Traditional Chinese medicine combination therapy for patients with steroid-dependent ulcerative colitis: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background Approximately 20% of patients with ulcerative colitis become steroid dependent. Azathioprine is recommended in steroid-dependent ulcerative colitis, but its side effects limit its use. Chinese herbal medicine has been widely used to treat ulcerative colitis in China. However, its effectiveness in steroid-dependent patients has not been evaluated. This study aims to investigate the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine combination therapy with 5-aminosalicylic acid in patients with steroid-dependent ulcerative colitis.