Evaluation of melatonin effectiveness in the adjuvant treatment of ulcerative colitis.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to evaluate whether adjuvant melatonin therapy could help sustain remission in patients with ulcerative colitis by reducing inflammation and controlling disease activity.
Results Summary
Melatonin adjuvant therapy helped maintain remission in UC patients over 12 months, with lower disease activity scores and stable CRP levels compared to placebo. Hemoglobin levels remained stable in the melatonin group but declined in the placebo group, and anxiety/depression scores improved, though not significantly between groups.
Population
60 patients with left-sided ulcerative colitis (38 women, 22 men, aged 26-49 years) in clinical remission for the past 12 months.
Effective Dosage
5 mg melatonin daily at bedtime.
Duration
12 months.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
melatonin (MEL) adjuvant treatment | no change | clinical remission | patients with left-sided UC | during 12 months of observation | remained in remission | #1 |
melatonin (MEL) adjuvant treatment | decrease | The Mayo Clinic Disease Activity Index (MCDAI) values | patients with left-sided UC | 1.50±0.51 at the beginning and 2.75±1.86 points after 12 months | significantly lower | #2 |
placebo | increase | The Mayo Clinic Disease Activity Index (MCDAI) values | patients with left-sided UC | 1.61±0.68 points at inclusion to 5.10±2.22 points at the end | significantly higher | #3 |
melatonin (MEL) adjuvant treatment | no change | CRP level | patients with left-sided UC | from 3.49±1.40 to 4.17±2.10 mg/dl | remained within the normal range | #4 |
placebo | increase | CRP blood concentration | patients with left-sided UC | from 3.85±1.29 to 13.13±6.08 mg/dl | steady rise | #5 |
placebo | decrease | hemoglobin concentration in blood | patients with left-sided UC | from 12.05±0.69 to 10.93±0.81 g/dl | significant decrease | #6 |
adjuvant MEL | decrease | level of anxiety and the intensity of depression | patients with left-sided UC | - | decreased | #7 |
adjuvant melatonin therapy | no change | clinical remission | patients with UC | - | may help in sustaining remission | #8 |
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic disease characterized by the variable clinical picture with the inflammatory changes which can involve the whole colon or its distal part. The current treatments for UC are mostly nonspecific, not always effective, and often accompanied by serious side effects. Therefore, there is a considerable interest in finding alternative and more tolerable treatments for this serious disease. Several lines of experimental studies have shown that melatonin (MEL) regulates the extensive gut immune system and exerts antiinflammatory and immunomodulatory effects suggesting its beneficial action in UC by reducing and controlling inflammation. The study aimed at evaluating the effect of MEL on the activity of inflammatory process and sustaining the remission in patients with UC. It comprised 60 patients with left-sided UC, divided in two equal groups of 30 patients each (38 women and 22 men, aged 26-49 years), similar in both groups, who were in clinical remission for the last 12 months. Patients, during a next period of 12 months, were given mesalazine in daily doses 2 x 1.0 g and melatonin 5 mg daily at bedtime (group I) or placebo (group II). All the patients on MEL adjuvant treatment remained in remission during 12 months of observation with The Mayo Clinic Disease Activity Index (MCDAI) values 1.50±0.51 at the beginning and 2.75±1.86 points after 12 months. In the placebo group significantly higher MCDAI values were observed than in patients on MEL after 6, 9 and 12 months. At the inclusion MCDAI was 1.61±0.68 points and at the end of observation it reached the value of 5.10±2.22 points. In MEL group CRP level remained within the normal range during the course of the study (from 3.49±1.40 to 4.17±2.10 mg/dl). Whereas in the placebo group from the end of the third month the steady rise in CRP blood concentration was noted from 3.85±1.29 to 13.13±6.08 mg/dl. Parallelly to CRP rise a significant decrease in hemoglobin concentration in blood from 12.05±0.69 to 10.93±0.81 g/dl was observed in patients receiving placebo and the values significantly differed between the groups after 3 (p<0.05), 6, 9 and 12 months (p<0.01). The level of anxiety and the intensity of depression in patients on adjuvant MEL decreased during the study but there were no statistical differences noted between the groups. The results of the study allowed drawing the conclusion that adjuvant melatonin therapy may help in sustaining remission in patients with UC.