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Introduction: In the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), we have biologic therapies administered intravenously and subcutaneously. Recently, some drugs can be administered by either of these routes. The real impact that intravenous administration has on the perception of the disease and the personal and work life of the patient is unknown., Methods: All IBD patients receiving intravenous infliximab treatment for at least 6 months were anonymously invited to participate. They were provided with a specific structured questionnaire with visual analogue scales (0-10) at two reference centers in the Barcelona area., Results: A total of 90 patients with a median age of 45 years (36-56) and a median infliximab treatment duration of 48 months (24-84) were included. The visit and therapy with infliximab in the day hospital were globally well evaluated (9, IQR 7-10). 78% of patients combined day hospital stays with other activities (26% employment). The personal impact was generally low (4, IQR 0-5.8), but the patient's job was threatened in 43% of patients on intensified treatment., Conclusions: The intravenous administration of biologic drugs on an outpatient basis is highly satisfactory among IBD patients. The impact on the work sphere appears to be more pronounced than on the personal sphere, an aspect that should be considered in shared decision-making with the patient., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Biological therapies used for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have shown to be effective and safe, although these results were obtained from studies involving mostly a young population, who are generally included in clinical trials. The aim of our study was to determine the efficacy and safety of the different biological treatments in the elderly population., Methods: Multicenter study was carried out in the GETECCU group. Patients diagnosed with IBD and aged over 65 years at the time of initiating biological therapy (infliximab, adalimumab, golimumab, ustekinumab or vedolizumab) were retrospectively included. Among the patients included, clinical response was assessed after drug induction (12 weeks of treatment) and at 52 weeks. Patients' colonoscopy data in week 52 were assessment, where available. Regarding complications, development of oncological events during follow-up and infectious processes occurring during biological treatment were collected (excluding bowel infection by cytomegalovirus)., Results: A total of 1090 patients were included. After induction, at approximately 12-14 weeks of treatment, 419 patients (39.6%) were in clinical remission, 502 patients (47.4%) had responded without remission and 137 patients (12.9%) had no response. At 52 weeks of treatment 442 patients (57.1%) had achieved clinical remission, 249 patients had responded without remission (32.2%) and 53 patients had no response to the treatment (6.8%). Before 52 weeks, 129 patients (14.8%) had discontinued treatment due to inefficacy, this being significantly higher (p<0.0001) for Golimumab - 9 patients (37.5%) - compared to the other biological treatments analyzed. With respect to tumor development, an oncological event was observed in 74 patients (6.9%): 30 patients (8%) on infliximab, 23 (7.14%) on adalimumab, 3 (11.1%) on golimumab, 10 (6.4%) on ustekinumab, and 8 (3.8%) on vedolizumab. The incidence was significantly lower (p=0.04) for the vedolizumab group compared to other treatments. As regards infections, these occurred in 160 patients during treatment (14.9%), with no differences between the different biologicals used (p=0.61): 61 patients (19.4%) on infliximab, 39 (12.5%) on adalimumab, 5 (17.8%) on golimumab, 22 (14.1%) on ustekinumab, and 34 (16.5%) on vedolizumab., Conclusions: Biological drug therapies have response rates in elderly patients similar to those described in the general population, Golimumab was the drug that was discontinued most frequently due to inefficacy. In our experience, tumor development was more frequent in patients who used anti-TNF therapies compared to other targets, although its incidence was generally low and that this is in line with younger patients based on previous literature., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Background and Aims: Inflammatory pouch disorders exhibit a heterogeneous clinical spectrum and therapeutic requirements have not been properly studied., Methods: This retrospective, multicentre study included ulcerative colitis patients with ileal pouch construction and were later diagnosed with an inflammatory pouch disorder between 1995 and 2020. Classifications, behaviour and therapies applied were recorded and compared in the long-term., Results: Overall, 338 patients were recruited. The most common disorders were pouchitis (n = 258, 76%), Crohn's disease of the pouch (n = 55, 16%) and cuffitis (n = 25, 7%). Pouchitis presented mainly as chronic (65.2%) and recurrent (87%) forms. Crohn's disease manifested as stricturing/penetrating in 53% of cases and perianal disease in 42%. Patients received multiple therapies: 86% antibiotics, 42% steroids, 27% immunosuppressants, 43% biologics and 27% surgery. Compared with pouchitis, Crohn's disease of the pouch was characterised by a later diagnosis (99 vs. 55 months, p < 0.001) and greater needs for immunosuppressants (OR 3.53, 1.79-6.94, p < 0.0001), biologics (OR 5.45, 2.78-10.6, p < 0.0001) and surgeries (OR 2.65, 1.43-4.89, p < 0.001)., Conclusions: Chronic pouchitis is the most common pouch disorder presentation. These entities have diverse therapeutics requirements, particularly for Crohn's disease of the pouch., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest F. Mesonero has served as a speaker for and received consulting fees from MSD, AbbVie, Takeda, Janssen, Pfizer, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Kern Pharma, Dr. Falk Pharma, Galapagos, Chiesi Farmaceutici and Faes Farma. - Y. Zabana has received support for conference attendance, speaker fees, research support and consulting fees from AbbVie, Adacyte Therapeutics, Almirall, Amgen, Dr. Falk Pharma, Faes Farma, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Janssen, MSD, Otsuka, Pfizer, Shire, Takeda, Galapagos, Boehringer Ingelheim and Tillotts Pharma AG. - A. Fernández-Clotet has served as a speaker for and received educational funding from Dr. Falk Pharma, Janssen, Takeda, Chiesi Farmaceutici and Pfizer. - B. Caballol has served as a speaker for and received consulting fees from MSD, AbbVie, Janssen, Takeda, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Shire Pharmaceuticals and Faes Pharma. - E. Leo-Carnerero has served as a speaker and consultant for and received educational funding from AbbVie, Janssen, Takeda, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Gilead, Pfizer and Dr. Falk Pharma. - M. J. García has received financial support for travel and educational activities from Janssen, Pfizer, AbbVie, Takeda, Kern Pharma, Faes Farma and Ferring Pharmaceuticals. - R. Ferreiro-Iglesias has received support for conference attendance, speaker fees, research support and consulting fees from AbbVie, Adacyte Therapeutics, Dr. Falk Pharma, Faes Farma, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Janssen, MSD, Kern, Chiesi Farmaceutici, Gebro Pharma, Pfizer, Shire, Takeda and Tillotts Pharma AG. - M. Calafat has received support for conference attendance, speaker fees, research support and consulting fees from AbbVie, Adacyte Therapeutics, Dr. Falk Pharma, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Janssen, Pfizer, Takeda, Gilead, Chiesi Farmaceutici and Tillotts Pharma AG. - J. Miranda has received support for conference attendance, speaker fees and consulting and advisory fees from AbbVie, Adacyte Therapeutics, Dr. Falk Pharma, Faes Farma, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Janssen, Pfizer, Takeda and Tillotts Pharma AG. - L. Torrealba has served as a speaker for and received educational funding from AbbVie, Janssen, Takeda, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Gilead, Pfizer, Dr. Falk Pharma and Tillotts Pharma AG. - R. Sáiz-Chumillas has served as a speaker for and received consulting fees from Janssen, Ferring Pharmaceuticals and Faes Farma. - A. López has received support for conference attendance, educational funding and speaker fees from Chiesi Farmaceutici, AbbVie, Janssen, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Takeda, Pfizer and Tillotts Pharma AG. - C. Rubín de Célix has received educational funding from Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Tillotts Pharma AG, AbbVie, Norgine, MSD, Pfizer, Takeda and Janssen and is supported by a grant from the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Río Hortega CM21/00025) and co-financed by the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) ‘Co-financed by the European Union’. - E. Brunet has served as a speaker and consultant for and received educational funding from Janssen, Takeda, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Kern Pharma, AbbVie and Chiesi Farmaceutici. - A. Hernández has served as a speaker for and received educational funding from AbbVie, Takeda, Kern Pharma, Pfizer, Janssen, Adacyte Therapeutics, Chiesi Farmaceutici, Galapagos and Ferring Pharmaceuticals. - I. González-Partida has received support for conference attendance and speaker fees from AbbVie, Dr. Falk Pharma, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Janssen, MSD, Kern, Pfizer, Shire, Takeda and Tillotts Pharma AG. - I. Rodríguez-Lago has received financial support for travel and educational activities from or has served as an advisory board member for AbbVie, Adacyte Therapeutics, Celltrion, Chiesi Farmaceutici, Danone, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Faes Farma, Janssen, Galapagos, MSD, Otsuka Pharmaceutical, Pfizer, Roche, Takeda and Tillotts Pharma. I. R.-L. has also received financial support for research from Tillotts Pharma AG and is supported by research grants from Gobierno Vasco – Eusko Jaurlaritza (grant no. 2020111061) and Biobizkaia HRI (grant no. BCB/I/LIB/22/008). - M. C. Rodríguez-Grau has served as a speaker for Takeda, Shire Pharmaceutics and Dr. Falk Pharma and has received education funding from Pfizer, Takeda, Janssen, MSD, Dr. Falk Pharma, Shire Pharmaceutics, Mylan, Norgine, Chiesi Farmaceutici, Faes Farma, Ferring Pharmaceuticals and AbbVie. - A. Elosua has served as a speaker for or has received educational funding from AbbVie, Adacyte Therapeutics, Takeda, Faes Farma, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Janssen and Tillotts Pharma AG. - J. Huguet has received fees for educational activities, research projects, scientific meetings and advisory boards sponsored by MSD, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, AbbVie, Janssen, Biogen, Sandoz, Kern Pharma, Faes Farma and Takeda. - M. Barreiro de Acosta has served as a speaker, consultant and advisory member for and has received research funding from MSD, AbbVie, Janssen, Kern Pharma, Celltrion, Takeda, Gilead, Galapagos, BMS, Celgene, Pfizer, Sandoz, Biogen, Fresenius, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Faes Farma, Dr. Falk Pharma, Chiesi Farmaceutici, Gebro Pharma, Adacyte Therapeutics and Vifor Pharma. Remaining authors declare that they have no known competing financial interest or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background and Aims: Familial inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) history is a controversial prognostic factor in IBD. We aimed to evaluate the impact of a familial history of IBD on the use of medical and surgical treatments in the biological era., Methods: Patients included in the prospectively maintained ENEIDA database and diagnosed with IBD after 2005 were included. Familial forms were defined as those cases with at least one first-degree relative diagnosed with IBD. Disease phenotype, the use of biological agents, or surgical treatments were the main outcomes., Results: A total of 5263 patients [2627 Crohn's disease (CD); 2636 ulcerative colitis (UC)] were included, with a median follow-up of 31 months. Of these, 507 (10%) corresponded to familial forms. No clinical differences were observed between familial and sporadic IBD forms except a lower age at IBD diagnosis and a higher rate of males in familial forms of UC. In CD, the proportions of patients treated with thiopurines (54.4% vs 46.7%; P = .015) and survival time free of thiopurines (P = .009) were lower in familial forms. No differences were found regarding the use of biological agents. Concerning surgery, a higher rate of intestinal resections was observed in sporadic CD (14.8% vs 9.9%, P = .027). No differences were observed in UC., Conclusions: In the era of biological therapies, familial and sporadic forms of IBD show similar phenotypes and are managed medically in a similar way; whether these is due to lack of phenotypical differences or an effect of biological therapies is uncertain. What is already known on this topic: IBD's etiopathogenesis points to an interaction between environmental and genetic factors, being familial history a controversial prognostic factor. Biological agents use and need for surgery regarding familial or sporadic forms of IBDs present conflicting results. What this study adds: Familial and sporadic forms of IBD have similar phenotypes and are managed medically and surgically in a similar way. How this study might affect research, practice or policy: Familial aggregation should not be considered a factor associated with more aggressive disease., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Fellowship of Postgraduate Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: The response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination decreases in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients, specially under anti-TNF treatment. However, data on medium-term effectiveness are limited, specially using new recommended seroconversion rate (>260BAU/mL). Our aim was to evaluate the 6-month>260 BAU-seroconversion rate after full vaccination and after booster-dose., Methods: VACOVEII is a Spanish multicenter, prospective study promoted by GETECCU. IBD patients full vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 and without previous COVID-19 infection, treated or not with immunosuppressants, were included. The booster dose was administered 6 months after the full vaccination. Seroconversion was set at 260BAU/mL, according to most recent recommendations and was assessed 6 months after the full vaccination and 6 months after booster-dose., Results: Between October 2021 and March 2022, 313 patients were included (124 no treatment or mesalazine; 55 immunomodulators; 87 anti-TNF; 19 anti-integrin; and 28 ustekinumab). Most patients received mRNA-vaccines (86%). Six months after full vaccination, overall seroconversion rate was 44.1%, being significantly lower among patients on anti-TNF (19.5%, p<0.001) and ustekinumab (35.7%, p=0.031). The seroconversion rate after booster was 92%. Again, anti-TNF patients had a significantly lower seroconversion rate (67%, p<0.001). mRNA-vaccine improved seroconversion rate (OR 11.720 [95% CI 2.26-60.512])., Conclusion: The full vaccination regimen achieves suboptimal response in IBD patients, specially among those anti-TNF or ustekinumab. The booster dose improves seroconversion rate in all patients, although it remains limited in those treated with anti-TNF. These results reinforce the need to prioritize future booster doses in patients on immunosuppressants therapy, specially under anti-TNF, and using mRNA-vaccines., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Background: Ulcerative proctitis (UP) can have a milder, less aggressive course than left-sided colitis or extensive colitis. Therefore, immunosuppressants tend to be used less in patients with this condition. Evidence, however, is scarce because these patients are excluded from randomised controlled clinical trials. Our aim was to describe the characteristics of patients with refractory UP and their disease-related complications, and to identify the need for immunosuppressive therapies., Methods: We identified patients with UP from the prospective ENEIDA registry sponsored by the GETECCU. We evaluated socio-demographic data and complications associated with immunosuppression. We defined immunosuppression as the use of immunomodulators, biologics and/or small molecules. We used logistic regression to identify factors associated with immunosuppressive therapy., Results: From a total of 34,716 patients with ulcerative colitis, we identified 6281 (18.1%) with UP; mean ± SD age 53 ± 15 years, average disease duration of 12 ± 9 years. Immunosuppression was prescribed in 11% of patients, 4.2% needed one biologic agent and 1% needed two; 2% of patients required hospitalisation, and 0.5% underwent panproctocolectomy or subtotal colectomy. We identified 0.2% colorectal tumours and 5% extracolonic tumours. Patients with polyarthritis (OR 3.56, 95% CI 1.86-6.69; p < 0.001) required immunosuppressants., Conclusions: Among patients with refractory UP, 11% required immunosuppressant therapy, and 4.2% required at least one biologic agent., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objective: The recommendations of the Spanish Ministry of Health on vaccination in risk groups include mesalazine among the treatments with a possible negative effect on its effectiveness. However, this is not the recommendation of most experts. Our objective was to evaluate the effect of mesalazine on the humoral response to the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)., Methods: VACOVEII is a Spanish, prospective, multicenter study promoted by GETECCU, which evaluates the effectiveness of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in patients with IBD. This study includes IBD patients who have recieved the full vaccination schedule and without previous COVID-19 infection. Seroconversion was set at 260BAU/mL (centralized determination) and was assessed 6 months after full vaccination. In this subanalysis of the study, we compare the effectiveness of the vaccine between patients treated with mesalazine and patients without treatment., Results: A total of 124 patients without immunosuppressive therapy were included, of which 32 did not receive any treatment and 92 received only mesalazine. Six months after full vaccination, no significant differences are observed in the mean concentrations of IgG anti-S between both groups. In the multivariate analysis, antibody titers were independently associated with the use of mRNA vaccines and with SARS-CoV-2 infection., Conclusion: Mesalazine does not have a negative effect on the response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in IBD patients., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Background: Early endoscopic evaluation is recommended for assessment of postoperative recurrence (POR) of Crohn's disease (CD) but no further monitoring recommendations are available., Aim: To evaluate the long-term outcome of patients without endoscopic POR at first endoscopic assessment., Methods: Retrospective four-centre study including consecutive CD patients with ileocolonic resection (ICR) without endoscopic POR (Rutgeerts score i0-i1) at first endoscopic assessment performed within 18 months from ICR. All patients had a clinical follow-up ≥24 months and at least one further endoscopic assessment. Main outcomes were endoscopic, clinical and surgical POR, need for rescue therapy and "delayed POR" (any need for rescue therapy or clinical or surgical POR) during follow-up., Results: Overall, 183 patients were included (79% with risk factors for POR, 44% without postoperative prophylaxis). Endoscopic POR was observed in 42% of patients. Clinical POR-free survival was 89.4% and 81.5% at 3 and 5 years, and delayed POR-free survival was 76.9% and 63.4% at 5 and 10 years, respectively. In multivariate analysis, postoperative prophylaxis (HR .55; 95% CI .325-.942) and active smoking (HR 1.72; 95%CI 1.003-2.962) were independent risk factors for clinical POR, whereas presence of mild endoscopic lesions at index ileocolonoscopy (i1) was the only risk factor for delayed POR (HR 1.824; 95% CI 1.108-3.002)., Conclusions: Long-term risk of POR among patients with no or mild endoscopic lesions at first ileocolonoscopy after surgery is steadily low, being higher among smokers, in the absence of postoperative prophylaxis and when mild endoscopic lesions are observed in the first endoscopic assessment., (© 2024 Stichting European Society for Clinical Investigation Journal Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: The growing incidence of lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB) is leading to a rise in-hospital admissions even though most LGIB episodes are self-limiting. The Oakland and SHA 2 PE scores were designed to identify patients best suited to outpatient care. Our aim is explore the validity of the SHA 2 PE score and compare both of these scores in terms of predictiveness of safe discharge., Methods: Retrospective observational study of LGIB patients admitted to a tertiary hospital between June 2014 and June 2019. Safe discharge was defined as the absence of all the following: blood transfusion, haemostatic intervention, re-bleeding, in-hospital death, and re-admission due to LGIB within 28 days after discharge., Results: From 595 hospital admissions for LGIB, 398 episodes were included. Fifty-four per cent met safe discharge criteria, with these cases being younger, with a lower score in the Charlson's index and significantly higher haemoglobin concentration upon arrival. The performance of both scores was good, with an AUC for the Oakland score of 0.85 (95% CI 0.82-0.89) and of 0.797 (95% CI 0.75-0.84) for the SHA 2 PE score. The Oakland score performed better in terms of prediction of safe discharge, with a positive predictive value and specificity of 100% when a cut-off value of ≤ 8 points was used; however, only a minority of patients might benefit from its implementation given its low sensitivity., Conclusions: Almost half of the patients admitted for LGIB met criteria for safe discharge. However, the available indexes only allow for the identification of a small proportion of those patients candidates for outpatient care., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: The coexistence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is uncommon. Data on the impact of HIV on IBD course and its management is scarce., Aim: To describe the IBD phenotype, therapeutic requirements and prevalence of opportunistic infections (OI) in IBD patients with a coexistent HIV infection., Methods: Case-control, retrospective study including all HIV positive patients diagnosed with IBD in the ENEIDA registry. Patients with positive HIV serology (HIV-IBD) were compared to controls (HIV seronegative), matched 1:3 by year of IBD diagnosis, age, gender and type of IBD., Results: A total of 364 patients (91 HIV-IBD and 273 IBD controls) were included. In the whole cohort, 58% had ulcerative colitis (UC), 35% had Crohn's disease (CD) and 7% were IBD unclassified. The HIV-IBD group presented a significantly higher proportion of proctitis in UC and colonic location in CD but fewer extraintestinal manifestations than controls. Regarding treatments, non-biological therapies (37.4% vs. 57.9%; P=0.001) and biologicals (26.4% vs. 42.1%; P=0.007), were used less frequently among patients in the HIV-IBD group. Conversely, HIV-IBD patients developed more OI than controls regardless of non-biological therapies use. In the multivariate analysis, HIV infection (OR 4.765, 95%CI 2.48-9.14; P<0.001) and having ≥1 comorbidity (OR 2.445, 95%CI 1.23-4.85; P=0.010) were risk factors for developing OI, while CD was protective (OR 0.372, 95%CI 0.18-0.78;P=0.009)., Conclusions: HIV infection appears to be associated with a less aggressive phenotype of IBD and a lesser use of non-biological therapies and biologicals but entails a greater risk of developing OI., (Copyright © 2024 by The American College of Gastroenterology.)

Background: Herpes zoster (HZ) is a prevalent disease caused by the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus (VZV) and associated with chronic morbidity, particularly with post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN). Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been associated with an increased risk of HZ, mainly when immunosuppressive treatment (IMT) is used. However, studies assessing the risk of HZ in IBD are scarce., Aims: To evaluate the incidence rate and risk factors of HZ in IBD., Methods: Retrospective study in IBD patients with a positive VVZ serology from two referral hospitals from the area of Barcelona. Diagnosis of HZ and its clinical features were recorded., Results: A total of 398 IBD patients with a positive IgG-VVZ serology were identified. Fifty-eight percent of the patients received IMT (46.5% immunosuppressants monotherapy, 20.6% biologics monotherapy and, 32.7% combination therapy). After a median follow-up of 71 months (IQR 41.5-138.0), 17 (4.3%) patients developed HZ (cumulative incidence of 5.2 per 1000 person-year), 12 of them (70.6%) while receiving IMT. Median age at HZ episode was 38 years (IQR 27.5-52.5). Two (11%) developed PHN. Biological therapy was the only risk factor for developing HZ (OR 3.8 IC 95% 1.3-11.5; p=0.018)., Conclusions: HZ is quite prevalent in IBD, occurring at early ages and particularly among patients using IMT. NPH appears to occur in a notable proportion of cases., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Background: Faecal calprotectin (FC) shows an excellent correlation with endoscopic and histological activity of ulcerative colitis (UC) and it is the best predictor of clinical relapse. Our aim was to evaluate the usefulness of modifying the dose of mesalazine based on FC levels, in clinical practice., Methods: Retrospective, single-centre study in UC patients in clinical remission while treated with mesalazine which dosage was decreased (DOWN) or increased (UP) according to FC levels. The main endpoint was the long-term maintenance of clinical remission., Results: A total of 56 patients were included (39 DOWN, 17 UP). In the DOWN group, the median baseline dose of mesalazine was 3.6g/day and the median baseline FC was 36μg/g. After a median follow-up of 22 months, 28% required rescue therapy. The cumulative relapse-free survival after tapering was 91% and 82% at 12 and 24 months, respectively. In the UP group, the median baseline dose of mesalazine was 2.4g/day, with a median baseline FC of 524μg/g. After a median follow-up of 12 months, 29% required rescue therapy. The cumulative relapse-free survival after dose increase was 86% and 72% at 12 and 24 months, respectively., Conclusions: Mesalazine dose modification based on FC monitoring seems to be a safe strategy in patients with UC in clinical remission, with a probability of clinical relapse around 20% at two years., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Background: The diagnosis of coeliac disease (CD) in adults is based on clinical, serological and histological criteria. The inappropriate performance of intestinal biopsies, non-specificity of mild histological lesions and initiation of a gluten-free diet (GFD) before biopsy may hamper the diagnosis. In these situations, determining the intraepithelial lymphogram of the duodenum by flow cytometry (IEL-FC) can be helpful., Objectives: To describe the clinical scenarios in which the IEL-FC is used and its impact on the diagnosis of CD., Methods: All adult patients with suspected CD at three tertiary centres for whom the duodenal histology and IEL-FC were available were identified. Catassi and Fasano's diagnostic criteria and changes to a CD diagnosis after the IEL-FCs were collected., Results: A total of 348 patients were included. The following indications for an IEL-FC formed part of the initial study for CD (38%): negative conventional work-up (32%), already on a GFD before duodenal biopsies (29%) and refractoriness to a GFD (2%). The IEL-FC facilitated a definitive diagnosis in 93% of patients with an uncertain diagnosis who had had a conventional work-up for CD or who were on a GFD before histology., Conclusions: The IEL-FC facilitates the confirmation or rejection of a diagnosis of CD in clinical scenarios in which a conventional work-up may be insufficient.

Background: The advent of new therapeutic agents and the improvement of supporting care might change the management of acute severe ulcerative colitis (ASUC) and avoid colectomy., Aims: To evaluate the colectomy-free survival and safety of a third-line treatment in patients with ASUC refractory to intravenous steroids and who failed either infliximab or ciclosporin., Methods: Multicentre retrospective cohort study of patients with ASUC refractory to intravenous steroids who had failed infliximab or ciclosporin and received a third-line treatment during the same hospitalisation. Patients who stopped second-line treatment due to disease activity or adverse events (AEs) were eligible. We assessed short-term colectomy-free survival by logistic regression analysis. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression models were used for long-term assessment., Results: Among 78 patients, 32 received infliximab and 46 ciclosporin as second-line rescue treatment. Third-line treatment was infliximab in 45 (58%), ciclosporin in 17 (22%), tofacitinib in 13 (17%) and ustekinumab in 3 (3.8%). Colectomy was performed in 29 patients (37%) during follow-up (median 21 weeks). Of the 78 patients, 32 and 18 were in clinical remission at, respectively, 12 and 52 weeks. At the last visit, 25 patients were still on third-line rescue treatment, while 12 had stopped it due to clinical remission. AEs were reported in 26 (33%) patients. Two patients died (2.6%), including one following colectomy., Conclusion: Third-line rescue treatment avoided colectomy in over half of the patients with ASUC and may be considered a therapeutic strategy., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: The usefulness of thiopurines has been poorly explored in pouchitis and other pouch disorders., Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of azathioprine as maintenance therapy in inflammatory pouch disorders., Design: This was a retrospective and multicentre study., Methods: We included patients diagnosed with inflammatory pouch disorders treated with azathioprine in monotherapy. Effectiveness was evaluated at 1 year and in the long term based on normalization of stool frequency, absence of pain, faecal urgency or fistula discharge (clinical remission), or any improvement in these symptoms (clinical response). Endoscopic response was evaluated using the Pouchitis Disease Activity Index (PDAI)., Results: In all, 63 patients were included [54% males; median age, 49 (28-77) years]. The therapy was used to treat pouchitis ( n  = 37) or Crohn's disease of the pouch ( n  = 26). The rate of clinical response, remission and non-response at 12 months were 52%, 30% and 18%, respectively. After a median follow-up of 23 months (interquartile range 11-55), 19 patients (30%) were in clinical remission, and 45 (66%) stopped therapy. Endoscopic changes were evaluated in 19 cases. PDAI score decreased from 3 (range 2-4) to 1 (range 0-3). In all, 21 patients (33%) presented adverse events and 16 (25%) needed to stop therapy., Conclusion: Azathioprine may be effective in the long term for the treatment of inflammatory pouch disorders and could be included as a therapeutic option., Competing Interests: Francisco Mesonero has served as a speaker for and received consulting fees from MSD, AbbVie, Takeda, Janssen, Pfizer, Ferring, Kern-Pharma, Dr. Falk Pharma, Galapagos, Chiesi and Faes Farma. Yamile Zabana has received support for conference attendance, speaker fees, research support and consulting fees from AbbVie, Adacyte, Almirall, Amgen, Dr. Falk Pharma, FAES Pharma, Ferring, Janssen, MSD, Otsuka, Pfizer, Shire, Takeda, Galapagos, Boehringer Ingelheim and Tillots. Agnés Fernández-Clotet has served as a speaker for and received educational funding from Dr. Falk Pharma, Janssen, Takeda, Chiesi and Pfizer. Eduardo Leo-Carnerero has served as a speaker and consultant for and received educational funding from AbbVie, Janssen, Takeda, Ferring, Gilead, Pfizer and Dr. Falk Pharma. Andrea Núñez-Ortiz has received educational funding from Janssen, Takeda, Ferring and Pfizer. Berta Caballol has served as a speaker for and received consulting fees from MSD, AbbVie, Janssen, Takeda, Ferring, Shire Pharmaceuticals and Faes Pharma. Rocío Ferreiro-Iglesias has received support for conference attendance, speaker fees, research support and consulting fees from AbbVie, Adacyte, Dr. Falk Pharma, FAES Pharma, Ferring, Janssen, MSD, Kern, Chiesi, Gebro Pharma, Pfizer, Shire, Takeda and Tillots. José Miranda-Bautista has received support for conference attendance, speaker fees, and consulting and advisory fees from AbbVie, Adacyte, Dr. Falk Pharma, FAES Pharma, Ferring, Janssen, Pfizer, Takeda and Tillots. Leyanira Torrealba has served as a speaker for and received educational funding from AbbVie, Janssen, Takeda, Ferring, Gilead, Pfizer, Dr. Falk Pharma and Tillotts Pharma. Rosa María Sáiz-Chumillas has served as a speaker for and received consulting fees from Janssen, Ferring and Faes Farma. Alicia López-García has received support for conference attendance, educational funding and speaker fees from Chiesi, AbbVie, Janssen, Ferring, Takeda, Pfizer and Tillots. Cristina Rubín de Célix has received educational funding from Ferring, Tillotts Pharma, AbbVie, Norgine, MSD, Pfizer, Takeda and Janssen and is supported by a grant from the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Rio Hortega CM21/00025) and co-financed by the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) ‘Co-financed by the European Union’. Eduard Brunet has served as a speaker and consultant for and received educational funding from Janssen, Takeda, Ferring, Kern-Pharma, AbbVie and Chiesi. Alejandro Hernández-Camba has served as a speaker for and received educational funding from AbbVie, Takeda, Kern Pharma, Pfizer, Janssen, Adacyte Therapeutics, Chiesi, Galapagus and Ferring. Iago Rodríguez-Lago has received financial support for travelling and educational activities from or has served as an advisory board member for AbbVie, Adacyte, Celltrion, Chiesi, Danone, Dr. Falk Pharma, Ferring, Faes Farma, Janssen, Galapagos, MSD, Otsuka Pharmaceutical, Pfizer, Roche, Takeda and Tillotts Pharma. Iago Rodríguez-Lago has also received financial support for research from Tillotts Pharma and is supported by a research grant from Gobierno Vasco – Eusko Jaurlaritza [Grant No. 2020222004]. Alfonso Elosua has served as a speaker for and has received educational funding from AbbVie, Adacyte, Takeda, FAES Farma, Ferring, Janssen and Tillots Pharma. José María Huguet has received fees for educational activities, research projects, scientific meetings and advisory boards sponsored by MSD, Ferring, AbbVie, Janssen, Biogen, Sandoz, Kern Pharma, Faes Farma and Takeda. Manuel Barreiro-de Acosta has served as a speaker, consultant and advisory member for and has received research funding from MSD, AbbVie, Janssen, Kern Pharma, Celltrion, Takeda, Gilead, Celgene, Pfizer, Sandoz, Biogen, Fresenius, Ferring, Faes Farma, Dr. Falk Pharma, Chiesi, Gebro Pharma, Adacyte and Vifor Pharma., (© The Author(s), 2024.)

