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In 2002, 50% of patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) had used complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in Germany. This survey aimed to examine changes from 2002 to 2019 and predictors of CAM use in 2019.In 2019, a questionnaire was sent randomly to 1000 members of the German Crohn's Colitis Association, the same sampling strategy was chosen 2002. Items assessed included, demographic characteristics, IBD diagnosis and disease history, medication use, patients' symptoms/quality of life, anxiety/depression and use of complementary therapies.The 2019 sample only differed slightly in case of gender (55% women) and disease (43% Ulcerative Colitis) from the 2002 sample. In 2019, 54% (227/417) reported having ever used CAM and 75% (396/417) planned to use CAM for their IBD in the future, whereby there was an evidence of a decrease in exclusive CAM use from 2002 (28%; 96/344) to 2019 (16%, 37/277;Every other patient with IBD used CAM and has thus indicated a need for a safe and evidence-based combination of conventional and complementary approaches. This would further support the desired decrease in exclusive -alternative- CAM use.

Anti-TNFs have been shown to significantly improve the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in Crohn's disease (CD) patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate to what extend the patients' preferences for these intravenous (IV) and subcutaneous (SC) treatments differ based on respondents' quality of life. An online discrete choice experiment (DCE) was conducted to understand patient trade-offs in treatment choice.Fifty-seven Crohn's disease anti-TNF naïve patients were asked to choose between two different scenarios, considering the following attributes: mode of administration (MODE), total availability for injection (TIME), speed of onset (DELAY), risk of anti-TNF administration despite a contraindication (RISK) and total monthly out-of-pocket expenses (COST). At the same time, patients completed the IBDQ-32 questionnaire. Conditional logit models without and with interaction terms were estimated to evaluate attribute weights.Patients preferred to self-administer SC anti-TNF rather than have a primary care nurse do it, whereas the preference for IV route was negative. After adding interaction terms however, the IV route became preferred for patients with impaired HRQoL, this preference having decreased as HRQoL increased. Surprisingly, patients with impaired HRQoL were less willing to spend more time on treatment, and this effect diminished as HRQoL (overall and in each dimension) became higher.HRQoL level changed patients' preferences for the anti-TNF treatment. The results suggest the need to optimise the management of IV infusions in the hospital and reinforce the importance of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMS) as a common practice to improve shared medical decision making.

Objective: Assessment of the upper gastrointestinal tract (UGI) may enable more personalized treatment strategies in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, data on the frequency and significance of these findings remain limited. Methods: Data on 132 pediatric IBD patients with systematic UGI sampling were collected and the baseline characteristics and presence of complications compared between those with and without histological UGI findings. The control group comprised 162 children who received no diagnoses. Results: Seventy-six children had ulcerative colitis (UC), 47 Crohn’s disease (CD) and nine IBD unclassified. UGI findings were more common in IBD patients than controls (69.7% vs. 30.9%, respectively, p

To examine the long-term efficacy and side effects of antitumour necrosis factor alpha (anti-TNF) therapy in patients with Crohn's disease (CD), the need for surgery and the clinical outcome after discontinuing anti-TNF therapy.Data were collected from the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-TNF register at Østfold Hospital Trust. Clinical and sociodemographic data were recorded for patients initiating anti-TNF therapy from January 2000 until December 2011. Follow-up was conducted until December 2017.Complete remission (CR) was achieved in 40/154 (26%) patients at the last follow-up (median follow-up time 10 years). A total of 40 (26%) patients had to discontinue treatment due to serious side effects, and malignancy was recorded in 10 (6.5%) patients. Surgical resection was performed in 55 (36%) patients during follow-up. Patients with Montreal phenotype B2 before anti-TNF therapy were estimated to have a 2.54-fold greater risk of surgery than patients with phenotype B1 (Long-term complete remission was achieved in only one in four patients receiving anti-TNF therapy, and one in four patients had to discontinue therapy due to side effects. Despite anti-TNF therapy, one in four patients with a baseline luminal disease phenotype needed subsequent surgical resection.

Increased interest in cannabis as a potential treatment and/or adjuvant therapy for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been driven by patients with refractory disease seeking relief as well those who desire alternatives to conventional therapies. Available data have shown a potential role of cannabis as a supportive medication, particularly in pain reduction; however, it remains unknown whether cannabis has any impact on the underlying inflammatory process of IBD. The purpose of this review article is to summarize the available literature concerning the use of cannabis for the treatment of IBD and highlight potential areas for future study.

Background and aims: Computed tomography (CT), often more accessible than magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), remains widely used though radiation exposure is an obvious disadvantage. We previously showed that modern CT technology can achieve over 70% reduction in radiation-dose without loss of accuracy. Here, we compare low- versus conventional-dose CT in patients with known Crohn's disease to assess clinical confidence and accuracy of the low-dose procedure in the semi-acute setting.Methods: A comparative study of low-dose CT with full iterative reconstruction (IR) versus conventional-dose CT was conducted in 50 consecutive outpatients with Crohn's disease. Clinicians were provided with the low-dose images and reports, whereas conventional-dose images were reviewed after 4 weeks.Results: The clinical question was adequately addressed with low-dose IR imaging in all cases. Complications of Crohn's were detected in 37/50 (74%) with no disagreement between low- and conventional-dose imaging. The effective radiation dose reduction was 76.5% (low-dose mean 2.15 mSv versus conventional-dose CT 6.99 mSv).Conclusion: Low-dose IR CT is safe and accurate for evaluating distribution and complications of known Crohn's disease in the outpatient setting. We propose that low-dose radiation imaging should be adopted as standard-of-care for the evaluation of Crohn's disease and an acceptable alternative to MR particularly in the acute setting. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03140306.

