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. 2016 May 18;2016(5):CD000478. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD000478.pub4

Summary of findings 3. 6‐Mercaptopurine versus 5‐ASA for maintenance of remission in ulcerative colitis.

6‐Mercaptopurine versus 5‐ASA for maintenance of remission in ulcerative colitis
Patient or population: Patients with quiescent ulcerative colitis
 Settings: Outpatients
 Intervention: 6‐Mercaptopurine versus 5‐ASA
Outcomes Illustrative comparative risks* (95% CI) Relative effect
 (95% CI) No of Participants
 (studies) Quality of the evidence
 (GRADE) Comments
Assumed risk Corresponding risk
Control 6‐MP versus 5‐ASA
Failure to maintain remission 1000 per 10001 530 per 1000 (310 to 900) RR 0.53 (0.31 to 0.90) 22 (1 study) ⊕⊝⊝⊝
 very low2,3  
*The basis for the assumed risk (e.g. the median control group risk across studies) is provided in footnotes. The corresponding risk (and its 95% confidence interval) is based on the assumed risk in the comparison group and the relative effect of the intervention (and its 95% CI).
 CI: Confidence interval; RR: Risk ratio; 6‐MP: 6‐mercaptopurine
GRADE Working Group grades of evidence
 High quality: Further research is very unlikely to change our confidence in the estimate of effect.
 Moderate quality: Further research is likely to have an important impact on our confidence in the estimate of effect and may change the estimate.
 Low quality: Further research is very likely to have an important impact on our confidence in the estimate of effect and is likely to change the estimate.
 Very low quality: We are very uncertain about the estimate.

1 Control group risk estimates come from control arm of included study.
 2 Down‐graded one level due to high risk of bias (open label design).
 3 Down‐graded two levels due to very sparse data (15 events).