***TASK*** the task is to summarize an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***INPUT*** the input is a biomedical literature 
    ***OUTPUT*** the output is the summary of an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***DOCUMENTATION*** 
    ***EXAMPLES*** 
    Input: Goals To investigate the effectiveness and safety of mesalazine , with or without Lactobacillus casei , in preventing recurrence of symptomatic diverticular disease of the colon . Background Both mesalazine and probiotics showed recently their effectiveness in obtaining remission of symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease of the colon . Consistent data are not available on the optimal therapy to prevent recurrence of symptomatic diverticular disease of the colon . Study Multicenter , prospect i ve , r and omized , open-label study . Ninety consecutive patients ( 36 men , 54 women , mean age 67.5 y , range 39 to 84 y ) , previously affected by symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease of the colon ( remission obtained with rifaximin 800 mg/d plus mesalazine 2.4 g/d for 10 d , followed by mesalazine 1.6 g/d for 8 wk ) , were enrolled in a 12-month follow-up . The following symptoms were assessed at entry and through follow-up by using a quantitative scale : ( 1 ) constipation , ( 2 ) diarrhea , ( 3 ) abdominal pain , ( 4 ) rectal bleeding , and ( 5 ) mucus with the stools . After recruitment , the patients were r and omly assigned to one of the following 3 groups : mesalazine 1.6 g/d ( group M ) , L. casei DG 16 billion/d for 15 d/mo ( group L ) ; mesalazine 1.6 g/d+L. casei DG 16 billion/d for 15 d/mo ( group LM ) . Results Eighty-five patients completed the study ( 94.5 % ) : 2 patients ( 2.22 % , 1 of group M and 1 of group LM ) were withdrawn from the study for protocol violation and 1 ( 1.11 % ) for hospital admission due to acute pulmonary disease ( group L ) ; 2 patients ( 2.22 % ) were lost to follow-up . Seventy-five patients ( 88.2 % ) were symptom free after the 12th month of treatment ( overall symptomatic score : ( 0 ) : 23/27 patients of group M [ on intention to treat : 76.7 % confidence interval ( CI 95 % : 61.5 to 91.8 ) ] , 23/29 of group L [ on intention to treat : 76.7 % ( CI 95 % : 61.5 to 91.8 ) ] , 29/29 of group LM [ on intention to treat : 96 % ( CI 95 % : 94.2 to 100 ) ] ( P<0.05 ) . Only 10 patients ( 11.1 % ) showed recurrence of symptoms ( overall symptomatic score : 68 ) . Conclusions Both mesalazine and L. casei DG seem to be effective in preventing recurrence of symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease of the colon , but their association seems to be more promising in this field Forty consecutive patients affected by recurrent attacks of symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease of the colon were evaluated to investigate the effectiveness of 2 different mesalazine therapeutic schedules in preventing recurrence of the disease . The patients were r and omly enrolled and treated with mesalazine 1.6 g/d ( group A ) or mesalazine 1.6 g/d 10 days per month ( group B ) . Thirty-four patients completed the study ( 85 % ) : 3 ( 7.5 % , 1 in group A and 2 in group B ) were lost to follow-up , 2 ( 5 % , both group B ) were withdrawn from the study for protocol violation , and 1 ( 2.5 % ) for hospital admission for stroke ( group A ) . Twenty-three patients ( 67.65 % ) were symptom free after 24 months of treatment ( overall symptomatic score , 0 ) : 14 of 18 in group A ( per- protocol , 77.78 % ; intention to treat , 70 % [ 95 % confidence interval [ CI ] , 61.5–91.8 ] ) , 9 of 16 in group B ( per protocol , 56.25 % ; intention to treat , 45 % [ 95 % CI , 61.5–91.8 ] ; P < 0.05 ) . Four patients ( 10 % ) improved , but were not completely symptom free . Six patients ( 15 % ) showed recurrence of symptoms : 1 in group A ( 5.56 % ) and 5 in group B ( 31.25 % ; P < 0.005 ; overall symptomatic score , 68 ) . Daily mesalazine supplying seems to be more effective than cyclic supplying in maintaining remission in recurrent symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease Background / Aims : We evaluated the efficacy