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Perianal fistulizing Crohn's disease (PFCD) is a common, disabling and aggressive phenotype that negatively impacts on the quality of life of affected patients. Its successful treatment is still a struggle for both physicians and patients. Significant advances in the management of this condition have occurred in the last two decades holding promise for a better future. This culminated into the concept of a collaborative multidisciplinary approach using the latest medical therapies combined with modern surgical and endoscopic techniques. Despite this, PFCD management and treatment have not been standardized yet. Thus the gastroenterologist and surgeon have to be familiar with several approaches and/or techniques. The positioning of each therapeutic option will certainly evolve with new data, but for the time being it should be driven by patient's characteristics, physician's preference and/or experience, costs and availability in local practice. Additionally, patient's perception of benefits and risks of treatment may differ from those of physicians and recognition of this difference is a starting point for difficult clinical decision-making. In this paper, a multidisciplinary group of Italian IBD experts explore and discuss current medical and surgical therapeutic options, highlighting areas of unmet needs in PFCD, with particular focus on the optimal patient flow within the Italian clinical reality.

Objectives Anti-TNFα agents have been a staple of Crohn's disease treatment for 20 years, but they have weaknesses. New treatments have more recently become available. The aim of this paper is to examine the Crohn's disease patient population for whom anti-TNF treatments are not preferred and where new mechanisms of action should be considered. Methods A representative sample of 100 Italian physicians with documented expertise with biological treatment of moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease were interviewed. A literature review on Crohn's disease treatment was also conducted to identify patient populations for whom anti-TNFs are unsuitable. Results On the basis of the interviewed physicians, about 9% of moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease patients were noneligible to anti-TNFα due to contraindication or possible risk of intolerance, while 11% had discontinued anti-TNFα treatment due to complications or intolerance/hypersensitivity. Patients with severe heart disease and at high risk of infections were more frequently considered unsuitable. The proportion of patients considered unsuitable among elderly patients and in those with recurrent infections, cancer, and other comorbidities ranged between 40 and 60%. Conclusions We provided additional quantitative and qualitative information to help identify patients who are less suitable to anti-TNF agents, who could benefit from newer biologic agents with different mechanisms of action.

Sclerosing mesenteritis (SM) is an idiopathic disorder affecting mesentery, characterized by fat necrosis, chronic inflammation and fibrosis. The clinical presentation varies from asymptomatic cases to acute abdomen. The diagnosis is suggested by imaging but can be definitely established only by biopsies. In this paper, we discuss ultrasonography-based management of SM.

Purpose: To prospectively evaluate image quality and diagnostic efficacy of a low radiation-high contrast (LR-HC) CT Enterography (CTE) in active Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Materials and Methods: Eighty-five (36M;49F; 17-75 yrs) patients with active IBD underwent contrast-enhanced CTE and were stratified in two groups according to age (< or ≥ 45 yrs): Group A (N=45; 32 ± 9 yrs; 58 ± 10 Kg) and Group B (N=40; 58 ± 10 yrs; 61 ± 13 Kg). Each group received a different amount of radiation (Noise Index, NI) and non ionic iodinated contrast media (LOCM) as follows: Group A (NI = 15; 2.5 mL/Kg) and Group B (NI = 12.5; 2 mL/Kg). Thyroid functional tests were performed in all patients of group A at 4-6 wks. Signal- and contrast-to-noise ratios were calculated for liver (L) and abdominal aorta (A). Statistical analysis was performed by Student's t- or Chi-square test for continuous and categorical data, respectively. Results: No patient of Group A developed signs of thyrotoxicosis. SNRL, CNRL and diagnostic accuracy of CTE were 8.4 ± 1.7 vs 8.9 ± 2.1 (p = 0.256), 5.4 ± 1.5 vs 5.6 ±1.7 (p = 0.486) and 91.1 vs 92.5 % (p = 0.764) whereas the effective dose and the LOCM administered were 6.7 ± 2.2 vs 13.9 ± 6.0 mSv (p < 0.001) and 144 ± 25 vs 122 ± 25 ml (p < 0.001) for Group A and B, respectively. Conclusion: LR-HC CTE is a dose-effective protocol in the evaluation of active IBD in young patients.

Background Little is known about the unmet needs of physicians caring for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Aims This study explored the practical difficulties and needs for professional updating of Italian IBD physicians. Methods A questionnaire was distributed to 600 physicians attending IG-IBD meetings. Results 280 physicians completed the questionnaire (46.7%). On a 5-point Likert scale (from 1, strongly disagree to 5, strongly agree), they identified the most problematic issues in managing IBD patients as increasing bureaucracy (3.9), lack of extra-gastroenterological IBD expertise (3.4), lack of diagnostic techniques (3.1) and budget limitations (2.9). The most lacking techniques, ranked from 1 (greatest need) to 9 (lowest need), were: anti-drug antibody and trough level assays (2.7), device-assisted enteroscopy (3.1), exploration under anaesthesia (3.2), MR enterography (3.2), and bowel ultrasonography (3.3). About professional updating, respondents indicated (on a 5-point Likert scale) that helpful topics were practical medicine (4.3), managing difficult patients (4.1), and guidelines (4.0). The most desired modality for updating was residential courses on clinical practice (4.3). Conclusion Several factors potentially limit the best management of IBD patients in Italy. Satisfying these unmet needs could improve care for IBD patients.

Introduction Considering the high risk of dysplasia and cancer in inflammatory bowel disease [IBD], surveillance is advocated. However, international guidelines do not reach a uniform recommendation on the way to perform surveillance. We performed a systematic review with a meta-analysis to assess the best endoscopic surveillance strategy in colonic IBD. Methods The systematic review was performed in PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCOPUS, and Cochrane databases to identify studies comparing white light endoscopy [WLE] and augmented endoscopy [AE] in the detection of dysplasia/neoplasia in colonic IBD. A sub-analysis between dye-spray chromoendoscopy [DCE], narrow-band imaging [NBI], I-SCAN, full-spectrum endoscopy [FUSE], and auto-fluorescence imaging [AFI] was also performed. Furthermore, a meta-regression and a network meta-analysis were also performed. Results A total of 27 studies [6167 IBD patients with 2024 dysplastic lesions] met the inclusion criteria. There was no publication bias. AE showed a higher likelihood of detecting dysplasia than WLE (19.3% vs 8.5%, odds ratio [OR] = 2.036), with an incremental yield [IY] of 10.8%. DCE [OR = 2.605] and AFI [OR = 3.055] had higher likelihood of detecting dysplasia than WLE; otherwise, I-SCAN [OR = 1.096], NBI [OR = 0.650], and FUSE [OR = 1.118] were not superior to WLE. Dysplasia was found in 1256/7267 targeted biopsies [17.3%] and in 363/110 040 random biopsies [0.33%] [OR = 66.559, IY = 16.9%]. Meta-regression found no variable impacting on the efficacy of AE techniques. Network meta-analysis identified a significant superiority of DCE to WLE in detecting dysplasia [OR 2.12], but no other single technique was found to be superior to all others in dysplasia detection. Conclusions DCE was associated with higher likelihood of discovering dysplastic lesions than WLE. Chromoendoscopy is the best supported endoscopic technique for IBD surveillance.

Background & Aims Bowel ultrasonography (BUS) is a noninvasive tool for evaluating bowel activity in Crohn’s disease (CD) patients. Aim of our multicenter study was to assess whether BUS helps to monitor intestinal activity improvement/resolution following different biological therapies. Methods Adult CD patients were prospectively enrolled at 16 sites in Italy. Changes in BUS parameters [i.e. bowel wall thickening (BWT), lesion length, echo pattern, blood flow changes and transmural healing (TH: normalization of all BUS parameters)] were analyzed at baseline and after 3, 6 and 12 months of different biological therapies. Results One hundred eighty-eight out of 201 CD patients were enrolled and analyzed (116 males [62%]; median age 36 years). Fifty-five percent of patients were treated with adalimumab, 16% with infliximab, 13% with vedolizumab and 16% with ustekinumab. TH rates at 12 months were 27.5% with an NNT of 3.6. TH at 12 months after adalimumab was 26.8%, 37% after infliximab, 27.2% after vedolizumab and 20% after ustekinumab. Mean BWT improvement from baseline was statistically significant at 3 and 12 months (P Conclusions Data indicate that BUS is useful to monitor biologics-induced bowel activity improvement/resolution in CD.

Objective: To investigate the association of mural parameters of MR-enterography (MRE) with one-year therapeutic management of Crohn’s disease (CD) patients. Methods: CD patients, undergone MRE with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps between January 2017 and June 2018, were retrospectively enrolled. Extramural complications represented an exclusion criterion because of their potential influence on the intrinsic characteristic of the bowel wall. Two groups of patients were defined on the base of the therapeutic management adopted at 1-year follow-up: Medical-group and surgical-group. The following MRE parameters were evaluated: wall-thickening, longitudinal-extension, T2-fat-suppression-mural-signal, ulcers, mural-oedema, wall-enhancement-rate/pattern, DWI-scores, ADC-values, strictures. Results: 70 CD patients were enrolled. 57/70 (81.4%) were included in Medical-group and 13/70 (18.6%) in Surgical-group. ADCmean and strictures resulted to be significantly (p < 0.01) different between the two groups. The ADCmean showed to be significantly associated to conservative management [p < 0.01; OR: 0.0003; 95% CI (0.00–0.13)], while the strictures to surgical management [p < 0.01; OR: 29.7; 95% CI (4.9–179.7)]. ROC curves for ADCmean showed that AUC was 0.717 [95% CI (0.607–0.810), p < 0.01] with an optimal cut-off value of 1.081 × 10−3 mm2 s−1. A negative predictive value of 90.2% was observed associating ADCmean values > 1.081 × 10−3 mm2 s−1 to conservative therapy. 13/17 (76%) strictures with an ADCmean > 1.081 × 10−3 mm2 s−1 benefited of conservative therapy. Conclusion: ADCmean values calculated on DWI-MRE may be associated to 1-year conservative medical therapy in patients with CD without extramural complications. Advances in knowledge: ADC maps may be proposed to select CD patients with a lower burden of mural active inflammatory cells and/or fibrosis benefiting of 1-year conservative treatment.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Coeliac disease (CD) is considered a high-risk condition for developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and other related metabolic disorders, particularly after commencing gluten-free diet (GFD). Recently, a new concept of metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) has been proposed to overcome the limitations of NAFLD definition. This study aimed at exploring the prevalence of NAFLD and MAFLD in CD patients at the time of CD diagnosis and after 2 years of GFD. Furthermore, we evaluated the role of PNPLA3 rs738409 in the development of NAFLD and MAFLD in the same population. METHODS We retrospectively enrolled all newly diagnosed CD patients who underwent clinical, laboratory and ultrasonography investigations both at diagnosis and after 2 years of follow-up. Moreover, a PNPLA3 rs738409 genotyping assay was performed. RESULTS Of 221 newly diagnosed CD patients, 65 (29.4%) presented NAFLD at CD diagnosis, while 32 (14.5%) met the criteria for MAFLD (k = 0.57). There were no significant differences between NAFLD and MAFLD, except for the higher rate of insulin resistance (IR) of MAFLD patients (75% vs 33.8%, P

This study aimed to assess health related quality of life (HRQoL) in adult patients with Crohn&rsquo, s disease (CD), considering disease severity and gender differences, and also its relationship with nutritional status. Consecutive adult patients aged 18&ndash, 65 years with CD were recruited. Disease activity was clinically defined by the Crohn&rsquo, s Disease Activity Index (CDAI) in active and quiescent phases. HRQoL was evaluated using the validated short form (SF)-36 questionnaire for the Italian population. Additionally, anthropometry, bioimpedance analysis, and handgrip-strength (HGS) were performed. Findings showed that 135 patients (79 men and 56 women) were included, having a mean age of 38.8 &plusmn, 14 years and a BMI of 23.2 &plusmn, 3.7 kg/m2. Overall, active CD patients had a lower perception of their QoL compared to those clinically quiescent, while gender differences emerged mostly in the quiescent group. Interestingly, HRQoL was significantly associated with many nutritional variables, and muscle strength was the main predictor. Therefore, HRQoL is perceived lower in active compared to quiescent patients, but women experienced poorer QoL than men, especially in the quiescent phase. Finally, higher QoL scores were found in subjects being in clinical remission phase with a preserved muscle function. However, further studies are still required to verify these findings.