Background Some studies have suggested a reduced life expectancy in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) compared with the general population. The evidence, however, is inconsistent. Aims Prompted by such studies, we studied survival of CD patients in Orebro county, Sweden. Methods From the medical records, we identified all patients diagnosed with CD during 1963-2010 with follow-up to the end of 2011. We estimated: overall survival, net and crude probabilities of dying from CD, relative survival ratio (RSR), and excess mortality rate ratios (EMRR) at 10-year follow-up. Results The study included 492 patients (226 males, 266 females). Median age at diagnosis was 32 years (3-87). Net and crude probabilities of dying from CD increased with increasing age and were higher for women. Net survival of patients aged ≥60 at diagnosis was worse for patients diagnosed during 1963-1985 (54%) than for patients diagnosed during 1986-1999 (88%) or 2000-2010 (93%). Overall, CD patients' survival was comparable to that in the general population [RSR = 0.98; 95% CI: (0.95-1.00)]. However, significantly lower than expected survival was suggested for female patients aged ≥60 diagnosed during the 1963-1985 [RSR = 0.47 (0.07-0.95)]. The adjusted model suggested that, compared with diagnostic period 1963-1985, disease-related excess mortality declined during 2000-2010 [EMRR = 0.36 (0.07-1.96)]; and age ≥60 at diagnosis [EMRR = 7.99 (1.64-39.00), reference: age 40-59], female sex [EMRR = 4.16 (0.62-27.85)], colonic localization [EMRR = 4.20 (0.81-21.88), reference: ileal localization], and stricturing/penetrating disease [EMRR = 2.56 (0.52-12.58), reference: inflammatory disease behaviour] were associated with poorer survival. Conclusion CD-related excess mortality may vary with diagnostic period, age, sex and disease phenotype.Key summaryThere is inconsistent evidence on life expectancy of patients with Crohn's diseaseCrohn's disease-specific survival improved over time.Earlier diagnosis period, older age at diagnosis, female sex, colonic disease and complicated disease behaviour seems to be associated with excess Crohn's disease-related mortality.

Patients with Crohn's disease can develop intestinal strictures, containing various degrees of inflammation and fibrosis. Differentiation of the main component of a structuring lesion is the key for defining the therapeutic management. We evaluated new magnetic resonance imaging sequences (IVIM (Intravoxel Incoherent Motion imaging) and T1 mapping) for assessing fibrosis in Crohn's disease.This was a prospective, single-center study of adult patients with Crohn's disease and magnetic resonance imaging examination, including IVIM and T1 mapping sequences, between March 2021 and April 2021. The association between the perfusion fraction (IVIM), reduction of relaxation time between pre- and postcontrast enhancement (T1 mapping), and the degree of fibrosis assessed by a visual analog scale from 0 to 10 was evaluated.A total of 33 patients were included. The perfusion fraction was significantly correlated with fibrosis, with lower perfusion fraction in severe fibrosis (In Crohn's disease, these new tools could improve the performance of magnetic resonance imaging for transmural fibrosis quantification, and may be useful for improving care.

OBJECTIVES Deep remission should be induced early in the disease course of Crohn's disease (CD), because it significantly prevents disease progression. Identifying predictors of deep remission before treatment is important to guide therapeutic strategy. Little is known about the predictors of infliximab-induced deep remission in treatment-naive patients with isolated small bowel CD. We aimed to investigate the predictors of infliximab-induced deep remission in these patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS From January 2015 to December 2019, all consecutive treatment-naive patients with isolated small bowel CD who started infliximab induction therapy (5 mg/kg at week 0, 2, and 6) and underwent capsule endoscopy (CE) at week 14 were retrospectively included. Deep remission was defined as clinical remission in combination with CE-identified mucosal healing. Logistic regression was used to investigate the predictors of 14-week deep remission. RESULTS Ninety-one patients were included. At week 14 after infliximab induction therapy, deep remission was found in 42 patients. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that a moderate-to-severe endoscopic disease [odds ratio (OR), 0.28; p = .01] and the presence of fibrofatty proliferation (OR, 0.26; p = .04) at baseline were independently associated with a decreased possibility of deep remission. CONCLUSIONS In treatment-naive patients with isolated small bowel CD, a moderate-to-severe endoscopic disease and the presence of fibrofatty proliferation at baseline reduce the possibility of infliximab-induced deep remission. Patients with such risk factors may need more aggressive treatment at the beginning of induction therapy to promote deep remission at an early stage.

