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Ingestion of the Agaricus blazei Murill-based mushroom extract AndoSan™ has been shown in randomized placebo-controlled studies to improve symptoms in Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) and also fatigue and quality of life in the latter patients. The aim was to examine whether this clinical impact of AndoSan™ intake could be explained by influence on foremost pro-inflammatory cytokines in the patients. Fifty patients with symptomatic UC and CD were randomized and blinded for oral daily intake of AndoSan™ or placebo. Blood samples taken before (visit 1) and after 21 days' (visit 3) consumption were analysed for cytokines IL-1s, IL-2, IL-4-8, IL-10, IL-12-13, IL-17, G-CSF, GM-CSF, IFN-γ, MCP-1, MIP-1s and TNF-α. Baseline cytokine levels were similar in CD and UC. In CD, cytokine levels at visit 1 versus visit 3 were unaltered within the AndoSan™ and the placebo groups. Only IL-2 was significantly reduced at visit 3 in the Andosan™ compared with the placebo group. However, when combining IL-1s, IL-6 and G-CSF in the patients with CD, the cytokine levels were significantly lower in the AndoSanTM - versus the placebo group, visit 3. In UC, levels of IL-2, IL-5 and MIP-1s were reduced within the AndoSan™ group. IL-5 was also reduced at visit 3 compared with placebo. Generally, the effect on reduction in systemic cytokine levels by consumption of AndoSan™ was limited and supported only marginally anti-inflammatory effects in these patients. Therefore, other explanations behind the clinical anti-inflammatory effects than the contribution of cytokines seem more pertinent, including anti-allergic and antioxidant activities.

Background:This study examined whether fecal calprotectin can be used in daily practice as a marker to monitor patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) receiving infliximab maintenance therapy.Methods:This prospective multicenter study enrolled adult patients with UC in clinical remission under infliximab maintenance therapy. Fecal calprotectin levels were measured every 4 weeks. Sigmoidoscopies were performed at inclusion and at study end. Relapse was defined as a clinical need for change in treatment or an endoscopic Mayo subscore of 2 at week 52. Sustained deep remission was defined as a partial Mayo score 300 mg/kg) already 3 months before the flare. Further receiver operator curve analysis suggested that a calprotectin level >300 mg/kg had a reasonable sensitivity (58.3%) and specificity (93.3%) to model flare. Two consecutive calprotectin measurements of >300 mg/kg with 1-month interval were identified as the best predictor of flare (61.5% sensitivity and 100% specificity).Conclusions:Fecal calprotectin can be used in daily practice to monitor patients with UC receiving infliximab maintenance therapy. Two consecutive measurements >300 mg/kg is more specific than a single measurement for predicting relapse.

Background and aims Data on the long-term effects of Crohn's disease (CD) on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is scarce. We aimed to determine the HRQoL in CD patients 10 years after disease onset, to compare the results to the general population and to identify variables that could affect HRQoL. Methods CD patients from a population-based inception cohort (the IBSEN Study) met at a prescheduled ten-year follow-up. In addition to a structured interview, review of hospital records, clinical examination, laboratory tests and ileocolonoscopy, they completed a patient-reported questionnaire including the Short Form 36 (SF-36) and the Norwegian Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (N-IBDQ). The SF-36 scores were compared to scores from the general population using one-sample t-tests. Standardized scores were calculated and interpreted according to Cohen's effect size index. The associations between relevant clinical and demographic factors and HRQoL were examined through linear regression analyses. Results Ninety-nine patients completed the HRQoL questionnaires (response rate 86%). Median age 39 years, 42% women. Compared to the general population the patients reported significantly lower SF-36 scores on the general health and vitality dimensions. IBDQ total scores were in line with scores of patients in remission. Except for current symptom severity no clinical parameters affected HRQoL scores. Work status and sick leave affected HRQoL negatively. Conclusions In this chronic stage of CD, reduced general health and vitality scores need attention while reductions in disease specific HRQoL seem to be less predominant.

