Table 1.
Characteristics of study population according to treatment requirements.
| Patients’ characteristics | Total cohort (n = 457) | 5-ASA group (n = 331) | Step-up approach group (n = 126) | p value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baseline characteristics | ||||
| Gender: female, n (%) | 212 (46) | 157 (47) | 55 (44) | 0.47 |
| Age at diagnosis, median (IQR) | 37 (26–48) | 38 (27–48) | 33 (25–48) | 0.02 |
| 5-ASA dose (mg), median (IQR) | 3 (2–3) | 3 (2–3) | 3 (2–3.6) | 0.02 |
| 5-ASA administration regime, n (%) | <0.01 | |||
| - Topical | 37 (8) | 34 (10) | 3 (3) | <0.01 |
| - Oral | 199 (44) | 152 (46) | 47 (37) | 0.09 |
| - Combined | 221 (48) | 145 (44) | 76 (60) | <0.01 |
| Disease extent, n (%) | <0.01 | |||
| - E1, proctitis | 132 (29) | 105 (32) | 27 (21) | 0.03 |
| - E2, left-sided | 159 (35) | 121 (36) | 38 (30) | 0.20 |
| - E3, extensive | 166 (36) | 105 (32) | 61 (49) | <0.01 |
| Mayo endoscopic subscore, median (IQR) | 2 (1–2) | 1 (1–2) | 2 (1–2) | <0.01 |
| Family history of IBD, n (%) | 58 (13) | 44 (13) | 14 (11) | 0.53 |
| NSAID consumption, n (%) | 95 (22) | 68 (21) | 27 (22) | 0.93 |
| Smoking habit, n (%) | 0.19 | |||
| - Active smoker | 64 (14) | 52 (16) | 12 (10) | |
| - Ex-smoker | 109 (24) | 75 (23) | 34 (27) | |
| - Never smoker | 284 (62) | 204 (62) | 80 (64) | |
| EIMs, n (%) | 42 (9) | 20 (6) | 22 (18) | <0.01 |
| Hospitalization, n (%) | 17 (4) | 7 (2) | 10 (8) | <0.01 |
| Follow-up outcomes | ||||
| Disease extent, n (%) | <0.01 | |||
| - E1, proctitis | 87 (19) | 80 (24) | 7 (6) | <0.01 |
| - E2, left-sided | 156 (34) | 123 (37) | 33 (26) | 0.34 |
| - E3, extensive | 214 (47) | 128 (39) | 86 (68) | <0.01 |
| Disease extent progression, n (%) | 74 (16%) | 38 (12) | 36 (29) | <0.01 |
| Pseudopolyposis, n (%) | 55 (19) | 32 (15) | 23 (30) | <0.01 |
| Stenosis, n (%) | 10 (4) | 4 (2) | 6 (8) | 0.02 |
| Loss of haustral folds, n (%) | 25 (9) | 19 (9) | 6 (8) | 0.75 |
| Fibrous bridges, n (%) | 23 (8) | 18 (9) | 5 (7) | 0.57 |
| Smoking habit, n (%) | 0.59 | |||
| - Active smoker | 59 (13) | 48 (15) | 11 (9) | |
| - Ex-smoker | 136 (30) | 97 (29) | 39 (31) | |
| - Never smoker | 262 (57) | 186 (56) | 76 (60) | |
| EIMs, n (%) | 137 (30) | 78 (24) | 59 (47) | <0.01 |
| EIMs appearance, n (%) | 95 (21) | 58 (18) | 37 (29) | <0.01 |
| Follow-up time (years), median (IQR) | 9 (5–13) | 9 (4–13) | 10 (6–14) | <0.01 |
5-ASA: 5-aminosalicylate; EIM: extraintestinal manifestations; IBD: inflammatory bowel disease; IQR: inter-quartile range; NSAID: nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug.