BMC Gastroenterology (Sep 2023)

Relapse rate and predictors of relapse after cessation of glucocorticoid maintenance therapy in type 1 autoimmune pancreatitis: a multicenter retrospective study

  • Yusuke Kiyoshita,
  • Yasutaka Ishii,
  • Masahiro Serikawa,
  • Keiji Hanada,
  • Tamito Sasaki,
  • Yoshifumi Fujimoto,
  • Atsushi Yamaguchi,
  • Ken Hirao,
  • Bunjiro Noma,
  • Tomoyuki Minami,
  • Akihito Okazaki,
  • Masanobu Yukutake,
  • Teruo Mouri,
  • Tomofumi Tsuboi,
  • Yumiko Tatsukawa,
  • Shinya Nakamura,
  • Tetsuro Hirano,
  • Juri Ikemoto,
  • Sho Saeki,
  • Yosuke Tamura,
  • Sayaka Miyamoto,
  • Masaru Furukawa,
  • Kazuki Nakmura,
  • Yumiko Yamashita,
  • Noriaki Iijima,
  • Shiro Oka

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12876-023-02939-5
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 23, no. 1
pp. 1 – 9

Abstract

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Abstract Background Type 1 autoimmune pancreatitis responds well to glucocorticoid therapy with a high remission rate. Moreover, glucocorticoid maintenance therapy can help prevent relapse. However, the relapse rate following cessation of long-term glucocorticoid therapy is unknown. The aim of this study was to clarify the relapse rate and predictors of relapse following long-term glucocorticoid therapy cessation. Methods We analyzed 94 patients who achieved remission after undergoing glucocorticoid therapy, discontinued treatment after at least 6 months of maintenance therapy, and were subsequently followed up for at least 6 months. The patients were divided into three groups based on treatment duration (< 18, 18–36, and ≥ 36 months), and their relapse rates were compared. Univariate and multivariate analyses of clinical factors were conducted to identify relapse predictors. Results After discontinuing glucocorticoid therapy, relapse was observed in 43 (45.7%) patients, with cumulative relapse rates of 28.2% at 1 year, 42.1% at 3 years, 47.0% at 5 years, and a plateau of 77.6% at 9 years. Of the 43 patients who relapsed, 25 (58.1%) relapsed within 1 year after after cessation of glucocorticoid therapy. Relapse and cumulative relapse rates did not differ significantly according to treatment duration. In the multivariate analysis, an elevated serum IgG4 level at the time of glucocorticoid cessation was found to be an independent predictor of relapse (hazard ratio, 4.511; p < 0.001). Conclusions A high relapse rate occurred after cessation of glucocorticoid maintenance therapy, regardless of the duration of maintenance therapy, especially within the first year after cessation. However, the normalization of long-term serum IgG4 levels may be a factor in considering cessation.

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