Table 2.
Subgroups with an index serum C-reactive protein (CRP) level of ≤ 15 and > 15 mg/L, comparison of clinical findings, drug use, surgeries and related factors
| Index serum CRP level during relapse (mg/L) | ≤ 15 | > 15 | P-value |
| LCRP | HCRP | ||
| Clinical findings | |||
| Mean number of relapses per year (SD) | 0.25 (0.16) | 0.36 (0.24) | < 0.05 |
| Mean severity of the index relapse according to endoscopic reports, on a 10 points visual analogue scale (SD) | 3.18 (1.09) | 4.39 (1.24) | < 0.001 |
| Drug use | |||
| Number of patients with prednisone use | 23 (85.2%) | 62 (92.5%) | NS |
| Mean number of days of prednisone use per year (SD)1 | 58 (48) | 107 (95) | < 0.05 |
| Surgeries | |||
| Number of patients who underwent ≥ 1 surgeries | 12 (44.4%) | 27 (37.3) | NS |
| Total number of surgeries23 | 2.0 (0.6) | 1.7 (0.09) | NS |
| Related factors | |||
| Smoking: n | 23 | 58 | |
| smokers | 8 (34.8%) | 24 (41.4%) | NS |
| non-smokers | 11 (47.8%) | 24 (41.4%) | |
| quitted smokers | 4 (17.4%) | 10 (17.2%) | |
| Presence of granulomas: n | 22 | 51 | |
| 8 (36.4%) | 25 (49.0%) | NS |
1
Number of days are based on the mean number of months per year;
2
Calculated mean is based on these patients who underwent surgery;
3
Total of ileocecalresection, partial ileum resection, partial colon resection, (sub) total colectomy and proctectomy. HCRP: High CRP response; LCRP: Low CRP response; NS: No significance; SD: Standard deviation. Data are given in number and percentage, unless shown otherwise.