Objectives The use of biologic therapy in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is likely to increase with lower costs and more biologics and biosimilars becoming available. Our aim was to estimate the trends in use of first-line biologics during the first year after diagnosis in a Norwegian IBD population from 2010 to 2016. Methods Data were collected from the Norwegian National Patient Registry and Norwegian Prescription Database. Patients defined as incident IBD cases between 2010 and 2016 were included and followed for 12 months. Patients were stratified by year of diagnosis to examine change over time. Chi-square test was used for calculations on proportions. Time from diagnosis to first biologic was calculated by Kaplan-Meier failure estimates. Results 14,645 patients were included, 5283 (36%) with Crohn’s disease (CD) and 9362 (64%) with ulcerative colitis (UC). In the 2010 and 2016 cohort, the proportion initiating biologics increased from 17% to 33% (p

Fecal calprotectin (fCP) has been shown to correlate with endoscopic disease activity in Crohn's disease (CD). The aim of this study was to evaluate its role in predicting early endoscopic recurrence in postoperative CD.Patients who underwent CD-related intestinal resection with ileocolonic anastomosis were prospectively followed up until ileocolonoscopy was performed around 12 months post-surgery. Endoscopic recurrence (ER) was defined as modified Rutgeerts score i2b or higher. Endoscopic still images were reviewed by 2 independent reviewers blinded to fCP results. Stool specimens were collected 6 months post-surgery and a multivariate logistic regression model was established to explore the predictive value of fCP for ER.79 patients were included. FCP was significantly associated with endoscopic recurrence (FCP 6 months after surgery and age at diagnosis predict early ER at 1 year postoperatively. However, the low sensitivity of fCP still suggests the necessity of endoscopy as a gold standard for the assessment of postoperative recurrence of CD.KEY SUMMARY

In 2010, 27,000 inhabitants (45% of the population) of Östersund, Sweden, contracted clinical cryptosporidiosis after drinking water contaminated withThis observational study included adult patients (≥18 years old) from the local health care region who were diagnosed with pathology-confirmed IBD or MC during 2006-2019. We collected and validated the diagnosis, date of diagnosis, age at diagnosis, and sex from the Swedish quality register SWIBREG and electronic patient records. Population data were collected from Statistics Sweden. The incidences for 2006-2010 (pre-outbreak) and 2011-2019 (post-outbreak) were evaluated by negative binomial regression analysis and presented as incidence rate ratios (IRRs). Data were analyzed for IBD, for UC and CD separately, and MC.During the study period, we identified 410 patients with new onset IBD and 155 new cases of MC. Overall, we found a trend toward an increased incidence of IBD post-outbreak (IRR 1.39, confidence interval (CI) 0.99-1.94). In individuals ≥40 years old, the post-outbreak incidence significantly increased for IBD (IRR 1.69, CI 1.13-2.51) and CD (IRR 2.23, CI 1.08-4.62). Post-outbreak incidence of MC increased 6-fold in all age groups (IRR 6.43, CI 2.78-14.87).The incidence of late-onset IBD and MC increased after the

The efficacy of infliximab in treatment-naïve patients with stricturing small bowel Crohn's disease (CD) has not been well studied. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of infliximab in these patients.This was a retrospective study of all consecutive treatment-naïve patients with newly diagnosed CD with small bowel stricture who started regular infliximab therapy in Nanfang Hospital between January 2015 and December 2019. An effective infliximab therapy was defined as infliximab continuation without the use of steroids, new biologics, endoscopic interventions or intestinal surgery.Seventy-nine patients were included. After a median 38 months follow-up, an effective infliximab therapy was achieved in 37 patients. Long diagnostic delay (hazard ratio [HR] 0.38, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.19-0.78;Infliximab is effective in nearly 50% of treatment-naïve patients with CD with small bowel stricture, and an effective therapy is more likely to be achieved in patients without long diagnostic delay, pre-stenotic dilatation, long segmental stricture or penetrating disease.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), consisting of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, can be a lifelong burden generating high costs to an economic system. Data regarding the cost of workplace presenteeism and absenteeism in workers with IBD are limited. Our objective was to assess these costs in employed adults.A structured questionnaire, hospital records and national registers were combined to assess the economic costs involved with workplace presenteeism and absenteeism in employed patients. Our final sample comprised 320 IBD patients. The costs were calculated as productivity-loss costs by using a Human Capital Approach.Due to IBD, the mean annual economic costs of workplace presenteeism were €643.90/patient, and mean annual absenteeism costs were €740.90/patient. Women had higher costs (€955/patient/year) from absenteeism compared to men (€531/patient/year) especially when working blue-collar jobs. These findings were also evident in presenteeism. CD and UC patients had similar total costs due to presenteeism and absenteeism. The use of biologics did not have a major impact on these costs.IBD patients had moderate economic costs from workplace presenteeism and absenteeism. Interestingly, women, working blue-collar jobs, had higher costs than men.

Background Prospectively and systematically collected real-world data on the effectiveness of ustekinumab (anti-interleukin-12/23) for treating Crohns disease (CD) are still limited. Aim To assess the short-term real-world effectiveness of ustekinumab in Swedish patients with active CD. Methods Prospective multicentre study of adult CD patients initiating ustekinumab according to recommended doses at 20 hospitals, between January 2017 and November 2018. Data were collected through an electronic case report form (eCRF) linked to the Swedish Inflammatory Bowel Disease Registry (SWIBREG). The primary outcomes were clinical response (>= 3-point-decrease of Harvey-Bradshaw index (HBI)) and remission (HBI = 1 and 58 (51%) >= 2 biological agents (anti-tumour necrosis factor [aTNF] agents or vedolizumab). The 16-week ustekinumab retention rate was 105 (92%). Data on HBI at baseline were available for 96 patients. At week 16, response or remission was achieved in 38/96 (40%) patients (25/96 (26%) achieving clinical remission and 23/96 (24%) showing a clinical response). The median CRP concentration (N = 65) decreased from 6 to 4 mg/l (p = .006). No significant changes in Hb were observed. No incident malignancies or infections, requiring antibiotic treatment, were reported. Conclusions In this nation-wide prospective real-world study of adult patients with CD, ustekinumab was associated with clinical effectiveness when administered according to clinical practice and seemed to represent a safe treatment option. Funding Agencies|Janssen Cilag AB, Sweden

