Research study of Heparin in Ulcerative Colitis patients

[Lisa__0__0]

  I have had UC for 10 years now and have been thru various
  treatment regimens. This past August I was hospitalized with
  acute UC and placed on steroids, Asacol and Mesalamine enemas.  
  I have experienced many flare ups with minimal periods of
  inactive disease.  I do not want to have my colon removed, as I am
  only 29 years old.  I am currently tapering off Prednisone and am
  still taking 12 tabs of Asacol daily and one Rowasa enema nightly.
  This regimen has helped, but if I miss even one night of taking the
  Rowasa I develop rectal bleeding immediately.  I am in search of
  a more permanent solution to have this UC into remission.
  As I was searching the web, I discovered a
  site which revealed a study involving heparin for UC patients.
  Common sense tells me that it would be contra-indicated so how
  is it that heparin is "curing" UC flare ups?  I would like to
  know more information involving the use of heparin for patients
  with UC.  I am considering volunteering as a case study, but
  would like to be more informed.  The address for the web site is:
  http://qurlyjoe.bu.edu/cducibs/heparin.html
  Your assistance and knowledge would be greatly appreciated.
_______________
Dear Lisa,
I am sorry to read that your ulcerative colitis tends to be recalcitrant to treatment. Ulcerative colitis is a chronic disease. I assume from your letter that you are symptom free when you are taking your medications.  This pattern of no symptoms with treatment is good.  Hopefully, you will remain in the ‘response group’ and not require surgical therapy.  For your information, there are patients with ulcerative colitis whose disease appears to subside over time.  Over a period of years, medical treatment can be stopped without a return of symptoms.
I checked the website you had given us. The information at the website is reasonably accurate. Anecdotal evidence of the efficacy of heparin has been reported from one center each in Ireland, England and Germany. I could not find the Russian study. All these studies have 10 - 20 patients each. There was some efficacy of heparin in patients with severe disease. However the benefit lasted only as long as heparin was administered. In the British study 25% of patients eventually required colectomy.
At the present time we do not have enough information about the efficacy of heparin in ulcerative colitis. My sense is that heparin probably will not turn out to be the ‘magic bullet’ that will cure ulcerative colitis. If proven to be effective, it will probably be an addition to our current list of drugs rather than a cure-all.
I think it is excellent  that a multi-centered controlled study, hopefully with many participants,  is being performed to evaluate the role of heparin in ulcerative colitis. Only in this way can we determine the role of heparin therapy in the treatment of ulcerative colitis.  Some of the doctors listed at the web site are leaders in the management of ulcerative colitis. It would be a good idea to contact one of them for more information. They will have a number of eligibility criteria that need to be fulfilled before you can be allowed to participate in the trial.  Before enrolling you in any study they will also provide you with very detailed information including potential risks and benefits.
Best of luck! Please drop us a line and let us know what happened.  
This information is presented for educational purposes only.  Always ask specific medical questions to your personal physician.
HFHSM.D.-sg
*keywords: ulcerative colitis
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[momishinawer]

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