Efficacy and safety of ezetimibe added to atorvastatin versus atorvastatin uptitration or switching to rosuvastatin in patients with primary hypercholesterolemia.

Hypercholesterolemic patients (n = 1,547) at high atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels ≥100 and ≤160 mg/dl while treated with atorvastatin 10 mg/day entered a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, active-controlled, clinical trial using two 6-week study periods. Period I compared the efficacy/safety of (1) adding ezetimibe 10 mg (ezetimibe) to stable atorvastatin 10 mg, (2) doubling atorvastatin to 20 mg, or (3) switching to rosuvastatin 10 mg. Subjects in the latter 2 groups who persisted with elevated LDL-C levels (≥100 and ≤160 mg/dl) after period I, entered period II; subjects on atorvastatin 20 mg had ezetimibe added to their atorvastatin 20 mg, or uptitrated their atorvastatin to 40 mg; subjects on rosuvastatin 10 mg switched to atorvastatin 20 mg plus ezetimibe or uptitrated their rosuvastatin to 20 mg.

Cytokine network in chronic perianal Crohn's disease and indeterminate colitis after colectomy.

Antitumor necrosis factor alpha (anti-TNF-alpha) therapy in perianal Crohn's disease (CD) is widely established but recent studies suggest that the underlying fistula tract and inflammation may persist. Treatment with a monoclonal antibody against interleukin (IL)-12 was reported to induce clinical responses and remissions in patients with active CD. The aim of our study was to analyze the cytokine network (TNF-alpha, IL-12, IL-1beta, and IL-6) in 12 patients with chronic perianal CD and a Crohn's disease activity index (CDAI) score <150 to exclude active intestinal disease, in 7 patients with indeterminate colitis (IC) after restorative proctocolectomy with perianal complications, in 7 patients with active intestinal CD without perianal manifestations, and in 19 healthy controls.