Using Infliximab early in Crohn's disease can provide a window of opportunity in children for restoration of growth and achievement of puberty. We aimed to compare clinical outcomes and costs of a retrospective pediatric Crohn's disease (pCD) cohort treated with early use Infliximab (EUI) within 12 months compared with later use Infliximab (LUI).Retrospective review of all children with pCD commenced on Infliximab was undertaken in a tertiary Australian pediatric center.pCD progressing to Infliximab was identified in 70 children: 38 (54%) in the EUI cohort versus 32 (46%) in the LUI cohort. Intestinal surgery had a higher risk of occurring in EUI when compared with LUI (2 (5%) versus 9 (28%), HR 5.67 (95% CI 1.21-26.38);EUI in pCD is associated with an increased likelihood of being diagnosed in more recent years, less intestinal surgery and a trend toward decreased hospital admissions than LUI.

Risk factors influencing the high postoperative morbidity in Crohn`s disease are controversially discussed but the role of cumulative structural bowel damage, as assessed by the Crohn's disease digestive damage score (Lémann Index), has been neglected so far. Our aim was evaluating the influence of the Lémann Index on postoperative complications and investigating its suitability for surgical decision making. A single-center, retrospective cohort study was conducted including Crohn`s disease patients who underwent ileocolic anastomosis. Lémann Indices were calculated and, additionally, categorized into three groups [0–3; 3–10; >10] due to the strong influence of previous bowel resections on high indices. A multivariate regression model was used to analyze the index`s influence on postoperative complications. Patients with higher Lémann Index were more likely to need open surgery (p < .001) or stoma creation (p = .03). Overall, of the 103 patients enrolled, 18 (17.5%) showed postoperative complications Clavien-Dindo > 2. The Lémann Index was higher in patients with complications compared to those without (median 6.15 [IQR 4.16–11.98] vs. 3.88 [1.63–12.63]), but not linearly associated with postoperative complications. After categorization, patients with Lémann Index 3–10 had an 8.42 (95% CI 1.8–54.55) times higher chance to develop a complication compared to patients with Lémann Index 0–3 (p = .01). The Lémann Index might affect surgical decision making but is not linearly associated with postoperative morbidity. However, medium indices (3–10) – mainly accounted for by high amounts of intraabdominal active Crohn`s lesions – showed significantly higher rates of complications, potentially defining a group at risk.

Originator-adalimumab, an established treatment for patients with Crohn's disease (CD), showed no difference in efficacy or adverse events versus adalimumab biosimilar SB5 (SB5-adalimumab) over 10 weeks (W) of treatment. To understand the long-term effectiveness of SB5-adalimumab in CD, patients switched from originator-adalimumab to SB5-adalimumab were compared with patients remaining on originator-adalimumab over 104 W.Data on patients aged ≥18 years, diagnosed with CD and treated at ISCARE, were collected prospectively from July 2018 to January 2021. Primary outcome: clinical disease activity at W52, measured by Harvey-Bradshaw index (HBI). Secondary outcomes: C-reactive protein (CRP), faecal calprotectin (FC) and adalimumab concentrations at W10, 26, 52 and 104, and treatment persistence. To ensure comparable cohorts, patients were propensity score (PS)-matched for age, gender and disease activity.After matching, 54 patients remained per cohort. At W52, mean (SD) HBI score was 3.2 (2.5) for originator-adalimumab and 4.0 [3.6] for SB5-adalimumab (difference [95% CI] -0.78 [-2.8, 1.3];These long-term results of CD patients receiving originator-adalimumab or following nonmedical switch to SB5-adalimumab show similar therapeutic effects on clinical disease activity, biological parameters and pharmacokinetic profile in both cohorts from 52 to 104 W. A separation in persistence was observed beyond W26, mainly due to differences in local reactions at the injection site.

Infliximab (IFX) is used in active Crohn's disease for induction and maintenance of remission. There are scanty data on weight gain in IBD-patients under anti-TNF treatment. We investigated changes in weight and blood chemistry in anti-TNF-naïve Crohn's disease patients during their first course of IFX.Retrospective analysis of 110 patients (77 men, 33 women) aged 34 years (range 14-73), 54 with luminal and 56 with fistulising disease, given at least 3 infusions of IFX (range 3-11). Data regarding body weight, height, C-reactive protein (CRP), haemoglobin and S-albumin at baseline, before the third infusion, at three months and at 12 months were collected.At 6 weeks, 65 (59%) increased in weight, 73% and 76% at three and 12 months, respectively. There was an increase in median weight (1.7 kg, IQR = 3.1 kg) and BMI (0.5 kg/mApproximately 60% of Crohn's disease patients experience weight gain within the first six weeks of infliximab treatment. The weight increment correlates with improvements in inflammatory markers and disease activity. The causes of weight gain may be related to treatment induced metabolic changes and reduced inflammatory burden.

