Long‐term results with azathioprine therapy in patients with corticosteroid‐dependent Crohn’s disease: Open‐label prospective study

Abstract

Azathioprine was relatively safe and moderately effective for long-term maintenance of steroid-free clinical remission in corticosteroid-dependent CD patients. Patients were more successfully weaned from prednisone treatment, and clinical remission was more often maintained during the first 48 months of AZA therapy. A significant decrease in the white blood cell count at the end of 12 months on AZA was the single factor associated with weaning from steroid dependence.