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World J Gastroenterol. Jan 14, 2014; 20(2): 509-517
Published online Jan 14, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i2.509
Published online Jan 14, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i2.509
Long-term follow-up of ulcerative colitis patients treated on the basis of their cytomegalovirus antigen status
Toshihiro Inokuchi, Sakiko Hiraoka, Hideyuki Suzuki, Asuka Nakarai, Tomoko Hirakawa, Mitsuhiro Akita, Sakuma Takahashi, Keita Harada, Hiroyuki Okada, Kazuhide Yamamoto, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
Jun Kato, Second Department of Internal Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama 641-0012, Japan
Author contributions: Inokuchi T performed the research; Nakarai A, Hirakawa T, Akita M, Takahashi S and Harada K collected the data; Suzuki H, Kato J and Hiraoka S designed the research study; Inokuchi T wrote the paper; Okada H and Yamamoto K contributed to the design of the study.
Correspondence to: Toshihiro Inokuchi, MD, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan. toshpi@yahoo.co.jp
Telephone: +81-86-2357219 Fax: +81-86-2255991
Received: August 5, 2013
Revised: September 29, 2013
Accepted: October 19, 2013
Published online: January 14, 2014
Processing time: 168 Days and 6.3 Hours
Revised: September 29, 2013
Accepted: October 19, 2013
Published online: January 14, 2014
Processing time: 168 Days and 6.3 Hours
Core Tip
Core tip: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation has a deleterious effect in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). Although antiviral therapy for CMV antigen-positive UC patients may be effective in the short-term, the long-term prognosis of UC patients with CMV treated by antiviral agents remains unknown. Our study revealed that positive CMV antigen status is likely to prolong time to remission in the treatment of flare-up of UC; however, long-term prognosis, including colectomy rate, was not affected by CMV antigen status treated with antiviral agents. Ganciclovir use is an independent factor for avoidance of colectomy in CMV antigen-positive UC patients.