Objective: This trial aimed to provide randomized controlled data comparing Kono-S anastomosis and stapled ileocolic side-to-side anastomosis. Background: Recently, a new antimesenteric, functional, end-to-end, handsewn ileocolic anastomosis (Kono-S) has shown a significant reduction in endoscopic recurrence score and surgical recurrence rate in Crohn disease (CD). Methods: Randomized controlled trial (RCT) at a tertiary referral institution. Primary endpoint: endoscopic recurrence (ER) (Rutgeerts score i2) after 6 months. Secondary endpoints: clinical recurrence (CR) after 12 and 24 months, ER after 18 months, and surgical recurrence (SR) after 24 months. Results: In all, 79 ileocolic CD patients were randomized in Kono group (36) and Conventional group (43). After 6 months, 22.2% in the Kono group and 62.8% in the Conventional group presented an ER [P < 0.001, odds ratio (OR) 5.91]. A severe postoperative ER (Rutgeerts score i3) was found in 13.8% of Kono versus 34.8% of Conventional group patients (P ¼ 0.03, OR 3.32). CR rate was 8% in the Kono group versus 18% in the Conventional group after 12 months (P ¼ 0.2), and 18% versus 30.2% after 24 months (P ¼ 0.04, OR 3.47). SR rate after 24 months was 0% in the Kono group versus 4.6% in the Conventional group (P ¼ 0.3). Patients with Kono-S anastomosis presented a longer time until CR than patients with side-to-side anastomosis (hazard ratio 0.36, P ¼ 0.037). On binary logistic regression analysis, the Kono-S anastomosis was the only variable significantly associated with a reduced risk of ER (OR 0.19, P < 0.001). There were no differences in postoperative outcomes. Conclusions: This is the first RCT comparing Kono-S anastomosis and standard anastomosis in CD. The results demonstrate a significant reduction in postoperative endoscopic and clinical recurrence rate for patients who underwent Kono-S anastomosis, and no safety issues. ClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT02631967.

The Fracture Risk Assessment (FRAX) tool has been developed to estimate patients' 10-yr probability of fracture, thus establishing which patients should undergo dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) scan. This study aimed to evaluate if the FRAX tool can replace or optimize the use of DXA scan in celiac disease (CD). We prospectively enrolled all CD patients aged over 40 yr diagnosed at our third-level unit. At time of CD diagnosis, all patients underwent FRAX score calculation for risk of major osteoporotic and hip fractures and DXA scan (used as gold standard) to assess the accuracy of the FRAX score. The FRAX score calculation was based on the following 10 variables: age (>40 yr), sex (M/F), body mass index, history of previous fracture (yes/no), parent fractured hip (yes/no), current smoking (yes/no), use of steroids (yes/no), rheumatoid arthritis (yes/no), secondary osteoporosis (yes/no), and alcohol ≥3 units/d (yes/no). DXA assessment was performed within 1 week from FRAX calculation. The FRAX score was dichotomized as normal or pathologic in accordance with the National Osteoporosis Guideline Group. A total of 160 CD patients were enrolled (M/F = 20/140; mean age 48.7 yr). A pathologic FRAX score was evident in 14 out of 160 patients (8.7%), whereas osteoporosis based on DXA scan was found in 10 patients (6%) (κ = 0.6); 3 patients with osteoporosis (1.9%) showed a 10-yr risk of major fracture >10% according to the National Osteoporosis Guideline Group criteria. With regard to diagnostic accuracy, the FRAX score showed sensitivity of 0%, specificity of 91%, positive predictive value of 0%, and negative predictive value of 94%. The prevalence of osteoporosis in adult CD appears to be quite low and only a small proportion of patients would require a DXA investigation. The FRAX score could be an effective tool to avoid useless DXA scans in CD patients in view of its high negative predictive value.

We investigated the role of HFE C282Y, H63D, and TMPRSS6 A736V variants in the pathogenesis of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in celiac disease (CD) patients, at diagnosis and after 1 year of gluten-free diet (GFD). Demographic and clinical features were prospectively recorded for all CD patients between 2013 and 2017. C282Y, H63D, and A736V variants were evaluated for CD patients and controls. Finally, 505 consecutive CD patients and 539 age-matched control subjects were enrolled. At diagnosis, 229 CD subjects had IDA (45.3%), with a subgroup of anemic patients (45.4%) presented persistent IDA at follow-up. C282Y allele frequency was significantly increased in CD compared with controls (1.1% vs 0.2%, P = .001), whereas H63D and A736V allele frequencies were similar among patients and controls (P = .92 and .84, respectively). At diagnosis, C282Y variant in anemic CD patients was significantly increased compared to nonanemic group (2% and 0.5%, P = .04). At follow-up, A736V was significantly increased in IDA persistent than in IDA not persistent (57.7% vs 35.2%, P

Background To date, potential coeliac disease (PCD) occurring in adults remains an almost unexplored condition. Aims To explore the prognostic role of Marsh grade in adult PCD patients, and to evaluate the effects of gluten-containing diet (GCD) in asymptomatic PCD patients. Methods We retrospectively evaluated all consecutive adult PCD patients followed-up for at least 6 years. Patients were divided into: Group A (patients with Marsh 0 histology) and Group B (Marsh 1 patients). Symptomatic patients were started gluten-free diet (GFD), while asymptomatic subjects were kept on GCD and were followed-up. Results 56 PCD patients were enrolled (21 in Group A and 35 in Group B). Forty-three patients were symptomatic and started GFD. Of these, none of 15 patients in Group A and 8 of 28 patients in Group B developed immune-mediated disorders (IMD) during follow-up (P = 0.03; OR = 4.2). The 13 asymptomatic PCD patients were kept on GCD. During the follow-up, 9 patients developed CD-related symptoms, 6 villous atrophy and 8 IMD. At the end, patients kept on GCD were at higher risk of developing IMD than those following a GFD (61% vs 18%, P = 0.03, OR = 3.3). Conclusions Although PCD with normal mucosa seems to be a milder disease, the continuation of GCD places patients at a high risk of developing villous atrophy and IMD compared to commencement of GFD. Adult PCD patients should start GFD even if not symptomatic.

