<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><xml><records><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Aloi, Marina</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">DʼArcangelo, Giulia</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Bramuzzo, Matteo</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Gasparetto, Marco</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Martinelli, Massimo</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Alvisi, Patrizia</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Illiceto, Maria Teresa</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Valenti, Simona</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Distante, Manuela</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Pellegrino, Salvatore</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Gatti, Simona</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Arrigo, Serena</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Civitelli, Fortunata</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Martelossi, Stefano</style></author></authors><translated-authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">SIGENP IBD Working Group</style></author></translated-authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Effect of Early Versus Late Azathioprine Therapy in Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis.</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Inflamm Bowel Dis</style></secondary-title><alt-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Inflamm. Bowel Dis.</style></alt-title></titles><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2016</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2016 Jul</style></date></pub-dates></dates><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">22</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">1647-54</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;BACKGROUND: &lt;/b&gt;We aimed at describing the efficacy of azathioprine (AZA) in pediatric ulcerative colitis, comparing the outcomes of early (0-6 months) versus late (6-24 months) initiation of therapy.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;METHODS: &lt;/b&gt;Children with ulcerative colitis treated with AZA within 24 months of diagnosis were included. Corticosteroid (CS)-free remission and mucosal healing (MH), assessed by endoscopy or fecal calprotectin, at 12 months were the primary outcomes. Patients were also compared for CS-free remission and MH, need for treatment escalation or surgery, number of hospitalizations, and adverse events during a 24-month follow-up.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;RESULTS: &lt;/b&gt;A total of 121 children entered the study (median age 10.5 ± 4.0 years, 59% girls). Seventy-six (63%) started AZA between 0 and 6 months (early group) and 45 (37%) started between 6 and 24 months (late group). Seventy-five percent and 53% of patients in the early and late group, respectively, received CS at the diagnosis (P = 0.01). CS-free remission at 1 year was achieved by 30 (50%) of the early and 23 (57%) of the late patients (P = 0.54). MH occurred in 37 (37%) patients at 1 year, with no difference between the 2 groups (33% early, 42% late; P = 0.56). No difference was found for the other outcomes.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;CONCLUSIONS: &lt;/b&gt;Introduction of AZA within 6 months of diagnosis seems not more effective than later treatment to achieve CS-free remission in pediatric ulcerative colitis. MH does not depend on the timing of AZA initiation; however, because of the incomplete comparability of the 2 groups at the diagnosis and the use of fecal calprotectin as a surrogate marker of MH, our results should be further confirmed by prospective studies.&lt;/p&gt;</style></abstract><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">7</style></issue><custom1><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27271489?dopt=Abstract</style></custom1></record></records></xml>