There is a shortage of studies describing the outcome of patients with Crohn's disease (CD) where both biological therapy and immunomodulators (IMMs) have been available. The aim of the present study was to describe the clinical course of the disease, the use of drugs, the need for surgery and mortality in a prospectively recruited populationAll patients diagnosed with CD in the County of Uppsala in Sweden 2005-2009 were prospectively recruited and followed until the end of 2019. The medical notes were scrutinised and relevant information collected.One hundred and fifty-four patients covering all age groups were diagnosed with CD and 145 (94.2%) could be followed for 10 years or until death. Nine patients were lost to follow up. The following drugs were used: 5-ASA 83%, steroids 84%, IMMs 69% and biologicals 23%. The proportion of penetrating disease increased from 9.7 to 14.5%. Primary bowel resections were performed in 22% of the patients, and none of these had any secondary surgery because of recurrent or progressive disease during the observation time. Twelve patients (7.8%) died during the follow up, and one of these because of a small bowel carcinoma.In the present study, the clinical course of CD was similar to previous reports during the first year after diagnosis, but the following years were considerably more stable with moderate increase of intestinal damage and totally a low frequency of surgery and no repeated surgery.

Serum infliximab trough level(S-IFX) and antibody were documented to correlate with clinical response. The aim of this study was to identify the relationship between early S-IFX, early mucosal healing (MH) and one-year outcome in a cohort on maintenance IFX therapy in Crohn's disease (CD).The study group comprised of retrospectively enrolled patients diagnosed for Crohn's disease (Early S-IFX was 4.78 ± 6.16 ug/ml in all the patients and 19% (21/108) of them developed antibodies, and 52 patients reached early MH. During 52 weeks' follow-up. Twenty-eight percent (30/108) of patients showed loss of response to IFX. Patients who lost response had lower early S-IFX than those who had sustained response (3.01 ± 3.66 Early S-IFX and early MH could predict one-year response after initiating IFX therapy in Crohn's disease.

Primary non-response to infliximab (IFX) inherits a poor prognosis in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We explored underlying mechanisms and therapeutic thresholds in an effort to provide basis for optimizing therapy.A prospectively followed cohort of 166 IBD patients having received standard IFX induction therapy (5 mg/kg at weeks 2, 6, and 14) had trough IFX and anti-IFX antibodies (Abs) retrospectively assessed at weeks 2 (In all, 18 patients (11%) had primary non-response. Infliximab was consistently lower throughout the induction phase in non-responders as compared to responders (Week 2: IFX median 18.9 μg/mL vs. 23.3,IBD patients with primary IFX failure generally have lower IFX trough than responders during early induction phase. Pharmacokinetic failure seems common in ulcerative colits, whereas pharmacodynamic failure appears common in Crohn's disease.

This study reviews the safety and efficacy of treatment with vedolizumab for patients with inflammatory bowel disease across 9 Irish hospitals. It generates valuable and timely real-world data on treatment outcomes to add to the existing evidence base. Our population represents a refractory cohort with most patients previously exposed to at least one anti-TNFa agent and expressing an inflammatory phenotype. Results are reassuringly similar to larger international studies with additional insights into potential predictors of treatment response. This study further supports the safety and efficacy of vedolizumab in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. Key SummaryVedolizumab has growing real world data on its safety and efficacy in the treatment of IBD. Data on predictors of response are lacking. Studies such as VARSITY require new real-world data to help identify the place VDZ will occupy in the treatment algorithm for IBDThis study provides national Irish data on the safety and efficacy of VDZ in the treatment of IBD. It gives insight into various predictors of response for both UC and CD. It strengthens the available body of evidence on the use of VDZ and helps us determine its position on the treatment algorithm.

Aims: Granuloma, mainly composed of macrophages, is a histological feature of Crohn’s disease (CD). However, its significance in CD has not been investigated adequately. Our study aims to address t...

Objectives: Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are associated with an increased risk to develop anemia, cutaneous diseases, liver diseases, malignancy, osteoporosis, rheumatic diseases, thromboembolism and uveitis. The association between these diseases and microscopic colitis (MC) is not known. The aim of the present systematic review was to examine associations between MC and diseases observed in association with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.Material and methods: According to the review protocol, original articles which described the prevalence of abovementioned diseases in relation to MC, were searched for in PubMed, Embase and Web of Science.Results: After exclusion of duplicates, 928 articles remained. Based on relevancy of their title, abstract or type of article, 16 articles were ordered in full text and after assessment, nine articles could be included in the review. A second research strategy with individual diseases rendered further two articles. Seven articles covered malignancy/neoplasia, where four showed no association with malignancy and three a reduced association compared with controls. Four articles covering rheumatic diseases showed an association between these diseases and MC. One study showed an association between MC and osteoporosis, whereas one did not. One study showed an association between MC and cutaneous diseases, whereas anemia, eye diseases and thromboembolism showed no associations.Conclusions: Due to short follow-up time in small studies, with selection bias due to exclusion of former or prevalent malignancy in an older population, no conclusions can be drawn concerning the true association between MC and malignancy. Rheumatic diseases seem to be associated with MC.

