Oral fluticasone propionate compared with prednisolone in treatment of active Crohn's disease: a randomized double-blind multicentre study

Objective: An oral corticosteroid with low systemic bioavailability could allow treatment of active Crohn's disease without side effects. The efficacy of fluticasone propionate, a halogenated corticosteroid of this type, was tested against prednisolone. Design: A randomized double-blind multicentre trial. Setting: A multicentre study among outpatients of 28 specialist gastroenterological departments in five countries. Patients: Three hundred and fifty-six patients with mild to moderately active Crohn's disease judged to need oral corticosteroid treatment. Intervention: Fluticasone propionate 20 mg daily for 4 weeks was compared with prednisolone 40, 30, 20 and 15 mg daily in divided doses over 4 successive weeks