Korean J Gastrointest Endosc.  2001 Jun;22(6):406-410.

Analysis of Clinical, Biochemical and Pathologic Factors According to the Response to Initial Steroid Therapy in Active Crohn's Disease

• Hyun JG
• Kim JJ
• Kim YH
• Ahn BH
• Do JH
• Ryu MK
• Jang JK
• Kim JE
• Park DI
• Rhee PL
• Koh KC
• Paik SW
• Rhee JC
• Choi KW

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The predictory factors of the response to initial steroid therapy in active Crohn's disease has been controversial in numerous literature reviews. We evaluated any predictory factor of the response to initial steroid therapy in active Crohn's disease patients.
METHODS
The medical records of 32 patients with active Crohn's disease who clinically responded to oral steroid therapy were retrospectively reviewed. The steroid responsive group was defined as the one showing maintenance of response for more than one month from steroid withdrawal and the steroid dependent group as the one showing relapse or exacerbation during steroid tapering or within 30 days from steroid withdrawal. The clinical, biochemical, and pathologic factors were evaluated.
RESULTS
There were 22 male and 10 female patients. The mean age was 28.9 years. The number of steroid responsive and dependent group was 22 (68.8%) and 10 (31.2%), respectively. There were no significant differences between these two groups in age, sex, time to diagnosis, perianal lesion, extent of disease, extraintestinal manifestations, presence of granuloma, presenting features, hemoglobin, ESR, and CRP, except serum albumin level.
CONCLUSIONS
Serum albumin level was significantly lower in steroid dependent group than steroid responsive group, reflecting severe inflammation in steroid dependent group.

Keyword

Serum albumin; Initial steroid response; Active Crohn's disease

MeSH Terms

Crohn Disease*
Diagnosis
Female
Granuloma
Humans
Inflammation
Male
Medical Records
Recurrence
Retrospective Studies
Serum Albumin
Serum Albumin