Inflammatory bowel disease, consisting of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, is known to negatively impact an individual's quality of life. Leisure-time activities are an important part of life by creating and strengthening social networks. The aim of this study was to thoroughly evaluate the perceived impact of inflammatory bowel disease on leisure-time activities by quantifying limitations in activities caused by the disease.A structured questionnaire, hospital records and national registers were combined to assess limitations caused by the disease in a patient's leisure-time activities. The final study sample was 561 patients.More than half of the patients (52.8%) reported that IBD had caused limitations in their leisure-time activities. Women perceived that their limitations were greater when compared to the reports by men. One-third of the patients (33.3%) reported reducing and 17.6% abandoning at least one leisure-time activity due to their disease. Most often mentioned activities that were reduced and abandoned were physical activities. The IBDQ32 score had a significant correlation with all of the studied outcomes. Laboratory tests results and the patient's age or the level of income did not correlate with limitations in leisure-time activities.In conclusion, this study showed that patients with inflammatory bowel disease perceived a marked limitation in their leisure-time activities due to their disease.

In Crohn's disease (CD), a composite therapeutic target was recently recommended, including both objective measurement (endoscopic remission) and Patient-Reported Outcomes (resolution of abdominal pain and normalization of bowel function). All dimensions of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) are impacted: not only bowel symptoms but also systemic symptoms, emotional wellbeing and social function. Thus, understanding the predictors of each HRQoL dimension would improve patient management. However, analysis of these factors has only been found in a few publications, with some limitations. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the evolution of the HRQoL of CD patients during six months after initiation of anti-TNF and to identify its predictors.We analyzed data of 56 patients included in a multicenter prospective cohort study (COQC-PIT). HRQoL measures (using IBDQ-32) and data related to patient, disease and treatment characteristics were collected every two months. Generalized estimating equations were used.Overall HRQoL was significantly improved 2 months after anti-TNF initiation, and then stagnated. Patient, disease, and treatment characteristics have differentiated impacts on the overall score and on each dimension of quality of life. Subcutaneous anti-TNF had no significant effect on overall HRQoL, improving only emotional function and bowel symptoms. Concomitant use of corticosteroids and/or immunomodulators impaired almost all dimensions. Having children or working altered bowel symptoms. Disease duration and active smoking negatively impact emotional function and systemic symptoms.Each HRQoL dimension, not only bowel symptoms, and their influencing factors should therefore be considered in medical decision-making, especially in months following the initiation of a new treatment such as anti-TNF.

Background and aims: A multicentre, retrospective, non-interventional, patient chart review study was conducted to investigate deep (DR) and histological remission rates during maintenance ...

Clinical decision support tools (CDST) were developed to predict drug response to various biological treatments for Crohn’s disease (CD). This study investigated whether CDSTs for vedolizumab (V-CDST) and ustekinumab (U-CDST) can be used as prognostic or drug-specific markers to predict response. A hypothetical scenario involving 872 patients with CD who were exposed to the first biological therapy at Samsung Medical Center between 1995 and 2020 is presented. V-CDST & U-CDST were calculated based on clinical and laboratory data immediately before the first biologic was initiated. The Cumulative Link Mixed Model (CLMM) test, weighted Kappa and plot, and Spearman’s correlation was used to determine the degree of agreement and difference between the two tools. 25% of all patients diagnosed with biologically naïve CD were categorized into different probability groups using V-CDST and U-CDST. The difference between the two tools was significantly based on a two-sample paired ordinal test with Cumulative Link Mixed Model (CLMM) (p-value < .001). Concordance between the two tools with a total of 654 subjects (75% of all patients) showed a similar probability (weighted Kappa: 0.47, 95% CI: 0.41–0.52). V-CDST and U-CDST are useful in selecting vedolizumab or ustekinumab in 25% of biologically naïve CD patients in our hypothetical scenario.

Crohn's disease is a chronic condition that places a high health care cost burden. Perianal Crohn's disease (pCD) is a difficult phenotype to treat due to poorer response to medical and surgical therapies. No study has assessed if this translates to higher healthcare costs. The aim is to assess the cost of treating pCD and compare to the cost of non-perianal Crohn's disease (CD).This is a retrospective case-control cohort study in a population-based setting. The direct healthcare costs for patients with pCD were calculated over 12 months. Data was compared to the control group of non-perianal CD patients on biologic treatment, with the use of the Mann-Whitney rank test to assess significance.187 Crohn's patients were included (39 pCD, 148 CD). Per patient, annual cost was €17,779.19 and €17,576.86 respectively (This is the first study to assess the cost of treating perianal Crohn's disease in a real-world population. Although the costs were similar overall to non-perianal Crohn's patients, the perianal cohort had higher surgical costs from luminal surgery. This demonstrates the potential to apply early intensive treatment to reduce future surgical cost.Crohn’s disease is a lifelong disease where high-cost drugs are required to achieve optimal outcomes. There is minimal data regarding the cost of managing perianal fistulising Crohn’s disease and whether the clinical complexity of these patients translates to higher healthcare costs. Costs were similar between luminal Crohn’s disease patients treated with a biologic and those with perianal disease, though the distribution of costs varied. Knowing this distribution will allow for more effective allocation of resources.

Dose-escalation is a common practice to optimize treatment with subcutaneously administered biologicals in Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). However, limited data is available on the extent of dose-escalation in real-life. Here, we analyzed treatment persistence, dose-escalation, concomitant corticosteroid use, and costs of adalimumab, golimumab, and ustekinumab in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD).This was a nationwide, retrospective, non-interventional registry study. All adult patients who were diagnosed with CD or UC and had purchased adalimumab, golimumab, or ustekinumab from Finnish pharmacies between 2008 and 2018 were included in the study and followed up for 24 months after treatment initiation.A total of 2884 patients were included in the analyses. For adalimumab, treatment persistence was higher for CD patients compared to UC patients both at months 12 (46.2% versus 37.1%;Based on this study, dose-escalation of subcutaneously administered biologicals is a common clinical practice in IBD. This has implications for treatment costs, use of concomitant medications, and treatment outcomes.