Inflammatory bowel diseases are chronic conditions of unknown etiology, showing a growing incidence and prevalence in several countries, including Italy. Although the etiology of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis is unknown, due to the current knowledge regarding their pathogenesis, effective treatment strategies have been developed. Several guidelines are available regarding the efficacy and safety of available drug treatments for inflammatory bowel diseases. Nevertheless, national guidelines provide additional information adapted to local feasibility, costs and legal issues related to the use of the same drugs. These observations prompted the Italian Group for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IG-IBD) to establish Italian guidelines on the safety of currently available treatments for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. These guidelines discuss the use of aminosalicylates, systemic and low bioavailability corticosteroids, antibiotics (metronidazole, ciprofloxacin, rifaximin), thiopurines, methotrexate, cyclosporine A, TNFα antagonists, vedolizumab, and combination therapies. These guidelines are based on current knowledge derived from evidence-based medicine coupled with clinical experience of a national working group.

Golimumab is a new anti-TNF-alpha monoclonal antibody for patients with ulcerative colitis. To assess the short- and long-term effectiveness and safety of golimumab in daily clinical practice and to identify predictors of response. Consecutive patients treated with golimumab in 22 Italian centers were enrolled. Clinical, laboratory, and endoscopic data were prospectively collected before and during treatment. A subgroup of patients completed a questionnaire to assess personal satisfaction with a golimumab autoinjector system. A total of 196 patients were included. After 3 months, 130 patients were responders (66.3%) and showed significant reductions in mean partial, total, and endoscopic Mayo scores and in mean ESR, C-reactive protein, and fecal calprotectin levels (p

The first infliximab biosimilar for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) was introduced in 2013, and today eight anti-TNF alpha biosimilars (three for infliximab and five for adalimumab) have been approved and licensed by the European Medicines Agency. Biosimilars present great potential in terms of cost saving and possible consequential reinvestment in the health care system. The increasing knowledge about the process of biosimilar development and use in IBD and the publication of many prospective clinical studies and real-life clinical experiences have progressively changed the point of view of IBD physicians. In the present position paper, the Italian Group for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease present and discuss their updated statements and positions on this topic, with emphasis on the concepts of biosimilarity and extrapolation across indications, safety and immunogenicity, interchangeability and switching, automatic substitution, and, finally, patient education about biosimilars.

BACKGROUND AND AIM Infective issues about anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α agents in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) remain controversial, especially when compared with nonbiological treatments. This study aimed to evaluate the incidence and prevalence of several infections in anti-TNF-α-exposed patients compared with nonbiological treatments. METHODS All naive IBD subjects treated with anti-TNF-α and matched nonbiologic-exposed patients were included. RESULTS Among 3453 patients in the database, 288 anti-TNF-α-exposed subjects and 288 nonbiologic-exposed IBD controls met inclusion criteria. Fifty-eight infections (20.1%) occurred during anti-TNF-α treatment versus 23 (8%) in the matched group (odds ratio [OR] 2.9, P

The last 4 months have radically changed the world: the novel coronavirus, named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 or SARS-CoV-2,1 is determining probably the most dramatic health and human crisis that every human being can remember: collapsed hospitals, arrested economy, and above all broken lives. But some of these lives have been destroyed by a passion, a mission: being a doctor, even in the time of COVID-19. Thousands of doctors have been infected during the outbreak, and many of them died attempting to save others. Every where men, women, more or less young, each of them honoured being a doctor until their last breath. Until the end of March, China, the first country affected by SARS-CoV-2, experienced 23 healthcare workers’ death.2 In Italy, 127 doctors …

Background Altered body composition may negatively impact on the clinical outcome and quality of life of patients with IBD. Sarcopenia, defined as a progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass and function, is commonly observed in patients with IBD and can be reliably assessed by computed tomography (CT) which allows accurate and reproducibile quantification of both abdominal adipose tissues (subcutaneous and visceral), as well as skeletal muscles. We aimed to assess the prevalence of sarcopenia in Crohn’s disease (CD) patients undergoing contrast-enhanced CT(CECT). We further investigated the associations of sarcopenia with visceral fat parameters, disease severity and surgery Methods 40 CD patients (22F, aged 44±16 yrs; BMI 20.8±3.7) who underwent CECT for clinical assessment were retrospectively enrolled. CECT was performed using a 64-rows multi-detector equipment after i.v. injection of non ionic iodinated contrast media with a tailored scan delay. Demographic and clinical data were collected at the date of abdominal CT. Clinical outcome included the rate of surgery within one year. The skeletal muscle index (SMI) at the level of third lumbar vertebra was used to assess sarcopenia defined as a SMI Results Mean duration of disease was 117 months ± 84. Most patients 60% had a moderate-severe clinical activity based on Harvey Bradshaw index (HBI) >8, whereas 35% had a mild activity (HBI 5–7) and 5% were in remission (HBI Conclusion Approximately 42.5%CD patients were sarcopenic. Female sex and low BMI were significantly associated with sarcopenia but this latter did not correlate with the clinical outcome

INTRODUCTION AND AIM: The transitional process of young patients affected by inflammatory bowel disease from pediatric to adult care is a crucial step. Our study aimed to investigate the 1-year success outcome of this transitional process. METHODS: From 2013 to 2018, we evaluated the transitional process of patients with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. For each patient, the following parameters 12 months before and 12 months after the transition were evaluated: Body Mass Index, disease activity and smoker status, number of outpatient visits and the pharmacological therapy, the number of disease exacerbations, hospitalizations and surgical interventions. RESULTS: We enrolled 106 patients with IBD. No statistically significant difference was found between patients' Body Mass Index before and after transition. There was a significant reduction in the number of exacerbations and hospitalizations in the 12 months post-transition (pre-transition exacerbations: 0.74 ± 0.79, post-transition exacerbations: 0.35 ± 0.57, p

Metabolic syndrome (MS) and hepatic steatosis (HS) have been described in patients with celiac disease (CD) after starting a gluten-free diet (GFD), but data on predictive factors for these conditions are scarce. Recently, the patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 3 (PNPLA3) rs738409 has been identified as a key factor for HS development in the general population. The aim of the study was to evaluate the role of PNPLA3 rs738409 in the development of MS and HS in CD patients after starting GFD. Between June 2014 and September 2016, we consecutively enrolled CD patients with HS, while those without steatosis served as a control group. All patients underwent anthropometric and serologic investigations, ultrasonography (US) to assess the degree and severity of HS, and genotyping of the PNPLA3 rs738409 polymorphism. Finally, 370 subjects were enrolled (136 with and 234 without HS). At genotyping assays, the CC genotype was found in 194 subjects (52.4%), the CG genotype in 138 subjects (37.3%), and the GG genotype in 38 subjects (10.2%). At binary logistic regression, only CG and GG alleles were predictive for the development of HS (odds ratio (OR) 1.97, p &lt, 0.01 for CG and OR 6.9, 0.001 for GG). Body mass index (BMI) (OR 3.8, 0.001) and waist circumference (OR 2.8, p = 0.03) at CD diagnosis were the only independent factors for the development of MS. Intergroup comparisons showed that the severe grade of HS was more frequently observed in GG than in CC carriers (74% vs. 11.3%, p &lt, 0.001, OR 21.8). PNPLA3 CG and GG carriers with CD have a higher susceptibility to hepatic steatosis, but not to metabolic syndrome. Moreover, patients with GG alleles display more severe forms of HS based on ultrasound.