An immunomodulatory extract (AndoSan™) based on the medicinal mushroom Agaricus blazei Murill (AbM) has shown to reduce blood cytokine levels in healthy volunteers after 12 days' ingestion, pointing to an anti-inflammatory effect. The aim was to study whether AndoSan™ had similar effects on cytokines in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). Calprotectin, a marker for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), was also measured. Patients with CD (n = 11) and with UC (n = 10) consumed 60 ml/day of AndoSan™. Patient blood plasma was harvested before and after 6 h LPS (1 ng/ml) stimulation ex vivo. Plasma and faecal calprotectin levels were analysed using ELISA and 17 cytokines [IL-2, IFN-γ, IL-12 (Th1), IL-4, IL-5, IL-13 (Th2), IL-7, IL-17, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, IL-8, MIP-1β, MCP-1, G-CSF, GM-CSF and IL-10] by multiplex assay. After 12 days' ingestion of AndoSan™, baseline plasma cytokine levels in UC was reduced for MCP-1 (40%) and in LPS-stimulated blood for MIP-1β (78%), IL-6 (44%), IL-1β (41%), IL-8 (30%), G-CSF (29%), MCP-1 (18%) and GM-CSF (17%). There were corresponding reductions in CD: IL-2 (100%), IL-17 (55%) and IL-8 (29%) and for IL-1β (35%), MIP-1β (30%), MCP-1 (22%), IL-8 (18%), IL-17 (17%) and G-CSF (14%), respectively. Baseline concentrations for the 17 cytokines in the UC and CD patient groups were largely similar. Faecal calprotectin was reduced in the UC group. Ingestion of an AbM-based medicinal mushroom by patients with IBD resulted in interesting anti-inflammatory effects as demonstrated by declined levels of pathogenic cytokines in blood and calprotectin in faeces.

Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding may be caused by a constitutive bleeding disposition or drug-induced inhibition of hemostasis. Platelet function in patients with ongoing GI bleeding is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate platelet function in patients with acute GI bleeding. Patients (n=35) presenting with acute GI bleeding (hematemesis or melena) were recruited. For comparison, 13 patients treated with aspirin and 11 patients treated with clopidogrel without GI bleeding and 27 healthy controls were studied. Platelet function was measured by whole-blood aggregation and flow cytometry. Coagulation function was measured with calibrated automated thrombography. Platelet aggregation and P-selectin expression were significantly lower after arachidonic acid stimulation in GI bleeding patients than in healthy subjects (p≤0.05). Collagen-induced P-selectin expression was significantly reduced in patients using anti-platelet drugs (p=0.02) and in many patients not using anti-platelet drugs. Thrombin generation, measured by calibrated automated thrombography, was only reduced in patients on warfarin treatment. In conclusion, platelet function is reduced in acute GI bleeding patients and a considerable proportion appears to be related to drug use.

Background Many drugs increase the risk for gastroduodenal ulcer bleeding. The aim of this study was to investigate Helicobacter pylori infection and drug use in patients who had gastroduodenal ulcer bleeding in 2002 or 2007, and possible differences between the periods. Material and methods Patients with gastroduodenal ulcer bleeding were prospectively included in the periods 1.1 - 31.12. 2002 and 1.1 - 31.12. 2007. Information was recorded about Helicobacter pylori infection and intake of NSAIDs (non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), acetylsalicylic acid, warfarin, clopidogrel, low-molecular heparine, SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), corticosteroids, paracetamol and proton pump inhibitors. Inhabitants in Oslo age >or= 60 years in 2007, were used as a control for drug use. Results 78.2 % of patients in 2002 and 90.7 % of those in 2007 used at least one of the drugs (p = 0.01). In 2002, 25.7 % of patients used non-selective NSAIDs and in 2007 46.1 % used such drugs (p = 0.001). In 2002, 36.7 % of patients used more than one of the studied drugs, versus 50.9 % in 2007 (p = 0.02). Compared to controls, the patients used more NSAIDs, acetylsalicylic acid, clopidogrel, low- molecular heparine, SSRIs and corticosteroids. Helicobacter pylori infection was diagnosed in 51.0 % of patients in 2002, versus 41.1 % in 2007 (p = 0.11). Interpretation Most patients with gastroduodenal ulcer bleeding use drugs that have a known risk of adverse effects such as ulcer and/or gastrointestinal bleeding.

