 71% (SE 12%) of patients achieved clinical response, while 64% (SE 13%) obtained remission. Separating UC from CD patients, we observed a clinical response in 60% (SE 16%) and 100%, respectively. Furthermore 60% (SE 16%) of UC patients and 75% (SE 25%) of CD patients were in clinical remission after therapy. The median DAI was 7 [interquartile range (IQR): 4-8] before treatment and decreased to 2 (IQR: 1-3) (P < 0.01) after treatment. Only patients with UC showed a significant reduction of DAI, from a median 6.5 (IQR: 4-9) before treatment to 2 (IQR: 1-3) after treatment (P < 0.01). Conversely, in CD patients, although displaying a clear reduction of DAI from 7 (IQR: 5.5-7.5) before therapy to 1.5 (IQR: 0.5-2.5) after therapy, differences observed were not significant (P = 0.06). Seventy-nine percent (SE 11%) of patients showed improvement of HI of at least 1 point, while only one CD and two UC patients showed HI stability; none showed HI worsening. Median HI decreased from 1 (IQR: 1-2), to 0.5 (IQR: 0-1) at the endoscopic control in the whole population (P < 0.01), while it changed from 1 (IQR: 1-2) to 0.5 (IQR: 0-1) in UC patients (P < 0.01) and from 1.5 (IQR: 1-2) to 0.5 (IQR: 0-1) in CD patients (P = not significant). The two sample tests of proportions showed no significant differences in clinical and histological response or in clinical remission between UC and CD patients. No side effects were reported during treatment or at 4 wk follow-up visit.

CONCLUSION: PLC improves endoscopic and histological activity of mild to moderate UC. Further studies are required to evaluate PLC efficacy in colonic CD patients.

Keywords: Propionyl-L-carnitine; Ulcerative colitis; Crohn’s disease; Inflammatory bowel disease therapy; Propionyl-L-carnitine hydrochloride