Background: Crohn&rsquo, s disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease frequently associated with malabsorption and secondary protein-energy malnutrition (PEM). Methods: Biochemical and clinical data of 63 (34 females, 29 males) patients with PEM due to CD sent to our outpatient unit for nutritional evaluation were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into two groups, according to disease activity. Thirty-eight patients (group A) had the active disease, and 25 patients (group B) suffered from malabsorption resulting from past intestinal resections due to CD. After a physical and hemato-biochemical evaluation at the first visit, all patients received disease-specific personalized dietetic indications. When indicated, oral nutritional supplements, oral/parenteral vitamins, micronutrients, and electrolytes, up to parenteral nutrition, were prescribed. Results: After 1, 3, and 6 months of nutritional therapy, body weight, body mass index (BMI), and serum butyryl-cholinesterase significantly improved in both groups. In 8 out of 13 (61.5%) patients with a cutaneous stoma, intestinal continuity was restored. Conclusions: This study confirms the effectiveness of nutritional rehabilitation and provides information on the time required for nutritional treatment in patients with CD, both during the acute phase and after malabsorption due to intestinal resection.

Background Perianal fistulizing Crohn's disease is a challenging clinical situation that requires proper management. Some features seen on the endoanal ultrasound can be helpful in discriminating between cryptoglandular and Crohn's disease fistulas. Objective The aim of this study was to define the diagnostic accuracy of 3-dimensional endoanal ultrasound in differentiating between Crohn's disease and cryptogenic fistulas. Design This was a prospective observational study. Settings The study was conducted in the colorectal unit of an IBD referral center. Patients Consecutive patients referred for suspected perianal sepsis from September 2015 to December 2016 were included. Interventions Three-dimensional endoanal ultrasonography was the studied intervention. Main outcomes measures Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative likelihood ratios of 4 ultrasonographic features (Crohn's ultrasound fistula sign, the presence of a double track, debris or an abscess within the fistula track, and the maximum width of the track) in discriminating between cryptoglandular and Crohn's disease fistulas were calculated. The interobserver agreement for each feature was quantified. Results In this study, 158 patients, of whom 33 had a diagnosis of Crohn's disease, were included. The interobserver agreement was good for all of the ultrasonographic features. All of these features were more frequent in cases of Crohn's disease fistulas (p = 0.0001). The maximum width of the fistula track was highly accurate for discriminating between cryptogenic and Crohn's disease fistulas (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.922). The simultaneous presence of 2 features was suggestive of Crohn's disease fistula. In particular, the presence of a track width >4 mm in conjunction with either a double track or the Crohn's ultrasound fistula sign showed very high specificity (1.00). Conversely, a fistula track width ≤3 mm had high sensitivity (0.97). Limitations Patients included in the cryptogenic group might be diagnosed as having Crohn's disease at follow-up. Conclusions The combination of specific endoanal ultrasonographic features allows for highly accurate discrimination between Crohn's disease and cryptogenic fistulas. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/A619.

Background In the management of Crohn's disease [CD] patients, having a simple score combining clinical, endoscopic, and imaging features to predict the risk of surgery could help to tailor treatment more effectively. Aims We aimed to prospectively evaluate the 1-year risk factors for surgery in refractory/severe CD and to generate a risk matrix for predicting the probability of surgery at 1 year. Methods CD patients needing a disease re-assessment at our tertiary inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] centre underwent clinical, laboratory, endoscopic, and bowel sonography [BS] examinations within 1 week. The optimal cut-off values in predicting surgery were identified using receiver operating characteristic [ROC] curves for the Simple Endoscopic Score for CD [SES-CD], bowel wall thickness [BWT] at BS, and small bowel CD extension at BS. Binary logistic regression and Cox regression were then carried out. Finally, the probabilities of surgery were calculated for selected baseline levels of covariates and results were arranged in a prediction matrix. Results Of 100 CD patients, 30 underwent surgery within 1 year. SES-CD ≥9 (odds ratio [OR] 15.3; p

Background Recently, a new antimesenteric, functional end-to-end, hand-sewn ileocolic anastomosis (Kono-S) has shown a significant reduction in endoscopic recurrence score and surgical recurrence rate in Crohn’s disease (CD).This trial aimed to provide randomised controlled data comparing Kono-S anastomosis and stapled ileocolic side-to-side anastomosis. Methods Randomised controlled trial at a tertiary referral institution, enrolling and randomising to undergo either the ‘Kono group’ or the ‘Conventional group’, all CD subjects needing surgery. Primary endpoint: endoscopic recurrence (ER) (Rutgeerts score ≥i2) after 6 months. Secondary endpoints: clinical recurrence (CR) after 12 and 24 months, ER after 18 months and surgical recurrence (SR) after 24 months. Also, short-term outcomes and postoperative complications were recorded. A sample size of 70 patients (35 in each group) was considered necessary to demonstrate a reduction >30% in endoscopic recurrence at 6 months follow-up in the Kono group when assuming a 60% endoscopic recurrence expected rate in the control group. Results 79 CD patients were enrolled and randomised in the Kono group (36) or Conventional group (43) (Table 1). After 6 months, 22.2% in the Kono group and 62.8% in the Conventional group presented an ER (p < 0.001; OR 5.91). A severe postoperative ER (Rutgeerts score ≥i3) was found in 13.8% of Kono vs. 34.8% of Conventional group (p = 0.03; OR 3.32). CR rate was 8% in the Kono group vs. 18% in the Conventional group after 12 months (p = 0.2) and 18% vs. 30.2% after 24 months (p = 0.04, OR 3.47). SR rate after 24 months was 0% in the Kono group vs. 4.6% in the Conventional group (p = 0.3). Patients with Kono-S anastomosis presented a longer time until CR than patients with side-to-side anastomosis (HR 0.36, p = 0.037). On binary logistic regression analysis, the Kono-S anastomosis was the only variable significantly associated with a reduced risk of ER (OR 0.19, p < 0.001). About postoperative outcomes, there were no differences between Kono and Conventional groups in terms of surgery duration (p = 0.8), days to gas (p = 0.4) or stool canalisation (p = 0.8) and postoperative stay (p = 0.3). Infections (included wound infection) were found in 4 subjects in the Kono group (13.7%) vs. 6 patients (16.6%) in the Conventional group (p = 0.749). Conclusion This is the first RCT comparing Kono-S anastomosis vs. standard anastomosis in CD, which found a significant reduction of postoperative endoscopic recurrence rate by using the novel technique, without concerns about safety. The Kono-S anastomosis could be considered the new recommended surgical technique in CD. ClinicalTrial.gov NCT02631967.