Background and aims To explore the change in risk among 1st degree relatives of ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) for development of concordant disease in an incidence cohort followed for ten years. Furthermore, we wanted to compare familial and sporadic cases regarding clinical characteristics and the course of the disease. Methods This population-based study included 421 patients with UC and 197 with CD enrolled from 1990 to 1994. Clinical characteristics and the number of 1st degree relatives of the patients were recorded continuously during ten years. Results Age at diagnosis in CD patients (OR=0.95, 95% CI: 0.93–0.98) and cumulative relapse rate in UC patients (OR=4.91, 95% CI=1.16, 20.75) were significantly associated to familial clustering. Based on the calculated population prevalence of CD (262/100000) and UC (505/100000), the age-adjusted risk for development of concordant disease was 25.9 and 8.6 among siblings and parents of CD, respectively. In UC, the corresponding risks were 8.6 and 1.5. In the course of ten years the increase in risk was observed only among siblings (28%) and parents (97%) of UC, in contrast to no increase in CD. Moreover, the concordance for UC was high in three generations. Conclusions Our study confirmed the importance of genetic influence on the development of CD. Within an observation period of ten years, the increased concordance and relapse rate in familial UC, might point to a larger genetic component in UC than previously suggested.

The mortality rate associated with bleeding duodenal ulcer disease is about 10%. Primary endoscopic hemostasis is successful in over 90% of patients, but in 15-25%, the bleeding cannot be controlled endoscopically or the patient rebleeding, requiring alternative treatment. Percutaneous transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) has been proposed as an alternative to surgery and was introduced at Ullevål University Hospital in Oslo, Norway, in June 2000. In this study we report our experiences in 36 patients.A retrospective review identified all patients admitted to Ullevål University Hospital with hematemesis and/or melena and endoscopically verified duodenal ulcer from June 2000 to 2005. The indication for TAE was endoscopically unmanageable bleeding/rebleeding or rebleeding after surgery. Technical success was defined as acute hemostasis. Clinical success was defined as technical success without rebleeding within 30 days.A total of 278 patients (mean age 73 years) were included in the study. Primary endoscopic hemostasis failed in 13 patients (5%) and 53 patients (20%) experienced rebleeding. An attempt was made to treat 36 patients with TAE. Technical success in the TAE group was 92% and clinical success was 72%. In total, 10 patients underwent surgery, 3 because of rebleeding after TAE. The 30-day mortality was 10% for all patients, 19% in the TAE group, and 20% in the surgical group.High technical and clinical success was obtained with TAE in patients with bleeding duodenal ulcer after failure of endoscopic treatment. TAE appears to be a treatment alternative to surgery in this group of patients.

The influence of familial IBD on phenotype and course of disease in patients with CD and UC has not been studied in population-based cohorts.To compare phenotype and course of disease between IBD patients with a first-degree relative with IBD and sporadic cases in a population-based cohort followed prospectively for 5 yr.Family history of IBD was registered at diagnosis and after 1 and 5 yr. Phenotype and course of disease were compared between sporadic and familial cases.Data for 200 patients with CD and 454 with UC were sufficient for analysis. A first-degree relative with IBD was registered in 14.5% of CD patients and 10.1% of UC patients. The concordance for type of disease was 82% and 70% for CD and UC, respectively. No differences between familial and sporadic cases as regards localization and behavior of disease in CD patients or disease extent in UC patients were observed. In CD patients with colonic involvement, those in the familial group were significantly younger at diagnosis than the sporadic cases. No difference in disease severity in CD patients was observed between the familial and sporadic groups. In UC patients relapse was more frequent in familial cases, but no difference was observed in the need for surgery or medical treatment.A family history of IBD does not seem to influence phenotype or to be an important prognostic factor for disease course in IBD patients.