of mesalamine ( Asacol ) in reducing gastrointestinal symptoms after an acute attack of diverticulitis . Methods : This was a 1-year double-blind , r and omized , placebo-controlled study in which patients with computed tomography scan confirmed acute diverticulitis received placebo , mesalamine , or mesalamine+Bifidobacterium infantis 35624 ( Align ) for 12 weeks and followed for 9 additional months . Efficacy was assessed using a global symptom score ( GSS ) of 10 symptoms ( abdominal pain , abdominal tenderness , nausea/vomiting , bloating , constipation , diarrhea , mucus , urgency , painful straining , and dysuria ) . Patients were required to have a GSS≥12 at baseline , including an abdominal pain score > 2 . Results : One hundred seventeen patients ( placebo , 41 ; mesalamine , 40 ; mesalamine+probiotic , 36 ) were r and omized and treated . GSS decreased in all groups during treatment without a statistically significant difference between mesalamine and placebo , however ; scores were consistently lower for mesalamine at all time points . The rate of complete response ( GSS=0 ) was significantly higher with mesalamine than placebo at weeks 6 and 52 ( P<0.05 ) , and was particularly high for rectosigmoid symptoms at weeks 6 , 12 , 26 , and 52 . Recurrence of diverticulitis was low and comparable across groups . Probiotic in combination with mesalamine did not provide additional efficacy . Conclusions : In the first US r and omized placebo-controlled trial of anti-inflammatory treatment after a documented case of diverticulitis , mesalamine demonstrated a consistent trend in reducing symptoms . Addition of probiotic did not increase mesalamine efficacy . This study supports further investigation into the use of anti-inflammatory agents , such as mesalamine , in the long-term management of diverticulitis . Clinical Trials.gov NCT00554099 Previous studies have reached conflicting conclusions regarding the efficacy of mesalazine in the prevention of recurrent diverticulitis We aim ed to improve symptoms by means of mesalazine in symptomatic colonic diverticular disease patients . One hundred seventy out patients ( 98 M , 72 F ; age , 67.1 years ; range , 39–84 years ) were assigned to four different schedules : rifaximin , 200 mg bid ( Group R1 : 39 pts ) , rifaximin , 400 mg bid ( Group R2 : 43 pts ) , mesalazine , 400 mg bid ( Group M1 : 40 pts ) , and mesalazine , 800 mg bid ( Group M2 : 48 pts ) , for 10 days per month . At baseline and after 3 months we recorded 11 clinical variables ( upper/lower abdominal pain/discomfort , bloating , tenesmus , diarrhea , abdominal tenderness , fever , general illness , nausea , emesis , dysuria ) , scored from 0 = no symptoms to 3 = severe . The global symptomatic score was the sum of all symptom scores . After 3 months in all schedules but Group R1 , 3 of the 11 symptoms improved ( P < 0.03 ) ; the global score decreased in all groups but Group R1 ( P < 0.0001 ) . Mesalazine-treated patients had the lowest global score at 3 months ( P < 0.001 ) . Mesalazine is as effective as rifaximin ( higher dosage schedule ) for diminishing some symptoms , but it appears to be better than rifaximin for improving the global score in those patients Background : Quality of life ( QoL ) is becoming a major issue in the evaluation of any therapeutic intervention . Aims : To assess the QoL in patients with uncomplicated symptomatic diverticular disease ( DD ) and to eluci date the influence of two different treatments either on symptoms or QoL. Material s and Methods : 58 out patients affected by uncomplicated symptomatic DD , admitted in our Gastroenterological Unit from October 2003 to March 2004 , were enrolled . Patients were r and omly assigned to two different treatments consisting of rifaximin or mesalazine for 10 days every month for a period of 6 months . QoL was evaluated by means of an SF-36 question naire and clinical evaluation was registered by means of a global symptomatic score ( GSS ) at baseline and after 6 months . Results : At baseline , lower values in all SF-36 domains were confirmed in patients with DD . Both rifaximin and mesalazine groups showed a