Bile Acid Sequestrant Therapy in Microscopic Colitis

Abstract

Goals: There is an unmet need in investigating corticosteroid-sparing treatments for induction and maintenance of remission in microscopic colitis (MC). The authors' aim was to evaluate the outcomes of patients with MC treated with bile acid sequestrants (BAS).

Background: MC is a common chronic diarrheal illness. Budesonide is effective induction therapy, but relapses are high after cessation of treatment.

Study: Our cohort consisted of patients enrolled in our institutional MC registry, a biorepository of histology-confirmed diagnoses of MC. Patients receiving BAS for the treatment of MC were reviewed at each clinical visit for efficacy or ability to decrease budesonide maintenance dosing.

Results: The authors included 79 patients (29 collagenous colitis and 50 lymphocytic colitis) with a median follow-up period of 35 months (range, 1 to 120). Most patients were female individuals (78%) and the median age was 69 years (range, 29 to 87). BAS therapy was used in 21 patients who were budesonide-naive, with a response rate of 76% (16/21). In patients treated previously with budesonide, 46 patients were budesonide-dependent and given BAS as maintenance therapy. Of these patients, 23 (50%) were able to decrease their budesonide dosing and 9 (20%) were able to stop budesonide completely. Seven of 46 patients (15%) stopped BAS because of intolerance, perceived lack of benefit, or treatment of concomitant diarrhea illness.

Conclusions: BAS may be an effective corticosteroid-sparing option in the treatment of MC and should be considered after budesonide induction. Larger controlled studies are needed to confirm the efficacy for long-term maintenance and tolerability of BAS in patients with MC.