There are few population-based, prospective studies on the clinical course in patients with Crohn's disease (CD).To extend the observation period in a population-based prospective study (the IBSEN study) to find out more about the initial 5-year clinical course in CD patients and to relate the findings to the Vienna classification.All patients diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in southeastern Norway in the 4 years 1990-1993 were followed prospectively. The patients were invited to a systematic follow-up visit at their local hospital 1 and 5 years after inclusion in the study. The visits included a structured interview, a clinical examination and colonoscopy.Out of 843 patients initially diagnosed with IBD, 200 patients with definite CD were alive and had sufficient data for analysis 5 years after diagnosis. Changes in disease localization and behaviour in relation to the Vienna classification were observed in 27 (13.5%) and 35 patients (17.5%), respectively. During the observation period, 56 patients (28%) underwent surgery with intestinal resection, and half of these had disease localized in the terminal ileum. At the time of the 5-year visit, oral sulfasalazin and 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) were the most frequently used medications (by 54% of the patients), while oral glucocorticosteroids and azathioprine were being used by 25% and 13%, respectively. Seventy-two percent of the patients had taken oral glucocorticosteroids at some time in the course of the 5-year period. The majority of the patients had intestinal symptoms at 5 years, but only 16% had symptoms that interfered with everyday activities. Fourteen percent of the patients had had a relapse-free 5-year course; however, relapse was not related to the initial Vienna classification. When the patients described the clinical course, 44% reported an improvement in symptoms during the follow-up period.The 5-year clinical course in an unselected cohort of CD patients was mostly mild. The frequency of surgery was lower than that observed in other studies and only a minority of the patients had symptoms that interfered with everyday activities 5 years after the initial diagnosis. The Vienna classification predicted the risk of surgery, but did not predict symptoms at 5 years, relapses during the observation period or the course of disease as described by the patients.

Background: The goal of this study was to determine the rate of work disability, unemployment, and sick leave in an unselected inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) cohort and to measure the effect of working status and disability on the patient's health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Materials and Methods: All eligible patients were clinically examined and interviewed at the 5-year follow-up visit. In addition, they completed the 2 HRQOL questionnaires, the Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36) and the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire validated for use in Norway (N-IBDQ). Data regarding sick leave, unemployment, and disability pension (DP) also were collected. Results: All together, 495 patients were or had been in the workforce during the 5-year follow-up period since diagnosis. Forty-two patients (8.5%) were on DP compared with 8.8% in the background population. Women with Crohn's disease (CD) had the highest probability of receiving DP (24.6%). A total of 58 patients (11.7%) reported they were unemployed at 5 years. This was equally distributed between men and women but was more frequent in patients with ulcerative colitis. Sick leave for all causes was reported in 47% with ulcerative colitis and 53% with CD, whereas IBD-related sick leave was reported in 18% and 23%, respectively. A majority (75%) had been sick

An exact diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and further subclassification may be difficult even after clinical, radiological and histological examinations. A correct subclassification is important for the success of both medical and surgical therapeutic strategies, but there is a dearth of information available on the frequency of changes in diagnosis in population-based studies. The objective of this work was prospectively to re-evaluate the diagnosis in an unselected cohort of IBD patients during the first five years after the initial diagnosis.Patients classified as IBD or possible IBD in the period 1990-94 (the IBSEN cohort) had their diagnosis re-evaluated after 1 and 5 years. Initially, the patients were classified as ulcerative colitis (UC), Crohn's disease (CD), indeterminate colitis (IC) or possible IBD. At the 5-year visit, patients were classified as UC, CD or non-IBD.A total of 843 patients (518 UC, 221 CD, 40 IC and 64 possible IBD) were identified. Clinical information was available for 94% of the patients who survived after 5 years. A change in diagnosis was found in 9% of the patients initially classified as UC or CD. A change to non-IBD was more frequent than a change between UC and CD. A large proportion of patients initially classified as IC or possible IBD were diagnosed as non-IBD after 5 years (22.5% versus 50%). When IBD was confirmed in these groups, UC was more frequent than CD. Two changes in diagnosis during follow-up were observed in 2.8% of the patients; this was more frequent in patients initially classified as IC or possible IBD.There are obvious diagnostic problems in a minority of patients with IBD; a systematic follow-up is therefore important in these patients.

We assessed health-related quality of life (HRQOL) on the basis of a cross-sectional design in a population-based cohort of inflammatory bowel disease patients followed prospectively for 5 years after diagnosis. The aim was to investigate the influence of the course of disease, drug therapy, and relapse pattern on the patients' HRQOL.All patients completed the validated Norwegian version of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (N-IBDQ). We present data from 497 patients, 328 with ulcerative colitis and 169 with Crohn's disease. The mean age was 43.3 years, and 48% were female.Crohn's disease patients treated with systemic steroids or azathioprine had a statistically significant reduction in the N-IBDQ total score compared with non-users. Patients with a more severe disease pattern had a lower N-IBDQ total score. Patients reporting a relapse during the observation period had a significantly lower total score and dimension scores than patients without relapse in both diagnostic groups, and likewise there was a statistically significant decrease in N-IBDQ total score for those with extra-intestinal manifestations compared with those without. A multiple linear regression model showed that the number of relapses during the preceding year in ulcerative colitis, and sex (female gender) in Crohn's disease were the strongest predictor of a reduction in N-IBDQ total score.Treatment with systemic steroids or immunosuppressive drugs, a relapsing disease and the presence of extra-intestinal manifestations were associated with a clinically significant reduction in the patients' HRQOL.

Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) has become an important tool in evaluating patient satisfaction in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). So far, few prospective follow-up studies have been done to identify variables that influence HRQOL. We aimed to identify demographic and clinical variables that influence HRQOL 5 years after diagnosis in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) or Crohn disease (CD) included in a prospective follow-up study from 1990 to 1994 (the IBSEN study).All patients completed the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (IBDQ), a disease-specific quality-of-life questionnaire translated into Norwegian and validated. We present data from 497 patients (328 UC patients and 169 CD patients, mean age 43.3 years, 48% female). The impact of age, gender, smoking, symptom severity, disease distribution, rheumatic symptoms and surgery on IBD patients' HRQOL was analysed.Women had a reduction in IBDQ total score of 10 points compared to men, CD patients had a reduction of 7.5 compared to UC patients. The patients with moderate/severe symptoms had a 50 points lower score than the patients without symptoms. The patients with rheumatic symptoms had a 10 points lower total score than the patients without these symptoms. All differences were statistically significant. The multiple regression analysis showed that symptom severity, rheumatic symptoms and female gender were the strongest predictors of reduction in HRQOL for both diagnosis groups.IBD symptoms, rheumatic symptoms and female gender have a significant influence on patients' HRQOL as measured by IBDQ. This was confirmed by the regression analysis.

BACKGROUND: The incidence figures for ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) have been difficult to interpret, and geographical variations may be due to differences in classification criteria and study design. Few studies have based the incidence on prospective systematic follow up to confirm the initial diagnosis. METHODS: Between 1990 and 1993, in a prospective incidence study of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in south eastern Norway, 527 cases of UC, 228 cases of CD, 36 cases of indeterminate colitis (IND), and 55 cases of possible IBD were identified, yielding an annual incidence of 13.6, 5.9, 0.9, and 1.4 per 10(5) respectively. The diagnosis and all clinical data were reviewed by two gastroenterologists independently of each other. One to two years after diagnosis, all patients were offered a clinical follow up in which the initial diagnosis was assessed. RESULTS: Between the time of diagnosis and the follow up, 16 patients had died, four of complications related to IBD. Of the remaining 830 patients, 98% (814/830) were available for follow up, 93% (772/830) attended a clinical examination which included a colonoscopy in 77% (637/830), and the remainder had had a telephone interview, or reassessment based on hospital records, or both. Twenty seven patients were reclassified as not having IBD (3%), and 65 patients were characterised as possible IBD (8%). Of the patients initially classified as UC, 88% had their diagnosis confirmed, compared with 91% with an initial diagnosis of CD. In patients with indeterminate colitis, 33% were classified as definite UC and 17% as CD. This reclassification of patients yielded a corrected annual incidence of 12.8 for UC and 6.0 for CD. CONCLUSION: At follow up one to two years after the diagnosis of IBD, the initial incidence was only marginally altered. This is probably due to uniform inclusion criteria and careful diagnostic methods. The study also illustrates the importance of the re-evaluation of the initial diagnosis as close to 10%, both among patients with UC and CD, were reclassified at follow up.

Background: Standardized criteria for Crohn's disease (CD) have only recently been developed, and prospective community-based incidence studies have been performed only during the past 3 decades. Geographic variations in incidence may therefore be due to differences in study design. Methods: From 1 January 1990 to 31 December 1993 all new cases of CD in four counties in southeastern Norway were prospectively registered. Results: A total of 225 new cases yielded an annual incidence of 5.8/105, with the highest incidence in mixed rural-urban areas. A peak of 11.2/105 in the annual incidence was found for the age group 15 to 24 years, with no significant differences in the overall annual incidence by gender. An average duration of 6 months of disease before diagnosis was unchanged during the 4 years. About half of the patients had isolated colonic disease, and one-quarter had isolated small-bowel disease. Conclusions: This study confirms the high incidence figures for Scandinavia, with a particularly high in...