A 48-year-old man with a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis 18 years ago, under immunosuppressive treatment with azathioprine in the last 6 years due to corticosteroid dependence, was admitted to the Emergency Department due to fever of one week's evolution. Blood tests showed thrombocytopenia, CRP 96.9mg/L, ferritin 3021ng/mL and hypertriglyceridemia. Blood and urine cultures were negative. Viral serologies (hepatitis B and C, HIV, parvovirus, CMV, HSV), atypical bacteria (Borrelia, Chlamydia, Coxiella) and screening for latent tuberculosis were also negative. Thoracoabdominal CT scan only showed splenomegaly. The bone marrow aspirate revealed immature lymphoid cells and a hemophagocyte figure, fulfilling the criteria for hemophagocytic syndrome, starting corticosteroid therapy at a dose of 1mg/Kg. Subsequently, the existence of an intrasinusoidal CD3 + CD5- lymphoid infiltrate and a FISH study with isochromosome 7q was reported, a characteristic pattern of hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma (HSTCL). The study was completed with liver biopsy appreciating a 70% infiltration of T lymphocytes (50% gamma-delta) therefore the diagnosis was confirmed. Chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, etoposide) was started with the aim of considering hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Unfortunately, the patient died 6 months later.

Background: Both vedolizumab and ustekinumab are approved for the management of Crohn's disease [CD]. Data on which one would be the most beneficial option when anti-tumour necrosis factor [anti-TNF] agents fail are limited., Aims: To compare the durability, effectiveness, and safety of vedolizumab and ustekinumab after anti-TNF failure or intolerance in CD., Methods: CD patients from the ENEIDA registry who received vedolizumab or ustekinumab after anti-TNF failure or intolerance were included. Durability and effectiveness were evaluated in both the short and the long term. Effectiveness was defined according to the Harvey-Bradshaw index [HBI]. The safety profile was compared between the two treatments. The propensity score was calculated by the inverse probability weighting method to balance confounder factors., Results: A total of 835 patients from 30 centres were included, 207 treated with vedolizumab and 628 with ustekinumab. Dose intensification was performed in 295 patients. Vedolizumab [vs ustekinumab] was associated with a higher risk of treatment discontinuation (hazard ratio [HR] 2.55, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.02-3.21), adjusted by corticosteroids at baseline [HR 1.27; 95% CI: 1.00-1.62], moderate-severe activity in HBI [HR 1.79; 95% CI: 1.20-2.48], and high levels of C-reactive protein at baseline [HR 1.06; 95% CI: 1.02-1.10]. The inverse probability weighting method confirmed these results. Clinical response, remission, and corticosteroid-free clinical remission were higher with ustekinumab than with vedolizumab. Both drugs had a low risk of adverse events with no differences between them., Conclusion: In CD patients who have failed anti-TNF agents, ustekinumab seems to be superior to vedolizumab in terms of durability and effectiveness in clinical practice. The safety profile is good and similar for both treatments., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Infliximab seems to be the most efficacious of the three available anti-TNF agents for ulcerative colitis (UC) but little is known when it is used as the second anti-TNF., Objectives: To compare the clinical and treatment outcomes of a second subcutaneous or intravenous anti-TNF in UC patients., Design: Retrospective observational study., Methods: Patients from the ENEIDA registry treated consecutively with infliximab and a subcutaneous anti-TNF (or vice versa), naïve to other biological agents, were identified and grouped according to the administration route of the first anti-TNF into IVi (intravenous initially) or SCi (subcutaneous initially)., Results: Overall, 473 UC patients were included (330 IVi and 143 SCi). Clinical response at week 14 was 42.7% and 48.3% in the IVi and SCi groups (non-statistically significant), respectively. Clinical remission rates at week 52 were 32.8% and 31.4% in the IVi and SCi groups (nonsignificant differences), respectively. A propensity-matched score analysis showed a higher clinical response rate at week 14 in the SCi group and higher treatment persistence in the IVi group. Regarding long-term outcomes, dose escalation and discontinuation due to the primary failure of the first anti-TNF and more severe disease activity at the beginning of the second anti-TNF were inversely associated with clinical remission., Conclusion: The use of a second anti-TNF for UC seems to be reasonable in terms of efficacy, although it is particularly reduced in the case of the primary failure of the first anti-TNF. Whether the second anti-TNF is infliximab or subcutaneous does not seem to affect efficacy., Competing Interests: MC has served as a speaker for Takeda, Janssen, Faes Farma, and MSD; FC has served as a speaker or has received educational grants from Takeda, Janssen, MSD, and Ferring; MR has served as a speaker or has received research or educational funding or advisory fees from MSD, Abbvie, Pfizer, Takeda, and Janssen; MI has served as a speaker or has received research or educational funding or advisory fees from MSD, Janssen, Adacyte, and Takeda; LC has served as a speaker or has received research or educational funding or advisory fees from Abbvie, Dr. Falk Pharma, and Tillots Pharma; LB has served as a speaker or has received research or educational funding or advisory fees from Ikan Biotech; MBA has served as a speaker or has received research or educational funding or advisory fees from MSD, AbbVie, Janssen, Kern Pharma, Celltrion, Takeda, Gillead, Celgene, Pfizer, Sandoz, Biogen, Fresenius, Ferring, Faes Farma, Dr. Falk Pharma, Chiesi, Gebro Pharma, Adacyte, and Vifor Pharma; CG-M has received educational funding fees from AbbVie, Janssen, Pfizer, Ferring, Kern Pharma, Norgine, and Tillots Pharma; JMH has served as a speaker or has received research or educational funding or advisory fees from Merck Sharp & Dohme, Ferring, Abbvie, Janssen, Biogen, Sandoz, Kern Pharma, Faes Farma, Vifor Pharma, and Takeda; RL has served as a speaker or has received research or educational funding or advisory fees from MSD, Abbvie, Pfizer, Takeda, Janssen, and Dr. Falk; AM-C has received research or educational funding from Abbvie, Biogen, Ferring, Janssen, MSD, Takeda, Dr. Falk Pharma, and Tillotts; JPG has served as a speaker or has received research or educational funding or advisory fees from MSD, Abbvie, Pfizer, Kern Pharma, Biogen, Mylan, Takeda, Janssen, Roche, Sandoz, Celgene/Bristol Myers, Gilead/Galapagos, Lilly, Ferring, Faes Farma, Shire Pharmaceuticals, Dr. Falk Pharma, Tillotts Pharma, Chiesi, Casen Fleet, Gebro Pharma, Otsuka Pharmaceutical, Norgine, and Vifor Pharma; FG has served as a speaker or has received research or educational funding or advisory fees from Faes-Farma, Galápagos, Takeda, Pfizer, Janssen, and Abbvie; PA has served as a speaker or has received research or educational funding or advisory fees from MSD, Abbvie, Takeda, Janssen, Gebro Pharma, Tillotts Pharma, and Biogen; CT has served as a speaker or has received research or educational funding or advisory fees from MSD, AbbVie, Pfizer, Takeda, Janssen, Ferring, Faes Farma, Shire Pharmaceuticals, Dr. Falk Pharma, Galapagos, and Tillots; IR-L has served as a speaker or has received research or educational funding or advisory fees from MSD, Pfizer, Abbvie, Takeda, Janssen, Tillotts Pharma, Kern, Celltrion, Roche, Ferring, Dr. Falk Pharma, Galapagos, Otsuka Pharmaceutical, and Adacyte; MM has served as a speaker and has received research or educational funding from MSD, AbbVie, Takeda, Janssen, Ferring, and Pfizer; ED has served as a speaker or has received research or educational funding or advisory fees from AbbVie, Adacyte Therapeutics, Biogen, Celltrion, Galapagos, Gilead, Janssen, Kern Pharma, MSD, Pfizer, Roche, Samsung, Takeda, and Tillots; MJG has served as a speaker or has received research or educational funding or advisory fees from Janssen, Pfizer, Abbvie, Takeda, Kern Pharma, and Ferring; MA has served as a speaker or has received research or educational funding or advisory fees from Faes, Ferring, and Janssen, and received educational grants from Janssen; JRP has served as a speaker or has received research or educational funding or advisory fees from MSD, AbbVie, and Tillots Pharma; FB received educational funding fees from AbbVie, Janssen, Pfizer, Ferring, Kern Pharma, Norgine, and Tillots Pharma. The remaining authors declared no conflicts of interest., (© The Author(s), 2024.)

