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In a multicenter retrospective cohort study, researchers assessed the effect of discontinuing treatment with infliximab in patients with ulcerative colitis who had been in clinical remission for at least 12 months. They compared outcomes between 111 patients who discontinued scheduled treatment and 82 who continued treatment.
The hazard ratio for relapse was 3.7 in those who discontinued treatment (relapse rate, 23.3 vs. 7.2 per 100 person-years). The overall risk for hospitalization during follow-up was 7.3% and was not significantly different between the groups. The rate of colectomy for refractory severe disease was identical between groups. The relapse rate was lower in patients receiving thiopurines compared with 5-aminosalicylates.
When…