Background: The incidence of ulcerative colitis (UC) has been difficult to interpret because prospective studies have only been performed during the past 3 decades. Geographic variations may therefore be due to differences in study design. Method: From 1 January 1990 to 31 December 1993 all new cases of UC in four counties in southeastern Norway were prospectively registered. Cases diagnosed as indeterminate colitis (IND) when endoscopy and histopathology were inconclusive or diverged with regard to diagnosis of UC or Crohn's disease (CD) were also included in the study. Results: A total of 525 cases of UC and 93 cases of IND yielded an mean annual incidence of 13.6/105 and 2.4/105, respectively. There were differences in incidence between counties, and a peak of 21.5/105 in the annual incidence was found for the age group 25 to 34 years in UC. The distribution was about equal for each of the groups proctitis and left-sided and extensive colitis. The time interval from onset of symptoms to diagnosis was 4...

To assess the feasibility of a prospective incidence study of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), the registration methods and incidence figures during 1990 were evaluated. The study was a collaboration

Perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (pANCA) and anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibodies (ASCA) are proposed to be specific markers for ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). Their prevalence and relationship to disease phenotype and outcome in unselected cohorts of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), however, is largely unclear. We studied the prevalence of these serologic markers in a population-based IBD cohort 10 years after diagnosis, and examined whether their presence could be related to distinct subgroups and outcome of disease.Of 685 living IBD patients, 620 met for a 10-year follow-up, of whom 526 (UC, n = 357 and CD, n = 169) participated in this study.Twenty-seven percent (n = 46) of CD patients were ASCA-positive and 31% (n = 109) of UC patients were pANCA-positive. Positive ASCA was more frequent in CD patients with stricturing (P = 0.003) or penetrating (P = 0.012) complications than in those with inflammatory behavior at diagnosis. Moreover, the presence of ASCA was associated with an at least twice higher risk of evolving more severe disease behavior during follow-up (P0.001). In UC, pANCA expression was related to female gender (P = 0.005) and the use of azathioprine (P0.001), and in CD, to colon-limited disease and age/=40 years at diagnosis (P = 0.009 and P = 0.001, respectively).The prevalence of ASCA in CD and pANCA in UC appears markedly lower than in referral-based populations. Even with the low prevalence, our study gives further support to the role of ASCA and pANCA as markers for distinct phenotype and outcome of disease.

Magnetic resonance imaging of the small bowel with an oral contrast (MRI per os) is believed to generate fewer adverse symptoms compared with installation of the contrast in a nasojejunal catheter (MRE). However, there is very little evidence to support this assumption. The aim of this study was to evaluate the compliance of patients examined with both of these MRI methods.Patients with suspected or known Crohn's disease referred for MRI of the small bowel underwent both MRI per os and MRE within 7 days. A questionnaire was answered immediately and 24 h after the procedure. Adverse symptoms were graded on a visual analogue scale (VAS). Responses were compared with paired and independent sample t-tests and signed-rank tests. Correlation of each symptom to the overall discomfort was evaluated with Spearman's correlation coefficient.Thirty-eight patients (18 F, 20 M) were included in the analysis. Abdominal pain and discomfort were lower with MRI per os than with MRE (mean VAS pain score immediately after: 10 mm and 33 mm, respectively, p0.001; mean VAS discomfort score 24 h after: 18 mm and 62 mm, respectively, p0.001). Nausea and abdominal pain were correlated with overall discomfort after MRI per os (r = 0.56 for both, p0.001). No symptoms were significantly correlated with discomfort experienced with MRE. More patients accepted repeat MRI per os examination (n = 36) than MRE (n = 22, p = 0.001).Patients preferred and experienced less abdominal pain and discomfort with MRI per os than with MRE.