Introduction: Risk factors for developing pancreatitis due to thiopurines in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are not clearly identified. Our aim was to evaluate the predictive pharmacogenetic risk of pancreatitis in IBD patients treated with thiopurines., Methods: We conducted an observational pharmacogenetic study of acute pancreatitis events in a cohort study of IBD patients treated with thiopurines from the prospectively maintained ENEIDA registry biobank of GETECCU. Samples were obtained and the CASR, CEL, CFTR, CDLN2, CTRC, SPINK1, CPA1, and PRSS1 genes, selected based on their known association with pancreatitis, were fully sequenced., Results: Ninety-five cases and 105 controls were enrolled; a total of 57% were women. Median age at pancreatitis diagnosis was 39 years. We identified 81 benign variants (50 in cases and 67 in controls) and a total of 35 distinct rare pathogenic and unknown significance variants (10 in CEL, 21 in CFTR, 1 in CDLN2, and 3 in CPA1). None of the cases or controls carried pancreatitis-predisposing variants within the CASR, CPA1, PRSS1, and SPINK1 genes, nor a pathogenic CFTR mutation. Four different variants of unknown significance were detected in the CDLN and CPA1 genes; one of them was in the CDLN gene in a single patient with pancreatitis and 3 in the CPA1 gene in 5 controls. After the analysis of the variants detected, no significant differences were observed between cases and controls., Conclusion: In patients with IBD, genes known to cause pancreatitis seem not to be involved in thiopurine-related pancreatitis onset., (© 2024 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Background: Oral anticoagulation in non-valvular atrial fibrillation is associated with an increased risk of bleeding, particularly gastrointestinal bleeding, leading to treatment withdrawal in up to 50% of patients and putting them at risk of embolic events. Left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) can be an alternative to chronic anticoagulation. We aim to describe the impact of LAAC in patients with gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) or chronic iron deficiency anaemia (CIDA) on healthcare resources consumption., Methods: Observational retrospective study of patients who underwent LAAC for GIB or CIDA at a single centre., Results: Nineteen patients with a median age of 74 years and a median Charlson score of six points were included in the study. Angiodysplasias were the most frequent cause of GIB or CIDA. The procedural success rate of LAAC was 100% with a median anticoagulant and antiplatelet treatment duration of 92 days. One year after the LAAC, we found a significant improvement in the lowest haemoglobin concentration and a reduction in the number of red blood cells transfusion, hospital admissions due to GIB and CIDA and the number of endoscopic examinations. One patient died due to a pulmonary thromboembolism. No deaths related to GIB were observed., Conclusions: LAAC seems to be a safe and effective alternative to anticoagulation in patients with GIB or CIDA., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The objective of this study was to assess the durability, short-term and long-term effectiveness, and safety of tofacitinib in ulcerative colitis (UC) in clinical practice., Methods: This is a retrospective multicenter study including patients with UC who had received the first tofacitinib dose at least 8 weeks before the inclusion. Clinical effectiveness was based on partial Mayo score., Results: A total of 408 patients were included. Of them, 184 (45%) withdrew tofacitinib during follow-up (mean = 18 months). The probability of maintaining tofacitinib was 67% at 6 m, 58% at 12 m, and 49% at 24 m. The main reason for tofacitinib withdrawal was primary nonresponse (44%). Older age at the start of tofacitinib and a higher severity of clinical activity were associated with tofacitinib withdrawal. The proportion of patients in remission was 38% at week 4, 45% at week 8, and 47% at week 16. Having moderate-to-severe vs mild disease activity at baseline and older age at tofacitinib start were associated with a lower and higher likelihood of remission at week 8, respectively. Of 171 patients in remission at week 8, 83 (49%) relapsed. The probability of maintaining response was 66% at 6 m and 54% at 12 m. There were 93 adverse events related to tofacitinib treatment (including 2 pulmonary thromboembolisms [in patients with risk factors] and 2 peripheral vascular thrombosis), and 29 led to tofacitinib discontinuation., Discussion: Tofacitinib is effective in both short-term and long-term in patients with UC. The safety profile is similar to that previously reported., (Copyright © 2023 by The American College of Gastroenterology.)

Background and Aims: Data on the outcomes after switching from adalimumab (ADA) originator to ADA biosimilar are limited. The aim was to compare the treatment persistence, clinical efficacy, and safety outcomes in inflammatory bowel disease patients who maintained ADA originator vs. those who switched to ADA biosimilar., Methods: Patients receiving ADA originator who were in clinical remission at standard dose of ADA originator were included. Patients who maintained ADA originator formed the non-switch cohort (NSC), and those who switched to different ADA biosimilars constituted the switch cohort (SC). Clinical remission was defined as a Harvey-Bradshaw index ≤4 in Crohn's disease and a partial Mayo score ≤2 in ulcerative colitis. To control possible confounding effects on treatment discontinuation, an inverse probability treatment weighted proportional hazard Cox regression was performed., Results: Five hundred and twenty-four patients were included: 211 in the SC and 313 in the NSC. The median follow-up was 13 months in the SC and 24 months in the NSC (p < 0.001). The incidence rate of ADA discontinuation was 8% and 7% per patient-year in the SC and in the NSC, respectively (p > 0.05). In the multivariate analysis, switching from ADA originator to ADA biosimilar was not associated with therapy discontinuation. The incidence rate of relapse was 8% per patient-year in the SC and 6% per patient-year in the NSC (p > 0.05). Six percent of the patients had adverse events in the SC vs. 5% in the NSC (p > 0.05)., Conclusion: Switching to ADA biosimilar did not impair patients' outcomes in comparison with maintaining on the originator., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Introduction: The prevalence of penetrating complications in Crohn's disease (CD) increases progressively over time, but evidence on the medical treatment in this setting is limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of biologic agents in CD complicated with internal fistulizing disease., Methods: Adult patients with CD-related fistulae who received at least 1 biologic agent for this condition from the prospectively maintained ENEIDA registry were included. Exclusion criteria involved those receiving biologics for perianal disease, enterocutaneous, rectovaginal, anastomotic, or peristomal fistulae. The primary end point was fistula-related surgery. Predictive factors associated with surgery and fistula closure were evaluated by multivariate logistic regression and survival analyses., Results: A total of 760 patients from 53 hospitals (673 receiving anti-tumor necrosis factors, 69 ustekinumab, and 18 vedolizumab) were included. After a median follow-up of 56 months (interquartile range, 26-102 months), 240 patients required surgery, with surgery rates of 32%, 41%, and 24% among those under anti-tumor necrosis factor, vedolizumab, or ustekinumab, respectively. Fistula closure was observed in 24% of patients. Older patients, ileocolonic disease, entero-urinary fistulae, or an intestinal stricture distal to the origin of the fistula were associated with a higher risk of surgery, whereas nonsmokers and combination therapy with an immunomodulator reduced this risk., Discussion: Biologic therapy is beneficial in approximately three-quarters of patients with fistulizing CD, achieving fistula closure in 24%. However, around one-third still undergo surgery due to refractory disease. Some patient- and lesion-related factors can identify patients who will obtain more benefit from these drugs., (Copyright © 2023 by The American College of Gastroenterology.)

