Search

Background Real-life long-term data on infliximab treatment in ulcerative colitis are limited. Aim To study the long-term efficacy and safety of infliximab in chronic active ulcerative colitis and possible predictors of colectomy and response were also examined. Methods A retrospective multi-centre study of infliximab treatment in 250 patients with chronic active ulcerative colitis with inclusion criteria: age ≥18 years, ambulatory treated, steroid-dependent or intolerant and/or immunomodulator refractory or intolerant. Results Steroid-free clinical remission was achieved by 123/250 patients (49.2%) at 12 months and in 126/250 patients at a median follow-up of 2.9 years (50.4%). Primary response at 3 months was achieved by 190/250 (76.0%) patients and associated with a high probability of response 168/190 (88.4%) at 12 months and 143/190 (75.3%) at follow-up. Long-term rate of colectomy in primary responders was 6/190 (3.2%) at 12 months and 27/190 (14.2%) at last follow-up. Failure to achieve response at 3 months was associated with a high risk of subsequent colectomy, 29/60 (48.3%) at 12 months and 41/60 (68.3%) at follow-up. Response at 12 months was associated with a low risk of subsequent colectomy, 14/181 (7.7%) compared with non-response 19/34 (55.9%) ( P < 0.0001). Non-response at 3 months was an independent predictor of subsequent colectomy ( HR = 9.40, 95% CI = 5.10-17.35, P < 0.001). Concomitant azathioprine therapy did not influence outcome in terms of colectomy. Conclusions Long-term efficacy of infliximab treatment in chronic active ulcerative colitis is excellent especially in patients who respond to induction treatment. Conversely, non-response at 3 months predicts a poor outcome, with a high risk of subsequent colectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The immunosurveillance theory argues that the immune system recognizes tumour-specific antigens expressed by transformed cells, which results in the destruction of cancer precursors before they become clinically manifest. As a model for the development of cancer, we set out to study premalignant lesions and immune responses in sentinel lymph nodes from patients with long-standing ulcerative colitis and progression of mucosal dysplasia. Mesenteric lymph nodes draining dysplastic and normal intestinal segments were identified by sentinel node technique during surgery in 13 patients with ulcerative colitis who were subjected to colectomy because of intestinal dysplasia. T cells were extracted from the lymph nodes and analysed by flow cytometry, and lymphocyte proliferation assays were set up in the presence of extracts from dysplastic and normal intestinal mucosa. Increase in CD4/CD8 ratio was observed in sentinel lymph nodes draining dysplastic epithelium compared to normal mucosa. The increase in CD4+ T cells in relation to CD8+ T cells correlated with the degree of dysplasia reflected by a significant increase in the ratio against low-grade dysplasia compared to indefinite dysplastic lesions. The T-cell response was specific to antigens from dysplastic epithelial lining as seen in proliferation assays. The observation suggests an important surveillance role for the immune system against premalignant intestinal lesions in patients with long-standing ulcerative colitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: No treatment is known to permanently increase salivary flow in patients with hyposalivation. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of iron supplementation on salivary flow rate., Methods: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial was carried out on 50 individuals with a low unstimulated whole salivary flow rate and low serum ferritin. Half the individuals received 60 mg iron orally twice a day for 3 months, while the other half received placebo., Results: No statistically significant difference was found between the groups after treatment for the unstimulated flow rate and in the subjective assessments of oral dryness. The serum ferritin values increased significantly in the iron group but not in the placebo group., Conclusion: Oral supplementation with iron for 3 months has no effect on salivary flow rate among individuals with hyposalivation and low serum ferritin values.

Aim: The aim of this study was to quantify the mRNA expression of three cytochromes P450 (CYP) and P-glycoprotein (P-gp) in the human gastrointestinal (GI) tract., Method: Biopsies were obtained from gastric, duodenal, colonic and rectal mucosa during routine gastro-colonoscopy in 27 patients. The biopsies were snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen. Real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used for the quantitative analyses of mRNA expressed by the CYP2E1, CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 genes, and the MDR1 gene coding for P-gp protein. The mRNA expression of b-actin was used as an internal standard for comparisons between samples., Results: All CYP genes were expressed at all locations throughout the GI tract, although all showed substantial interindividual variation. CYP2E1 had the highest expression at all locations (P < 0.05 to P < 0.0001), except in the right colon. CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 had their highest mRNA expression in the duodenum (P < 0.001 and P < 0.000 001, respectively) and CYP2E1 in the stomach (P < 0.01). MDR1 mRNA concentrations increased along the GI tract with the highest expression being in the left colon (P < 0.000001)., Conclusion: Multiple sampling within the same individual enabled us to study the intraindividual variation in expression of CYP and MDR1 genes along the GI tract. We find that CYP2E1 mRNA expression is higher than that of the other CYPs. CYP3A expression is highest in the duodenum and that of MDR1 increases from stomach and duodenum to colon.