Background & Aims: Most studies concerning the clinical course in CD are retrospective or based on selected patient groups. Our aim was to assess the course of CD in a prospective population-based follow-up study and to identify possible prognostic risk factors for complications on the basis of information obtained at initial diagnosis. Methods: From 1990 –1994, a population-based cohort of 843 new cases of inflammatory bowel disease was recruited in South-Eastern Norway. The cohort was systematically followed up at 1, 5, and 10 years after diagnosis. Results: Of 237 patients classified as CD, 197 completed the 10 years of follow-up, 18 died, and 22 were lost to follow-up. The cumulative relapse rate during the first 10 years was 90% (95% confidence interval, 86%–94%), and the cumulative probability of surgery was 37.9% (95% confidence interval, 31.4%– 44.4%). Terminal ileal location (P < .001), stricturing (P .004), penetrating behavior (P < .001), and age younger than 40 years (P .03) at diagnosis were independent risk factors for subsequent surgery. A total of 53% (n 105) of the patients had developed stricturing or penetrating disease at 10 years. A large proportion of patients (44%) were in clinical remission during the last 5 years of follow-up. Conclusions: The prognosis for CD seems better than previously reported. The probability of surgery was low, and fewer than expected developed complicated disease behavior. Nevertheless, the cumulative relapse rate of 90% and the finding of prognostic risk factors for subsequent surgery might call for attention to early effective medical treatment strategies.

Background: We compared health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in a population-based cohort of Norwegian patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with a normal reference population by means of the short form-36 (SF-36) questionnaire, including the effect of age, sex, educational status, and symptom severity and the psychometric properties of the questionnaire. Methods: The SF-36 was self-administered and was answered by the patients at the hospital at 2 occasions that were 6 months apart. Results: Five hundred fourteen patients with IBD were eligible for analysis: 348 with ulcerative colitis (UC) and 166 with Crohn's disease (CD). The comparison group consisted of 2323 Norwegian people. The dimension scores for SF-36 were significantly lower in 6 of 8 dimensions for patients with UC and in 7 of 8 dimensions for patients with CD than for the reference population. In both patients with UC and patients with CD, we found lower scores in elderly patients, which also was found in the background population. Women scored lower than men in all dimension scores. In both patients with UC and patients with CD, there was a statistically significant reduction in HRQOL score with increasing symptoms. The SF-36 has satisfactory reliability and discriminant ability for scores for all dimensions in both patients with UC and patients with CD. However, when measuring responsiveness, the figures were generally low. This finding, together with the high ceiling effects, may indicate that the SF-36 has limitations regarding detecting deterioration or improvement over time. Conclusion: We have shown that HRQOL in a Norwegian population-based cohort of patients with IBD, measured with the SF-36, is lower than that of a Norwegian reference population. In general, the SF-36 was found to have satisfactory psychometric properties in this IBD population.

The clinical course and prognosis in ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) have been described in many studies, mostly retrospective. Such studies are hampered by problems such as inclusion over a long time period, proper definitions, incomplete case records, and outdated methods of diagnosis. In a prospective study we identified 846 patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) over a 4-year period from 1990 to 1993. Uniform diagnostic and therapeutic strategies were used as a basis for later assessment of the short-term clinical course in different subgroups of UC and CD and analysis of potential risk factors for relapse or surgery.At the time of follow-up, a mean of 16.2 months after diagnosis, 496 UC patients and 232 CD patients, altogether 98%, were available for evaluation. A colonoscopy was performed in 88% (410 of 465) of the UC patients attending a clinical examination and in 76% (164 of 216) of the CD patients.Eleven patients with UC and five patients with CD died during follow-up, four of complications related to IBD. The cumulative 1-year relapse rate in the remaining patients was 50% for UC and 47% for CD. Of the patients with relapses 11 % of the UC patients and 10% of the CD patients had a chronic relapsing course without any difference with regard to the various disease categories in UC or CD. An increased risk of relapse was found in patients less than 50 years old only in UC. In UC a higher risk for surgery was found in patients with extensive colitis compared with left-sided colitis (P = 0.011), and CD patients with small-bowel involvement had a higher risk of surgery than patients with disease confined to the colon (P = 0.021). There was no excess risk of relapse or surgery in smokers as compared with non-smokers or former smokers, nor did the risk of relapse vary with the level of cigarette consumption in either UC or CD patients.The high relapse rate of around 50% for both UC and CD calls for a review of the existing treatment. Further follow-up will be necessary to improve our ability to make clinical decisions relating to medical and surgical treatment options.