The earliest trough concentration predicts the dose of tacrolimus required for remission induction therapy in ulcerative colitis patients

Table 2 The differences in clinical background between patients of the low dose group and the high dose group

	Low dose^a < 0.2 mg/kg	High dose^a ≥ 0.2 mg/kg	Univariate analysis
	n = 26	n = 21	p
Median(range) age at onset, years	36 (12–67)	31 (11–64)	NS
Median(range) age at starting tacrolimus, years	42.5 (12–70)	36 (14–67)	NS
Median(range) duration of disease, months	28.7 (0.74-336)	62.2 (0.97-323)	NS
Gender
Male/Female	10/16	14/7	0.08
Disease severity
Moderate/Severe	20/6	14/7	NS
Extent of disease
Pancolitis/Left-side colitis	19/7	15/ 6	NS
Medications
5-ASA	25	17	0.16
Corticosteroid use	24	28	NS
Dose of corticosteroid at initiation of tacrolimus (PSL)	25 (0–40)	20 (0–30)	0.12
Immunomodulator use	8	5	NS
Bowel movement at initiation of tacrolimus (times/day)	8 (4–20)	7.5 (4–15)	NS
Diet at initiation of tacrolimus
Fasting	6	6	NS
Laboratory data at initiation of tacrolimus
White blood cell count (×10³/μL)	7.52 (4.71-15.0)	7.50 (5.46-15.2)	NS
Hemoglobin (mg/dL)	11.2 (7.50-13.6)	10.4 (7.90-14.4)	NS
Platelet count (×10⁴/μL)	39.6 (9.70-65.6)	38.1 (12.0-75.2)	NS
CRP (mg/dL)	0.93 (0.02-7.73)	2.20 (0.04-14.7)	0.053
SNPs analysis^b
CYP3A5 (11/13/33)	0/2/19	1/10/5	0.001
ABCB1 exon26 (CC/CT/TT)	9/8/4	6/6/4	NS

^aPatients were divided into two groups by the maximum dose (<0.2 mg/kg or ≥ 0.2 mg/kg).
^bSNPs analyses were performed in 37 patients.
SNPs, single-nucleotide polymorphisms.
5-ASA, 5-aminosalicylic acid.
CRP, C-reactive protein.
CYP3A5, cytochrome P450 3A4.
ABCB1, ATP-binding cassette sub-family B member 1.

ISSN: 1471-230X