Background: In spite of the lack of evidence regarding the clinical benefits of oral 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) compounds in Crohn's disease (CD), these drugs are frequently used in daily clinical practice, particularly for colonic CD. Our aim is to assess the use and clinical outcomes of 5-ASA of those patients with colonic CD treated with 5-ASA as monotherapy., Methods: Patients diagnosed with isolated colonic CD and treated with 5-ASA but never exposed to immunosuppressants or biologicals were identified from the local databases of five referral centres. A retrospective review of clinical and endoscopic outcomes was performed., Results: Out of 545 patients with isolated colonic CD, 106 (19%) were treated with oral 5-ASA in monotherapy as maintenance therapy. The median follow-up was 144 months (interquartile range [IQR], 48-234). Almost all of the patients (92%) presented an inflammatory pattern and 11% developed perianal disease. Half of the patients had already received 5-ASA at diagnosis, and the median duration of 5-ASA treatment was 107 months (IQR 22.5-187). Endoscopic remission, as defined by the absence of ulcers at the last complete colonoscopy, was observed in 65% of those patients undergoing at least one colonoscopy during follow-up. Male gender and extraintestinal manifestations were associated with a lower likelihood of achieving endoscopic remission. Nine patients required colectomy, but mostly soon after CD diagnosis., Conclusions: 5-ASA seems to be of benefit in the long-term in one fifth of patients with colonic CD as the only maintenance therapy and should be considered in fragile patients with Crohn's colitis., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Background and Aims: Clinical trials and real-life studies with ustekinumab in Crohn's disease [CD] have revealed a good efficacy and safety profile. However, these data are scarcely available in elderly patients. Therefore, we aim to assess the effectiveness and safety of ustekinumab in elderly patients with CD., Methods: Elderly patients [>60 years old] from the prospectively maintained ENEIDA registry treated with ustekinumab due to CD were included. Every patient was matched with two controls under 60 years of age, according to anti-tumour necrosis factor use and smoking habit. Values for the Harvey-Bradshaw Index [HBI], endoscopic activity, C-reactive protein [CRP] and faecal calprotectin [FC] were recorded at baseline and at weeks 16, 32 and 54., Results: In total, 648 patients were included, 212 of whom were elderly. Effectiveness was similar between young and elderly patients during the follow-up. Steroid-free remission was similar at week 16 [54.6 vs 51.4%, p = 0.20], 32 [53.0% vs 54.5%, p = 0.26] and 54 [57.8% vs 51.1%, p = 0.21]. Persistence of ustekinumab as maintenance therapy was similar in both age groups [log-rank test; p = 0.91]. There was no difference in the rate of adverse effects [14.2% vs 11.2%, p = 0.350], including severe infections [7.1% vs 7.3%, p = 1.00], except for the occurrence of de novo neoplasms, which was higher in older patients [0.7% vs 4.3%, p = 0.003]., Conclusions: Ustekinumab is as effective in elderly patients with CD as it is in non-elderly patients. The safety profile also seems to be similar except for a higher rate of de novo neoplasms, probably related to the age of the elderly patients., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

An increased risk of lymphoma has been described in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The aims of our study were to determine the clinical presentation, the previous exposure to immunosuppressive and biologic therapies, and the evolution of lymphomas in patients with IBD. IBD patients with diagnosis of lymphoma from October 2006 to June 2021 were identified from the prospectively maintained ENEIDA registry of GETECCU. We identified 52 patients (2.4 cases of lymphoma/1000 patients with IBD; 95% CI 1.8-3.1). Thirty-five were men (67%), 52% had ulcerative colitis, 60% received thiopurines, and 38% an anti-TNF drug before lymphoma diagnosis. Age at lymphoma was lower in those patients treated with thiopurines (53 ± 17 years old) and anti-TNF drugs (47 ± 17) than in those patients not treated with these drugs (63 ± 12; p < 0.05). Five cases had relapse of lymphoma (1.7 cases/100 patient-years). Nine patients (17%) died after 19 months (IQR 0-48 months). Relapse and mortality were not related with the type of IBD or lymphoma, nor with thiopurines or biologic therapies. In conclusion, most IBD patients had been treated with thiopurines and/or anti-TNF agents before lymphoma diagnosis, and these patients were younger at diagnosis of lymphoma than those not treated with these drugs. Relapse and mortality of lymphoma were not related with these therapies.

Background: Anti-TNF agents are the only effective biological agents for the prevention of postoperative recurrence (POR) in Crohn's disease (CD). However, they are contraindicated or have been shown to fail in some patients. Although ustekinumab and vedolizumab were licensed for CD some years ago, data in this setting are scarce., Methods: All CD patients in whom ustekinumab or vedolizumab was prescribed for the prevention of POR within three months of ileocolonic resection with anastomosis were identified from the ENEIDA registry. The development of endoscopic, clinical and surgical POR was registered., Results: Forty patients were treated for the prevention of POR with ustekinumab and 25 were treated with vedolizumab. Eighty per cent had at least one risk factor for POR (prior resections, active smoking, perianal disease or penetrating disease behaviour). All the patients had been exposed to anti-TNF therapy. After a median follow-up of 17 and 26 months, the cumulative probability of clinical POR at 12 months after surgery was 32% and 30% for ustekinumab and vedolizumab, respectively. Endoscopic assessment within the first 18 months after surgery was available for 80% of the patients on ustekinumab and 70% for those on vedolizumab. The rate of endoscopic POR was 42% for ustekinumab and 40% for vedolizumab. One patient treated with ustekinumab and two with vedolizumab underwent a new intestinal resection., Conclusions: Ustekinumab and vedolizumab seem to be effective in the prevention of POR in patients at high risk. Our results warrant controlled trials comparing these drugs with conventional therapies., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest MM has served as a speaker, consultant and advisory member for or has received research funding from AbbVie, Gilead, Janssen, MSD, Pfizer, Shire Pharmaceuticals, Faes, Takeda, Tillots; PN has served as a speaker, consultant and advisory member for or has received research funding from MSD, Abbvie, Janssen, Takeda, Roche, Sandoz, Ferring, Adacyte, Faes Farma, Kern Pharma, Pfizer, Shire Pharmaceuticals, Vifor Pharma, Chiesi and Tillots; MDM-A has served as a speaker, consultant and advisory member for or has received research funding from MSD, AbbVie, Hospira, Pfizer, Takeda, Janssen, Shire Pharmaceuticals, Tillotts Pharma, FaesPharma; MB-W has served as a speaker, consultant and advisory member for or has received research funding from MSD, Ferring, Abbvie, Janssen, Biogen and Takeda; MC has served as a speaker, consultant and advisory member for or has received research funding from MSD, Abbvie, Takeda, Jannsen, Pfizer, Otsuka Pharmaceutical, Chiesi, Ferring, Shire Pharmaceuticals and Dr. Falk Pharma; MS-A has served as a speaker, consultant and advisory member for or has received research funding from Takeda, Janssen, MSD, Abbvie, Ferring, Chiesi, Tillots and Pfizer; MBA has served as a speaker, consultant and advisory member for or has received research funding from MSD, AbbVie, Janssen, Kern Pharma, Celltrion, Takeda, Gillead, Celgene, Pfizer, Sandoz, Biogen, Fresenius, Ferring, Faes Farma, Dr. Falk Pharma, Chiesi, Gebro Pharma, Adacyte and Vifor Pharma; YZ has served as a speaker, consultant and advisory member for or has received research funding from MSD, AbbVie, Janssen, Takeda, Kern Pharma, Biogen; JPG has served as a speaker, consultant and advisory member for or has received research funding from MSD, Abbvie, Pfizer, Kern Pharma, Biogen, Mylan, Takeda, Janssen, Roche, Sandoz, Celgene, Gilead, Ferring, Faes