Baseline characteristics of patients with active UC.

*UCDAI-ulcerative colitis disease activity index [59] (Daily stool frequency [0 = normal; 1 = 1–2 above normal; 2 = 3–4 above normal; 3 = >4 above normal]+Rectal bleeding [0 = none; 1 = streaks of blood; 2 = obvious blood; 3 = mostly blood]+Sutherland score [see below]+Physicians global assessment [0 = normal; 1 = mild; 2 = moderate; 3 = severe]). ¥Sutherland endoscopic scoring tool [25] (0 = normal; 1 = mild friability; 2 = moderate friability, bleeding on contact; 3 = exudation, spontaneous haemorrhage). €Gomes Histological score [24] (0 = normal, 1 = mild oedema and inflammation in lamina propria; 2 = crypt abscess formation and inflammation in lamina propria; 3 = more severe inflammation with destructive crypt abscesses +/−granulomata; 4 = more severe inflammation with active ulceration). ∞mean ± SEM.