Background Although the efficacy of anti-TNF α agents has dramatically changed the current management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), their safety represents an important issue in prescribing anti-TNF. In particular, anti-TNF α treatment has been associated with higher risk of developing infective disease, such as tuberculosis (TBC) and cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation and other viral/bacterial diseases. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the incidence and prevalence of CMV, TBC, hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) infection/reactivation and other infections in IBD subjects treated with anti-TNF α. Methods retrospective analysis of prospective maintained database including all IBD subjects treated with anti-TNF α (infliximab, adalimumab and golimumab) for at least 1 year in the period 2013–2018, whose infective serological status (Quantiferon TB test, Mantoux, CMV IgM/IgG, HBsAg, HBsAb, HBcAb, HBeAg, HBeAb, anti-HCV, anti-HIV, HSV IgM/IgG, VZV IgM/IgG, EBV IgM/IgG) was known before starting the treatment and during the follow-up. Incidence (number of infections per 100 patient-years) and prevalence of each infection was reported. Results Among 689 who started an anti-TNF α agent, 288 subjects (males 52.8%, mean age 28.5 + 12.2 years, Crohn’s disease 82.3%), met inclusion criteria and were enrolled. Total years/patient were 378.08 for infliximab, 627.58 for adalimumab and 8.25 for golimumab. Before starting treatment, CMV IgG antibodies were detectable in the majority (78.8%) of patients, but no case of IgM or CMV-DNA positivity was recorded; three subjects (1%) had latent TBC infection (LTBI) and were treated with isoniazide before starting anti-TNF; one case of HBV and one case of HCV infection were registered. During the anti-TNF α treatment, a total of 58 infective events (20.1%) were recorded: 63.8% during adalimumab and 36.2% during infliximab treatment. The most common infections were: urinary (34.5%), cutaneous (13.8%), HSV (13.8%), HPV (8.6%), upper respiratory infections (8.6%), gastroenteritis (6.9%), pneumonia (5.2%), bacteraemia (3.4%), VZV (3.4%) and de novo CMV (1.7%). Among them, 13 (22.4%) were considered severe, 11 (19%) needed hospitalisation and 9 (15.5%) led to anti-TNF withdrawal. No case of CMV or TBC reactivation was registered during the follow-up. The infection incidence rate was therefore 6.05/100 patient-years for adalimumab and 5.55/100 patient-years for infliximab (p = NS) (Table 1). Conclusion IBD patients are at high risk of developing infective disease during anti-TNF α therapy. The recognition of pre-exposure serological status, as well patients’ strict monitoring during maintenance treatment, dramatically reduces the risk of severe reactivation (in particular TBC and CMV reactivation).

Background More than half of patients suffering from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) requires surgery in their lifetime. However, predictors of post-operative morbidity and mortality are poorly investigated. Our aim was to assess the predictors of post-operative mortality and morbidity in IBD. Methods retrospective cohort study enrolling all IBD subjects followed-up and operated at our tertiary IBD Centre from 2015 to 2018. For each patient, we evaluated patient-dependent (comorbidities, smoking, drugs, nutritional status), disease-dependent (disease duration, location, behaviour, extension), surgery-dependent variables (duration, emergency/election, laparoscopy/laparotomy, bowel/colic resection, length of intestinal resection). Results 158 subjects were operated during the period study (males 53.8%, Crohn’s disease 75.3%, mean age 41.9 + 16.2, disease duration 109.5 + 98.3 months); the majority (83%) underwent an elective surgery. No patient died. About morbidity, 40 (25.3%) developed post-operative complications: wound infection (8.9%), respiratory complications (6.9%), prolonged ileum (5.1%), anastomotic leak (3.2%), urinary infections (3.2%), abdominal abscess (3.2%), anastomotic bleeding (3.2%), other infections (2.5%), abdominal bleeding (1.9%), obstruction (1.3%). Two subjects (1.3%) required re-operation within 30 days. A surgery-duration Conclusion about a quarter of IBD patients undergoing surgery develops a post-operative complication, especially infective. Several patient-related, disease-related and surgery-related factors are predictive for post-operative morbidity. The recognition of these factors, as well the multidisciplinary approach (gastroenterologists, surgeons and nutritionists), and intensive preoperative management could be able to minimise these complications.

Background Quality of bowel cleansing in hospitalized patients undergoing colonoscopy is often unsatisfactory. No study has investigated the inpatient or outpatient setting as cause of inadequate cleansing. Aims To assess degree of bowel cleansing in inpatients and outpatients and to identify possible predictors of poor bowel preparation in the two populations. Methods Prospective multicentre study on consecutive colonoscopies in 25 regional endoscopy units. Univariate and multivariate analysis with odds ratio estimation were performed. Results Data from 3276 colonoscopies were analyzed (2178 outpatients, 1098 inpatients). Incomplete colonoscopy due to inadequate cleansing was recorded in 369 patients (11.2%). There was no significant difference in bowel cleansing rates between in- and outpatients in both colonic segments. In the overall population, independent predictors of inadequate cleansing both at the level of right and left colon were: male gender (odds ratio, 1.20 [1.02–1.43] and 1.27 [1.05–1.53]), diabetes mellitus (odds ratio, 2.35 [1.68–3.29] and 2.12 [1.47–3.05]), chronic constipation (odds ratio, 1.60 [1.30–1.97] and 1.55 [1.23–1.94]), incomplete purge intake (odds ratio, 2.36 [1.90–2.94] and 2.11 [1.68–2.65]) and a runway time >12 h (odds ratio, 3.36 [2.40–4.72] and 2.53 [1.74–3.67]). Conclusions We found no difference in the rate of inadequate bowel preparation between hospitalized patients and outpatients.

