TREATMENT OF
CROHNS DISEASE WITH RIFABUTIN AND MACROLIDE ANTIBIOTICS
I.Shafran
M.D.and C.Piromalli; Florida Hospital, Orlando, FL.
Twenty-nine patients with Crohn’s disease were
selected for treatment with Rifabutin and Macrolide Antibiotic Therapy (RMAT)
for a duration of six months to one year based upon their overall response to
treatment. The RMAT medications included 250mgm
1 po bid clarithromycin, 150mgm 1 po bid rifabutin and 200mgm po qd of a
probiotic containing equal amounts of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus
rhamnosus. At three months on RMAT, all of the patients were assessed to
determine their overall response to treatment. 28% (8/29) of the patients
reached a state of clinical remission while being off all other medications. The majority of these patients
had acute presentations of Crohn’s disease when placed on RMAT. 31% (9/29) of
patients were not in clinical remission but experienced significant improvements
as they discontinued the use of all other Crohn’s medications. 28% (8/29) of
patients noticed some improvements on RMAT but were still using traditional
medications, such as sulfasalazine and corticosteroids. 14% (4/29) were
non-responders since they were unable to tolerate the RMAT medications and
stopped therapy. These preliminary findings add further evidence to support the
role of RMAT in the treatment of Crohn’s disease. A large multi-center
clinical trial is needed to further explore these findings.
All content copyright ©1999 Dr. Ira Shafran, M.D.