significant reduction of their mean GSS ( p < 0.01 and p < 0.001 , respectively ) and improvement of SF-36 mean scores after therapy , even though treatment with mesalazine showed better results . Conclusions : DD has a negative impact on QoL. Cyclic treatment with poorly absorbable antibiotics or anti-inflammatory drugs relieves symptoms and improves BACKGROUND & AIMS No therapy has been proven to prevent the recurrence of diverticulitis . Mesalamine has shown efficacy in preventing relapse in inflammatory bowel disease , and there is preliminary evidence that it might be effective for diverticular disease . We investigated the efficacy of mesalamine in preventing recurrence of diverticulitis in 2 identical but separate phase 3 , r and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled , multicenter trials ( identical confirmatory trials were conducted for regulatory reasons ) . METHODS We evaluated the efficacy and safety of multimatrix mesalamine vs placebo in the prevention of recurrent diverticulitis in 590 ( PREVENT1 ) and 592 ( PREVENT2 ) adult patients with ≥1 episodes of acute diverticulitis in the previous 24 months that resolved without surgery . Patients received mesalamine ( 1.2 g , 2.4 g , or 4.8 g ) or placebo once daily for 104 weeks . The primary end point was the proportion of recurrence-free patients at week 104 . Diverticulitis recurrence was defined as surgical intervention at any time for diverticular disease or presence of computed tomography scan results demonstrating bowel wall thickening ( > 5 mm ) and /or fat str and ing consistent with diverticulitis . For a portion of the study , recurrence also required the presence of abdominal pain and an increase in white blood cells . RESULTS Mesalamine did not reduce the rate of diverticulitis recurrence at week 104 . Among patients in PREVENT1 , 53%-63 % did not have disease recurrence , compared with 65 % of those given placebo . Among patients in PREVENT2 , 59%-69 % of patients did not have disease recurrence , compared with 68 % of those given placebo . Mesalamine did not reduce time to recurrence , and the proportions of patients requiring surgery were comparable among treatment groups . No new adverse events were identified with mesalamine administration . CONCLUSIONS Mesalamine was not superior to placebo in preventing recurrent diverticulitis . Mesalamine is not recommended for this indication . Clinical Trials.gov ID : NCT00545740 and NCT00545103 In uncomplicated diverticular disease , treatment is aim ed at relieving symptoms . The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of mesalazine for symptomatic relief of uncomplicated diverticular disease of the colon . Two hundred sixty-eight consecutive eligible out patients ( 122 male , 146 female ; age , 66.1 years ; range , 31–81 years ) were enrolled in four treatment schedules in a r and omized fashion : Group R1 ( 66 patients ) , rifaximin , 200 mg bid ; Group R2 ( 69 patients ) , rifaximin , 400 mg bid ; Group M1 ( 67 patients ) , mesalazine , 400 mg bid ; and Group M2 ( 66 patients ) , mesalazine , 800 mg bid . Treatments were administered for 10 days every month for 12 months . Clinical evaluations were performed at admission and at 3-month intervals for 12 months considering 12 clinical variables ( upper and lower abdominal pain/discomfort , tenesmus , diarrhea , abdominal tenderness , fever , bloating , general illness , nausea , emesis , dysuria , bleeding ) grade d as 0 = no symptoms , 1 = mild , 2 = moderate , and 3 = severe . The Global Symptomatic Score ( GSS ) was calculated using the sum of each symptom score . Two hundred forty-four patients completed the 12- month study ; 24 were discontinued ( 14 treated with rifaximin and 10 treated with mesalazine ) either as voluntary dropouts or because they developed side effects and /or complications . Group M2 demonstrated a lower frequency of many symptoms after 6 and  
    Output:
    
The most commonly reported side effects were gastrointestinal symptoms ( epigastric pain , nausea , and diarrhoea ) .
Rates of recurrent diverticulitis were similar among participants using 5-ASA and control participants .