Sex-specific differences in the efficacy and prognosis of 5-aminosalicylic acid therapy for ulcerative colitis: A 20-year retrospective cohort study

Table 1 Baseline characteristics of female and male ulcerative colitis patients receiving 5-aminosalicylic acid treatment before and after propensity score matching, mean ± SD/n (%)

	Before PSM			After PSM
	Female cohort (n = 243)	Male cohort (n = 311)	SMD	Female cohort (n = 177)	Male cohort (n = 177)	SMD
Demographics
Follow-up period (years)	10.2 ± 8.4	8.7 ± 7.2	0.19	9.0 ± 7.0	9.5 ± 7.7	0.07
Age at onset (years)	34.8 ± 11.3	36.2 ± 13.5	0.11	34.8 ± 11.3	33.9 ± 12.5	0.08
Disease duration (years)	14.0 ± 8.3	12.9 ± 7.0	0.67	12.9 ± 6.9	13.4 ± 7.5	0.07
Smoker	4 (1.6)	126 (40.5)	1.08	4 (2.3)	5 (2.8)	0.04
BMI ≥ 24 kg/m2	98 (40.3)	183 (58.8)	0.38	77 (43.5)	85 (48.0)	0.09
Comorbid conditions
Diabetes mellitus	13 (5.3)	28 (9)	0.14	11 (6.2)	13 (7.3)	0.04
Hypertension	19 (7.8)	44 (14.1)	0.2	13 (7.3)	15 (8.5)	0.04
NAFLD	8 (3.3)	13 (4.2)	0.05	4 (2.3)	5 (2.8)	0.04
EIMs	36 (14.8)	48 (15.4)	0.02	18 (10.2)	21 (11.9)	0.05
Opportunistic infections1	69 (28.4)	69 (22.2)	0.14	46 (26)	40 (22.6)	0.08
Disease conditions at onset
DAI
Mild to moderate	136 (56.0)	164 (52.7)	0.06	101 (57.1)	100 (56.5)	0.01
Severe	107 (44.0)	147 (47.3)	0.06	76 (42.9)	77 (43.5)	0.01
Disease extent
Proctitis	52 (21.4)	71 (22.8)	0.03	38 (21.5)	39 (22.0)	0.01
Proctosigmoiditis	87 (35.8)	76 (24.4)	0.25	58 (32.8)	50 (28.2)	0.1
Pancolitis	104 (42.8)	164 (52.7)	0.2	81 (45.8)	88 (49.7)	0.08
Labs
C-reactive protein (mg/L)	15.5 ± 30.9	15.1 ± 29.2	0.01	14.9 ± 28.8	17.5 ± 35.0	0.08
Accompanying medication
Aspirin	1 (0.4)	14 (4.5)	0.27	1 (0.6)	1 (0.6)	0
Lipid-lowering drugs	7 (2.9)	16 (5.1)	0.12	4 (2.3)	4 (2.3)	0
Antibiotic	99 (40.7)	102 (32.8)	0.17	66 (37.3)	60 (33.9)	0.07
5-ASA regimen
Oral 5-ASA dose/day
≤ 2 g	66 (27.2)	88 (28.3)	0.03	49 (27.7)	51 (28.8)	0.03
> 2 g	177 (72.8)	223 (71.7)	0.03	128 (72.3)	126 (71.2)	0.03
Number of oral 5-ASA treatments/day
1-2	107 (44.0)	136 (43.7)	0.006	82 (46.3)	80 (45.2)	0.02
> 2	136 (56.0)	175 (56.3)	0.006	95 (53.7)	97 (54.8)	0.02
Combination of enema and suppository	124 (51.0)	151 (48.6)	0.05	84 (47.5)	86 (48.6)	0.02
UC medication use2
Systemic steroids	188 (77.4)	224 (72)	0.12	132 (74.6)	125 (70.6)	0.09
Any steroid	194 (79.8)	229 (73.6)	0.15	135 (76.3)	127 (71.8)	0.1
Immunomodulators	95 (39.1)	102 (32.8)	0.13	63 (35.6)	67 (37.9)	0.05
Biologics	51 (21.0)	47 (15.1)	0.15	34 (19.2)	28 (15.8)	0.08

¹Intestinal infections caused by Clostridioides difficile, cytomegalovirus, and Epstein-Barr virus.

²Simultaneous or subsequent use on prescription of 5-aminosalicylic acid.

SMD: Standard mean difference; PSM: Propensity score matching; BMI: Body mass index; NAFLD: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; DAI: Disease activity index; EIMs: Extraintestinal manifestations; UC: Ulcerative colitis; 5-ASA: 5-aminosalicylic acid.