Efficacy of Thiopurine Monotherapy in Ulcerative Colitis

Raina Shivashankar, M.D., Edward V. Loftus, Jr., M.D., Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN Medical treatment of ulcerative colitis can be complicated, and it is usually stratified based on disease severity. The goal of therapy is to induce remission, followed by a maintenance regimen to continue clinical and endoscopic remission. The exact role of the thiopurines, azathioprine and 6-mercaptopurine, in UC treatment algorithms has been debated. Specifically, their use in UC remains controversial, since the evidence lies in small clinical trials. We briefly review the evidence for thiopurine efficacy in UC.