Objective: Pan-enteric capsule endoscopy (CE) is an attractive diagnostic approach in patients examined for Crohn’s disease (CD). The aim of this study was to examine the adherence to the recommended bowel cleansing regimen and determine clinical factors affecting the image quality. Methods: In a prospective blinded trial, patients with suspected CD were examined with the PillCam Crohn's capsule after bowel preparation with 2 + 2 L of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and sodium phosphate booster. The image quality was graded on a four-point scale. A good or excellent image quality defined a diagnostic procedure. Results: Fifty-nine patients participated. The mean volume of PEG was 2.5 L (CI 2.3–2.8). Ten patients (17%) were able to drink all 4 L of PEG, and 44 patients (75%) ingested ≥2 L. The image quality was poor, fair, good or excellent in 0%, 29.3%, 29.3% and 41.4%, respectively. The mean volume of PEG was 1.9 L (CI 1.4–2.4), 2.2 L (CI 1.8–2.7) and 3.2 L (CI 2.8–3.5) in patients with a fair, good or excellent image quality (p s=0.52; p

Objective The relationship between oral health and Crohn's disease is uncertain. Previous studies have yielded contradictory results, reflecting perhaps the different phenotypes of the disease. The aim of the present study was to describe and analyse the dental status of a group of patients with Crohn's disease (CD), considering the positions of the inflammatory loci and disease phenotype. Methods In total, 47 patients with Crohn's disease (18 males and 30 females; mean age. 48.7 years; range, 23-61 years) were consecutively recruited to this study. Interviews and clinical examinations were performed to assess dental status, medication, smoking history, heredity of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), duration of disease, oral mucosal manifestations of Crohn's disease. Furthermore, data on subjective health assessments and family status, along with medical histories from the patients were obtained through questionnaires. The disease phenotypes were assessed and classified according to the Montreal classification. The data on oral health status were first correlated with the Montreal classifications of IBD, and, thereafter, all the collected data were included in a multivariate generalised linear model. Results The dental status of the patients was comparable to that of the Swedish average. No statistically significant associations were found between oral status and the different CD phenotypes. However, within the Montreal classification, there were significantly fewer teeth in those patients with perianal lesions than in those without such lesions, and there was a significant correlation between deeper pocket depth and problems with strictures and penetrations. No significant differences (p = .074) between the patients with CD (N = 47) and controls (N = 38) were found regarding the presence of oral mucosal lesions. Conclusion Dental health may be adversely affected in severe cases of CD whereas most of the remaining patients with CD appear to have a level of dental health that is comparable to that in the general population.

Accurate serological assays are desirable for the diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We identify an antigen-like substance called Crohn's disease (CD) antibody binding polypeptide (CABP). As a serological marker, anti-CABP may contribute to the diagnosis of IBD. The present study aims to evaluate the clinical role of anti-CABP as a serological antibody for IBD.Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), serum anti-CABP, anti-The titers of anti-CABP (IgA or IgG) and ASCA IgG of CD patients were significantly higher than non-CD group (allOur results suggested that anti-CABP could be used as a serological marker to assist the diagnosis of CD.This trial is registered with clinical trial registration unique identifier ChiCTR2000037094.

Environmental factors are strongly implicated in late-onset of inflammatory bowel disease. Here, we investigate whether high levels of perfluoroalkyl substances are associated with (1) late-onset inflammatory bowel disease, and (2) disturbances of the bile acid pool. We further explore the effect of the specific perfluoroalkyl substance perfluorooctanoic acid on intestinal barrier function in murine tissue.Serum levels of perfluoroalkyl substances and bile acids were assessed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer in matched samples from patients with ulcerative colitis (The total amount of perfluoroalkyl substances was significantly increased in patients with ulcerative colitis compared to healthy controls and patients with Crohn's disease (Our results demonstrate that perfluoroalkyl substances levels are increased in patients with late-onset ulcerative colitis and may contribute to the disease by inducing a dysfunctional intestinal barrier.

OBJECTIVES To investigate absolute and relative risk of serious infections in adult/elderly inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) diagnosed 2002-2017. METHODS Nationwide, register-based cohort study of Swedish patients with IBD compared with general population matched reference individuals with regard to time to first serious infection, equal to hospital admission. Multivariable Cox regression estimated hazard ratios (HRs) for any serious infection. Secondary outcomes included site-specific infections, opportunistic infections and sepsis. RESULTS We identified 47 798 individuals with IBD. During a follow-up of 329 000 person-years, they had 8752 first serious infections (26.6 per 1000 person-years). This compared with an incidence rate of 10.7 per 1000 person-years in matched reference individuals, corresponding to a 2.53-fold increased hazard of serious infections (95%CI = 2.47-2.59). The HR for serious infection in elderly-onset IBD was 2.01 (95%CI = 1.95-2.08). The relative hazard of serious infection was somewhat higher in Crohn's disease (2.94; 95%CI = 2.81-3.06) than in ulcerative colitis (2.24; 95%CI = 2.17-2.31). The HR for serious infections was high in the first year of follow-up (5.17; 95%CI = 4.93-5.42). Individuals with IBD were at a particularly high relative hazard of gastrointestinal and opportunistic infections. The HR for sepsis was 2.47 (95%CI = 2.32-2.63). The relative rates for serious infections in IBD increased in recent years. CONCLUSIONS Patients with adult-onset IBD are at increased risk of serious infections, particularly gastrointestinal and opportunistic infections. Relative rates were highest just after IBD diagnosis, and seem to have increased in recent years.