SummaryBackground Several studies have shown that weight changes are common in patients with coeliac disease after starting a gluten-free diet (GFD), but data on the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in this population are still scarce. Aims To assess the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in patients with CD at diagnosis and 1 year after starting GFD. Methods We enrolled all consecutive patients with newly diagnosed coeliac disease (CD) who were referred to our third-level CD Unit. For all patients we collected: waist circumference, BMI, blood pressure, lipid profile (HDL cholesterol, triglycerides) and levels of blood glucose. Diagnosis of metabolic syndrome was made according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria for European countries. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was re-assessed after 12 months of GFD. Results Ninety-eight patients with CD were assessed, two patients with CD (2%) fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome at diagnosis and 29 patients (29.5%) after 12 months of GFD (P

Background and Aim: To evaluate the usefulness of a low FODMAP (Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols) diet on patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), non-active inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), and celiac disease (CD) on a gluten-free diet (GFD). Methods: Dietetic interventional prospective study. IBS, IBD, and CD subjects were evaluated to check if they fulfilled the Rome III criteria. Each subject was educated to follow a low FODMAP diet after being evaluated by filling out questionnaires that assessed the quality of life (QoL) and symptoms experienced (IBS-SSS and SF-36), and was reevaluated after 1 and 3 months. Results: One hundred twenty-seven subjects were enrolled: 56 with IBS, 30 with IBD, and 41 with CD. IBS-SSS showed that abdominal symptoms improved after 1 and 3 months of diet in all subjects, with significant difference among the 3 groups at T0 (average scores IBS: 293 ± 137, IBD: 206 ± 86, CD: 222 ± 65, p < 0.001), but no difference at T3 (IBS: 88 ± 54, IBD: 73 ± 45, CD: 77 ± 49, p = ns). By analyzing the SF-36 questionnaire, we did not observe any difference between the 3 groups, in terms of response to diet (p = ns), we observed a clinical improvement from T0 to T3 for most of the questionnaire’s domains. Conclusions: A low FODMAP diet could be a valid option to counter ­abdominal symptoms in patients with IBS, non-active IBD, or CD on a GFD, and thus, improve their QoL and social ­relations.

Background and aims The postoperative course of Crohn's disease (CD) is best predicted by ileocolonoscopy. Ultrasonography (US) has been proposed as indicator for postsurgical recurrence (PSR), but further confirmation is needed. We performed a systemic review with meta-analysis to assess the pooled diagnostic accuracy of US in the evaluation of PSR. Methods The systematic review was performed in PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCOPUS, and Cochrane databases to identify studies assessing the US accuracy in PSR diagnosis. A sub-analysis between bowel sonography (BS), small-intestine contrast ultrasound (SICUS), and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) was performed. Pooling was performed using diagnostic fixed or random-effect model according with heterogeneity. Results Ten studies (536 patients) met the inclusion criteria. There was no publication bias. Pooled sensitivity and specificity of US in detecting PSR were 0.94 (95% CI, 0.86-0.97) and 0.84 (95% CI, 0.62-0.94; diagnostic accuracy 90%), respectively. At sub-analysis, pooled sensitivity and specificity were 0.82 (95% CI, 0.76-0.88) and 0.88 (95% CI, 0.74-0.95) respectively for BS, with 0.99 (95% CI, 0.99-1.00) and 0.74 (95% CI, 0.73-0.74) for SICUS. Finally, an SROC curve was built to establish the best bowel wall thickness (BWT) cutoff able to predict the presence of severe PSR (Rutgeerts ≥3): a BWT ≥5.5 mm at US revealed sensitivity of 83.8% (95% CI, 73.6%-90.6%), specificity of 97.7% (95% CI, 93%-99%). Conclusions US shows high sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of PSR. SICUS appears more sensitive-but less specific-than BS, while the role of CEUS needs further investigation. A cutoff value of BWT ≥5.5 mm is strongly indicative of severe PSR. 10.1093/ibd/izy012_video1izy012.video15775249754001.

Background: In the last years, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection management has completely changed. However, the role of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) and the correct timing of antiviral drugs administration in IBD patients needing biologics has not been evaluated. Objective: To discuss the management of HCV-infected IBD patients, focusing our attention on the timing of DAAs administration subjects needing biologics. Methods: Relevant articles addressing HCV management in patients needing biologics were identified by searching from PubMed, MEDLINE and Scopus. Results: Three possible timing strategies were identified: (1) sequential strategy, meaning the choice of treating firstly the active IBD with biologics and then, once the acute phase has been controlled, treating the HCV infection; (2) concomitant strategy, that is the contemporaneous beginning of DAAs and biologics administration; (3) inverted sequential strategy-the administration of antiviral therapy before biologics in HCV-infected IBD patients. The potential pharmacological interactions between biologics and DAAs have also been reported. Conclusions: Clinical management of HCV-infected IBD patients remains a challenging problem for clinicians, especially in terms of timing choice. Recent published data about DAAs are very encouraging also in IBD patients. All strategies could be considered safe and effective. However, further data are immediately required in order to evaluate hepatic toxicity of novel immunosuppressive drugs in IBD.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of single-pass contrast-enhanced multi-detector CT (CE-MDCT) performed with a low radiation-high contrast (LR-HC) dose protocol in selected patients with non traumatic acute bowel disease. METHODS: Sixty-five (32 M; 33 F; aged 20-67 years) consecutive patients with non traumatic acute bowel disease underwent single-pass CE-MDCT performed 70-100 sec after i.v. bolus injection of a non ionic iodinated contrast media (370 mgI/ml). In forty-six patients (70%) up to 1.2-1.4 L of a 7% PEG solution was orally administered 45-60’ prior to the CT examination. Patients were then divided in two groups according to the age: A (20-44 years; n= 34); B (45-70 years; n=31). Noise Index (NI) and contrast medium dose were selected as follows: A (NI=15; 2,5 ml/kg); B (NI =12,5; 2ml/kg). All patients of group A underwent thyroid functional tests at 4-6 wks. Final diagnoses were obtained by open (n=12) or laparoscopic surgery (n=4), endoscopy w/out biopsy (n=24), clinical (n=19) and/or instrumental (US) (n=6) follow-up at 11 + 4 months (range 6-18 mo.). Statistical analysis was performed by Chi-Square and Student's t-Test for categorical and continuous variables, respectively. RESULTS: Sensitivity and specificity were 91.3 vs 95.4% (p = 0.905) and 90.9 vs 88.8% (p = 0.998) with an overall diagnostic accuracy of 91.1 vs 93.5% (p = 0.756) whereas the radiation (mSv) and contrast media dose (ml) were 7.5 ± 2.8 and 155 ± 30 for Group A and 14.1 ± 5.3 and 130 ±24 for Group B (p < 0.001), respectively. No patients of group A showed laboratory signs of thyreotoxicosis at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The LR-HC has proved to be a safe and a dose-effective protocol in the evaluation of selected young patients with non traumatic acute bowel disease.

