London, April 16 (QNA) - A British scientific study has confirmed that appendectomy (appendix removal) may reduce the risk of ulcerative colitis relapse in patients with chronic inflammatory bowel disease.

The study, published in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology journal, reported that the appendix plays a role by producing inflammatory proteins that stimulate the body to launch a series of immune responses.

According to experiments conducted during the study, which included 197 adult patients who all received usual medical care, half of whom underwent appendectomy surgery, it has been found that after one year, relapse rates were 36 percent in the appendectomy group and 56 percent in the usual care group.

The results also showed that the number of patients in the appendectomy group who subsequently developed a more severe form of the disease requiring treatment with biological agents decreased. Post-operative complications occurred in five cases in the appendectomy group, two of which were classified as serious. After taking into account individual patient risk factors, the risk of relapse during the study was reduced by 35 percent with appendectomy.

The scientific study concluded that this significant reduction suggests that appendectomy may be an effective additional treatment option for maintaining remission of ulcerative colitis.

Ulcerative colitis is caused by inflammation and ulcers in the large intestine and rectum, accompanied by diarrhea and abdominal pain. There is no cure for the disease. Its symptoms often recur and reappear, and can negatively impact quality of life. (QNA)