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Purpose: Vitamin D deficiency is common in Crohn disease (CD). The aim of the study was to examine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and evaluate the association between vitamin D status and growth outcome in Korean pediatric CD patients. Methods: In this retrospective study, 17 children younger than 18 years old diagnosed with CD were enrolled and their serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25[OH]D) was checked between 2011 and 2015. We categorized the patients into two groups, Group 1 and Group 2. Group 1 included patients with serum 25(OH)D levels below 10 ng/mL, and Group 2 was for patients with a 25(OH)D serum levels between 10 ng/mL and 30 ng/mL. The z-scores for height (Htz), weight (Wtz), and body mass index (BMIz) were measured at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. Results: The mean serum 25(OH)D levels of the total 65 CD patients and 17 enrolled patients were 15.64±6.9 ng/mL and 13.1±5.1 ng/mL , respectively. There was no correlation at the beginning of the study between vitamin D level and growth parameters (Htz, Wtz, BMIz) or other variables including laboratory data and Pediatric Crohn Disease Activity Index. The Htz, Wtz, and BMIz in Group 1 showed no significant improvement at 6 months and 12 months follow-up. In Group 2, Wtz and BMIz showed significant improvements sustained until 12 months of follow-up. Htz showed no significant improvement at 6 months but there was significant improvement at 12 months. Conclusion: It seems that baseline vitamin D status affects growth outcome in pediatric CD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of adalimumab in pediatric-onset Crohn's disease patients who had failed treatment with infliximab. Methods: In this retrospective study, patients included were those who had been diagnosed with Crohn's disease before 18 years old, and had received treatment with adalimumab after infliximab failure. The efficacy of adalimumab treatment was investigated at 1 month and 1 year, and adverse events that had occurred during treatment with adalimumab were explored. Results: Ten patients were included in this study. The median duration from diagnosis to adalimumab treatment was 5.5 years (range: 2.4-7.9 years). At 1 month after adalimumab initiation, 80% (8/10) of patients showed clinical response, and 40% (4/10) achieved clinical remission. At 1 year, 71% (5/7) of patients showed clinical response, and 43% (3/7) were under clinical remission. Among the total included patients, 5 patients (50%) showed clinical response at 1 year. Primary non-response to adalimumab was observed in 2 patients (20%), and secondary failure to adalimumab was observed in 3 patients (30%) during 1 year treatment with adalimumab. No serious adverse event had occurred during adalimumab treatment. Conclusion: Adalimumab was effective for 1 year without serious adverse events in half of pediatric-onset Crohn's disease patients who had failed treatment with infliximab. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Crohn's disease, mild gastrointestinal bleeding often occurs; however massive gastrointestinal hemorrhage, which can have a dramatic effect on a patient's vital sign, is rare. This could result in potentially life-threatening complications, which can lead to death. Massive hemorrhagic Crohn's disease is not well known and for this reason, they are a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Various diagnostic and therapeutic methods are currently being developed and used. The surgical method is often used only as a last measure since this approach has the risk of serious complications that may endanger patients. However, if massive bleeding continues even after all therapeutic methods are used, the surgical method must be implemented. In this case, all therapeutic methods were found to be ineffective; therefore, surgery was used as a last option. Ultimately, the surgical method was found to be successfully used to treat life-threatening hemorrhagic Crohn's disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the efficacy of early infliximab use and to follow the progress of pediatric cases of Crohn's disease for 3 years. Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 28 pediatric patients who had been treated with infliximab for Crohn's disease. Eighteen patients (the 'top-down' group) received infliximab and azathioprine for induction and maintenance therapy for the first year, and then were treated with azathioprine for 2 additional years. Ten patients who were refractory to conventional therapy were categorized in the 'step-up' group. All patients were followed for at least 36 months. Treatment efficacy was assessed by the relapse rate using the pediatric Crohn's disease activity index (PCDAI) score in each group at 12, 24, and 36 months. Blood samples were available from 10 patients, and were used to assess antibody to infliximab (ATI). Results: The relapse rate in 'top-down' group was lower than that in 'step-up' group at 1, 2, and 3 years. But, just the relapse rate at the 2 years was significantly different. At 3 years, the relapse rate according to different characteristic variables (sex, age at diagnosis, involvement, PCDAI at diagnosis) was not significantly different. Only one patient treated with infliximab had an adverse event, consisting of dyspnea and tachycardia. ATI was not detected in the blood samples from 10 patients. Conclusion: Early induction with infliximab at diagnosis ('top-down' therapy) is effective for reducing the relapse rate compared to conventional therapies in pediatric Crohn's disease possibly for up to 3 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]