Farma, Shire Pharmaceuticals, Dr. Falk Pharma, Tillotts Pharma, Chiesi, Casen Fleet, Gebro Pharma, Otsuka Pharmaceutical, and Vifor Pharma; JG has served as a speaker, consultant and advisory member for or has received research funding from Roche, MSD, Abbvie, Kern Pharma, Takeda, Janssen, Pfizer, Ferring, Chiesi and GE Healthcare; DB has served as a speaker, consultant and advisory member for or has received research funding from Abbvie, Janssen, Ferring, Pfizer, and Takeda; DC-D has served as a speaker, consultant and advisory member for or has received research funding from MSD, Ferring, Abbvie, Janssen, Faes Farma, Pfizer, Tillots and Takeda; SM has served as a speaker, consultant and advisory member for or has received research funding from MSD, Ferring, Abbvie, Janssen, Pfizer and Takeda; LM has served as a speaker and advisory member for or has received research funding from MSD, Takeda, Janssen, Abbvie and Pfizer; FC has served as a speaker, consultant and advisory member for or has received research funding from Takeda, Janssen, MSD, and Ferring; MC has served as a speaker, consultant and advisory member for or has received research funding from Takeda, Janssen, Faes Farma, and MSD; ED has served as a speaker, consultant and advisory member for or has received research funding from AbbVie, Adacyte Therapeutics, Celltrion, Gilead, Janssen, Kern Pharma, MSD, Pfizer, Roche, Samsung, Takeda, Tillots, Ferring, and Thermofisher; the remaining authors have no potential conflicts to declare., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

(1) Scant information is available concerning the characteristics that may favour the acquisition of COVID-19 in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess these differences between infected and noninfected patients with IBD. (2) This nationwide case−control study evaluated patients with inflammatory bowel disease with COVID-19 (cases) and without COVID-19 (controls) during the period March−July 2020 included in the ENEIDA of GETECCU. (3) A total of 496 cases and 964 controls from 73 Spanish centres were included. No differences were found in the basal characteristics between cases and controls. Cases had higher comorbidity Charlson scores (24% vs. 19%; p = 0.02) and occupational risk (28% vs. 10.5%; p < 0.0001) more frequently than did controls. Lockdown was the only protective measure against COVID-19 (50% vs. 70%; p < 0.0001). No differences were found in the use of systemic steroids, immunosuppressants or biologics between cases and controls. Cases were more often treated with 5-aminosalicylates (42% vs. 34%; p = 0.003). Having a moderate Charlson score (OR: 2.7; 95%CI: 1.3−5.9), occupational risk (OR: 2.9; 95%CI: 1.8−4.4) and the use of 5-aminosalicylates (OR: 1.7; 95%CI: 1.2−2.5) were factors for COVID-19. The strict lockdown was the only protective factor (OR: 0.1; 95%CI: 0.09−0.2). (4) Comorbidities and occupational exposure are the most relevant factors for COVID-19 in patients with IBD. The risk of COVID-19 seems not to be increased by immunosuppressants or biologics, with a potential effect of 5-aminosalicylates, which should be investigated further and interpreted with caution.

Hematological control, incidence of complications, and need for cytoreduction were studied in 453 patients with low-risk polycythemia vera (PV) treated with phlebotomies alone. Median hematocrit value decreased from 54% at diagnosis to 45% at 12 months, and adequate hematocrit control over time (< 45%) was observed in 36%, 44%, and 32% of the patients at 6, 12, and 24 months, respectively. More than 5 phlebotomies per year in the maintenance phase were required in 19% of patients. Worsening thrombocytosis, age > 60 years, and microvascular symptoms constituted the main indications for starting cytoreduction. Median duration without initiating cytoreduction was significantly longer in patients younger than 50 years (< 0.0001). The incidence rate of thrombosis under phlebotomies alone was 0.8% per year and the estimated probability of thrombosis at 10 years was 8.5%. The probability of arterial thrombosis was significantly higher in patients with arterial hypertension whereas there was a trend to higher risk of venous thrombosis in cases with high JAK2V617F allele burden. Rates of major bleeding and second primary neoplasm were low. With a median follow-up of 9 years, survival probability at 10 years was 97%, whereas the probability of myelofibrosis at 10 and 20 years was 7% and 20%, respectively. Progression to acute myeloid leukemia was documented in 3 cases (1%). Current management of low-risk PV patients is associated with low rate of thrombosis and long survival. New treatment strategies are needed for improving hematological control and, in the long term, reducing progression to myelofibrosis., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background and Aims: Crohn's disease [CD] can develop penetrating complications at any time during the disease course. Enterocutaneous fistulae [ECF] are disease-related complications with an important impact on quality of life. Our aim was to describe the outcomes of this complication, including its medical and/or surgical management and their temporal trends. The primary endpoint was fistula closure, defined as the absence of drainage, with no new abscess or surgery, over the preceding 6 months., Methods: Clinical information from all adult patients with CD and at least one ECF-excluding perianal fistulae-were identified from the prospectively-maintained ENEIDA registry. All additional information regarding treatment for this complication was retrospectively reviewed., Results: A total of 301 ECF in 286 patients [January 1970-September 2020] were analysed out of 30 088 records. These lesions were mostly located in the ileum [67%] and they had a median of one external opening [range 1-10]. After a median follow-up of 146 months (interquartile range [IQR], 69-233), 69% of patients underwent surgery. Fistula closure was achieved in 84%, mostly after surgery, and fistula recurrence was uncommon [13%]. Spontaneous and low-output fistulae were associated with higher closure rates (hazard ratio [HR] 1.51, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.17-1.93, p = 0.001, and HR 1.49, 95% CI 1.07-2.06, p = 0.03, respectively); this was obtained more frequently with medical therapy since biologics have been available., Conclusions: ECF complicating CD are rare but entail a high burden of medical and surgical resources. Closure rates are high, usually after surgery, and fistula recurrence is uncommon. A significant proportion of patients receiving medical therapy can achieve fistula closure., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background & Aims: Alcoholic hepatitis (AH) is associated with a high incidence of infection and mortality. Rifaximin reduces bacterial overgrowth and translocation. We aimed to study whether the administration of rifaximin as an adjuvant treatment to corticosteroids decreases the number of bacterial infections at 90 days in patients with severe AH compared to a control cohort., Methods: This was a multicentre, open, comparative pilot study of the addition of rifaximin (1200 mg/day/90 days) to the standard treatment for severe AH. The results were compared with a carefully matched historical cohort of patients treated with standard therapy and matching by age and model of end-stage liver disease (MELD). We evaluated bacterial infections, liver-related complications, mortality and liver function tests after 90 days., Results: Twenty-one and 42 patients were included in the rifaximin and control groups respectively. No significant baseline differences were found between groups. The mean number of infections per patient was 0.29 and 0.62 in the rifaximin and control groups, respectively (p = .049), with a lower incidence of acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) linked to infections within the treatment group. Liver-related complications were lower within the rifaximin group (0.43 vs. 1.26 complications/patient respectively) (p = .01). Mortality was lower in the treated versus the control groups (14.2% vs. 30.9, p = .15) without significant differences. No serious adverse events were associated with rifaximin treatment., