Cureus
Cure8 research brief
Why This Matters
For patients hospitalized with steroid-refractory ASUC, an effective oral rescue option could be useful when standard biologics are unavailable or contraindicated. The study also highlights that high colonic CMV DNA may be linked to poorer response to rescue therapy.
Who Should Pay Attention
Clinicians treating ASUC, inpatient gastroenterology teams, IBD researchers, and adult patients exploring rescue treatment options.
Study Snapshot
Story typeResearch paper
Evidence typeResearch paper
Source depthJournal abstract
What To Know
This small, single-center retrospective study evaluated tofacitinib started after failure to respond to IV hydrocortisone by Day 3 in patients with Truelove and Witts–defined ASUC. The protocol was 10 mg three times daily for 3 days then 10 mg twice daily.
Seven of ten patients had a clinical response within 5–7 days; three required alternative rescue therapy or surgical consultation. Colonic CMV DNA was measured in tissue; four patients had detectable CMV and the two with high viral loads (>50,000 copies/mL) did not respond despite antiviral therapy.
Adverse events were limited in this cohort, with one case of bicytopenia reported. This report suggests tofacitinib may be a rapid, oral rescue option when infliximab or cyclosporine are unavailable or contraindicated, but the evidence is limited by small size, retrospective design, and short follow-up.
Keep In Mind
Small retrospective cohort (n=10) with short-term outcomes; abstract-level content from the journal report. Results are preliminary and need prospective validation.
Source Details
Review the original publication for the complete reporting, methods, and context.
Research paper
Evidence type derived from source or registry metadata.
PublicationCureus
AuthorsBanerjee S, Yadav D, Gupta A +7 more
Study typeJournal article
Indexed viaEurope PMC
Source typeResearch paper
PublishedJun 23, 2026, 12:00 AM
Content availableJournal abstract
This Cure8 brief is based on source text from the linked article. Cure8 is informational only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
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