Treatment of ulcerative colitis with camostat mesilate, a serine protease inhibitor.

We were able to induce and maintain remission with camostat mesilate, a serine protease inhibitor, in two patients with ulcerative colitis, to whom salicylazosulfapyridine could not be administered due to previous side effects. The enzymatic activity of proteases from granulocyte, pancreatic juice and bacteria is possibly harmful to the inflamed colonic mucosa. Camostat mesilate can be expected to have an anti-inflammatory effect on the damaged mucosa of inflammatory bowel disease.