Background: The Lémann index (LI), calculated by magnetic resonance (MR) or computed tomography enterography in association with endoscopy, was developed to assess bowel damage (BD) in Crohn’s disease (CD). Our aim was to investigate the concordance between ultrasonography-based Lèmann index (US-LI) and magnetic resonance–based Lèmann index (MR-LI). Methods: We prospectively evaluated all consecutive patients with CD referred to our IBD Unit. All patients had undergone endoscopy, US and MR within 1 month. US-LI and MR-LI were calculated by scoring previous surgery, location, extension, and intestinal complications. Furthermore, we evaluated the association between LI and: CD duration, Harvey–Bradshaw index, and other relevant clinical features. In accordance with recent literature, an LI .4.8 was considered indicative of BD. Results: Seventy-one patients with CD were examined. About CD location, 36% showed ileal disease (L1), 10% showed colonic CD (L2), whereas 54% had an ileocolonic disease (L3). Moreover, 27% of patients presented a noncomplicated behavior (B1), 45% had almost one stricture (B2), whereas 28% showed penetrating CD (B3). Perianal CD was observed in 16% of subjects, whereas 40% had undergone previous surgery. MR-LI and US-LI were 6.62 (95% confidence interval, 4.2–9.7) and 6.04 (95% confidence interval, 3.6–9.2), respectively (r 1⁄4 0.90; P , 0.001), with 35 patients (49%) showing an LI indicative of BD. No significant correlation was evident between LI and Harvey–Bradshaw index (P 1⁄4 0.9), whereas a significant correlation was found between both US-LI/MR-LI and CD duration (P 1⁄4 0.01). Conclusions: US-LI shows high concordance with MR-LI and could be considered a good option for assessing BD in CD by using a highly available and relatively inexpensive procedure.

Background: Transmural healing (TH) of Crohn’s disease (CD) is a still unexplored and interesting outcome correlated to concept of deep remission. Aim: To assess the rate of TH in CD patients treated with anti-TNF alpha agents using two cross-sectional procedures: bowel sonography (BS) and magnetic resonance enterography (MRE). Methods: We performed a 2-year observational longitudinal study, evaluating steroid-free clinical remis- sion (CR), mucosal healing (MH), and TH in CD patients who would complete a 2-year treatment period with anti-TNFs. All patients underwent endoscopy, BS, and MRE before and after 2 years of treatment. Results: Forty out of 80 CD patients were treated with anti-TNFs for 2 years. CR was achieved in 24 patients (60%) while MH in 14 (35%). Using BS, TH was observed in 10 patients (25%), while using MRE, TH was observed in 9 patients (23%) (k = 0.90; P < 0.01). A good agreement was observed between MH and TH, both using BS (k = 0.63; P < 0.01) and MRE (k = 0.64; P < 0.01). A poor agreement was found between CR and TH, with both BS and MRE (k = 0.27 and 0.29, respectively; P < 0.01); even though all patients with TH had achieved CR. Conclusions: TH can be achieved in about 25% of CD patients treated with anti-TNFs, as shown by BS and MRE. BS could be used as the first cross-sectional procedure to detect TH.

Recent research has shown that patients with coeliac disease (CD) are at risk of developing metabolic syndrome (MS) and hepatic steatosis (HS) after commencing a gluten-free diet (GFD). This study aimed to evaluate the predictive factors for MS and HS in CD after 1 year of GFD. All consecutive newly diagnosed CD patients were enrolled. We prospectively collected data about BMI; waist circumference; blood pressure; cholesterol; triglycerides, glucose and insulin blood levels; insulin resistance (through the homeostatic model assessment HOMA-IR) and treatment with proton pump inhibitors (PPI). Diagnosis of MS was made in accordance with current guidelines and HS was diagnosed by ultrasonography. The prevalence of MS and HS was re-assessed after 1 year of GFD. A logistic regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors for MS and HS occurrence after 1 year of GFD. Of 301 patients with newly diagnosed CD, 4.3% met criteria for diagnosis of MS and 25.9% presented with HS at the time of CD diagnosis; 99 subjects (32.8%) had long-term exposure to PPI during the study period. After 1 year, 72 (23.9%) patients had developed MS (4.3 vs 23.9%; p

Aim Targeted molecular probes have been used to detect sporadic colonic dysplasia during confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE) with promising results. This is a feasibility pilot study aiming to assess the potential role of CLE combined with a fluorescent-labeled peptide to stain and detect dysplasia associated with Ulcerative Colitis. Method A phage-derived heptapeptide with predicted high binding affinity for dysplastic tissue, was synthesized and labeled with fluorescein. Eleven lesions with suspected dysplasia at endoscopy were excised from nine patients with long-standing ulcerative colitis. Specimens were sprayed with the peptide and examined by CLE. The CLE images were then compared to the corresponding histological sections. Results At definitive histology, 4 lesions were diagnosed as inflammatory polyps, 6 as dysplastic lesions and one as invasive cancer. In inflammatory polyps, the fluorescence signal came from peri-cryptal spaces and crypt lumen due to passive accumulation of the peptide in these areas. Dysplasia was associated with active binding of the peptide to dysplastic colonocytes. Conclusion Ex vivo staining of ulcerative colitis-associated dysplasia using a fluorescent labeled molecular probe and CLE is feasible. In vivo studies on larger populations are required to evaluate the safety and the effective contribution of molecular probes in cancer surveillance of ulcerative colitis.