Objectives: Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) have been regarded as autoimmune Th-1/Th-17- and Th-2-associated conditions, respectively. The aim of the study was to examine p...

Crohn's disease is an inflammatory disorder that can affect the entire gastrointestinal tract but typically involves the ileocecal region. Before endoscopy was widely used, involvement of the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum was thought to be rare. Recent publications demonstrated that not only are upper gastrointestinal lesions common in Crohn's disease (affecting up to 75% of the patients), but they also present characteristic endoscopic findings with potential clinical significance. It was suggested that lesions in the stomach with a bamboo joint-like appearance might be an endoscopic biomarker for Crohn's disease. It was also found that this occurrence is related to a more severe disease course. Our review summarizes the literature, as well as our own observations and considerations, concerning the issue of upper gastrointestinal involvement in Crohn's disease and its clinical meaning.

Background: In suspected Crohn's disease (CD), non-diagnostic ileocolonoscopies are often followed by small bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE). Adequate pre-selection of patients for SBCE is a key to optimize allocation of resources. We aimed to establish a rational approach for the CD diagnostic workflow, based on biochemical profile of patients with suspected CD, targeting an optimization of patients' selection for SBCE. Methods: Multicenter cohort study includes consecutive patients with suspected undergoing SBCE after non-diagnostic ileocolonoscopy. Minimum follow-up period after the capsule enteroscopy was six months. The outcome was confirmation of CD diagnosis. Univariate analysis and logistic regression were performed. Results: In included 220 patients, 62.3% of women were with a mean age of 41 years [26-54]. A confirmed diagnosis of CD was established in 98 patients (44.5%). The initial univariate analysis identified variables above the threshold of marginal statistical association toward CD diagnosis (p

Objectives: Patient reported outcomes are widely used in today's clinical practice. The Short Health Scale has been proven to be an easy-to-use and reliable measure to evaluate quality of life in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. We aimed to validate this Short Health Scale in Dutch speaking patients. Methods: A total of 157 Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis patients (46% male, median age 39 years) completed the Short Health Scale on a tablet during the outpatient clinic. Validity was assessed by correlating both individual and total Short Health Scale scores with short Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire dimensions and clinical disease activity. Test-retest reliability was assessed in eight patients in stable remission who completed the Short Health Scale a second time after 4-8 weeks. Results: All Short Health Scale items correlated with corresponding short Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire dimensions (correlation coefficients ranging from -0.403 to -0.833, all p < .01). Short Health Scale scores increased stepwise with increasing clinical disease activity (all p < .001). The results of the Short Health Scale questionnaire remained stable on repeated measurements in patients in remission (rs between 0.699 and 0.994, all p < .01 except for well-being). Conclusions: The Short health Scale is a rapid and valid instrument for measuring quality of life in Dutch speaking patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Its simplicity and usability make it a good candidate for routine care and suitable for home-monitoring of patients.

Objectives: Anti-TNF agents are effective to treat perianal Crohn’s disease (CD). Evidence suggests that Crohn’s disease patients with perianal fistulas need higher infliximab (IFX) serum concentrations compared to patients without perianal CD to achieve complete disease control. Our aim was to compare anti-TNF serum concentrations between patients with actively draining and closed perianal fistulas. Methods: A retrospective survey was performed in CD patients with perianal disease treated with IFX or adalimumab (ADL). Fistula closure was defined as absence of active drainage at gentle finger compression and/or fistula healing on magnetic resonance imaging. Results: We identified 66 CD patients with a history of perianal fistulas treated with IFX (n = 47) and ADL (n = 19). Median IFX serum trough concentrations ([interquartile range]) were higher in patients with closed fistulas (n = 32) compared to patients with actively draining fistulas (n = 15): 6.0 µg/ml [5.4–6.9] versus 2.3 µg/ml [1.1–4.0], respectively (p

Aim: Our aim was to evaluate the correlation and concordance measures between clinical, endoscopic and histologic remission in Crohn’s disease (CD) under treatment.Method: Twenty-four patients with...

Objective: We investigated relapse rates after anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) withdrawal in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients, response to restart of anti-TNF treatment and predictors for relapse. Methods: IBD patients in remission receiving infliximab or adalimumab treatment for ≥1 year who discontinued treatment were included. Relapse rates and predictors for relapse were studied using survival and Cox regression analysis. Results: In total, 101 patients were included (77 CD, 24 UC). A total of 56 patients (55%) experienced a relapse (CD 38, UC 18) with a median time to relapse of 32 and 18 months in CD and UC, respectively. Of patients that were retreated with the same anti-TNF agent, 84% responded. A trough serum concentration ≥2 µg/ml within 1 year prior to anti-TNF discontinuation was associated with a higher relapse rate in CD patients (HR 2.89; p =.018), which was more evident in patients requiring retreatment with biologicals, bowel-related surgery or experimental medication (HR: 4.18; p =.009). A young age (