Background: Combined therapy as well as drug sequencing, using induction and maintenance with different therapeutic classes, are possibilities of treatment in inflammatory bowel diseases. Among the different combined biological therapy options, the combination of ustekinumab and vedolizumab is among the most cited since they use different mechanisms of action with a good safety profile. Combined biological therapy has been suggested as an option to achieve better results in cases that are refractory to previous biological treatments or with a high risk of developing complications, and in the concomitance of uncontrolled extra-intestinal manifestation. There is a scarcity in the literature regarding the treatment of IBD and HIV, however, in individuals with controlled disease, there seems to be no restriction on any of the available options. In the presence of severe UC and a history of infections, the ideal therapeutic agent should have a rapid onset of action and a good safety profile in the maintenance treatment. Methods: The present study is a clinical case followed at the Oswaldo Cruz University Hospital, Recife-PE, during the period from February to August 2022, with data collected from the medical records. Results: A 53-year-old male patient with HIV for 14 years, on antiretroviral treatment for 10 years, currently with CD4 308 and an undetectable viral load. He was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis (UC), Montreal E2, in march 2021, with irregular follow-up, frequent hospitalizations until readmission in december 2021 with severe UC activity. He remained dependent on high doses of corticosteroids for about 5 months and presented several infectious complications, such as neurotoxoplasmosis and CMV colitis. He was discharged with disease under clinical control but readmitted for urinary infection and severe UC activity after 4 days of undue corticosteroid suspension. Given the severity and availability of intravenos ustekinumab per donation, it was decided to administer the dose of induction (260 mg). After 2 weeks, there was little clinical improvement, at which time he had access to vedolizumab by the public health system. UC became mildly active at week 2 of induction and the patient was discharged. He is currently in clinical and biomarker remission, on regular maintenance infusions of vedolizumab and steroid-free since week 6 of induction. Conclusion: In the present report, we considered that prolonged and recurrent hospitalizations, prolonged use of corticosteroids and previous infectious complications in patients with severe UC and HIV justified the combination of biological agents. A rapid induction strategy with ustekinumab followed by reinduction and maintenance with vedolizumab was chosen, given its best safety profile. Such association proved to be safe and effective. Although the results are attractive, there is still no formal indication in clinical practice for its use. Thus, combined biological therapy should be prescribed with caution, under consent, with close monitoring and individually indicated.
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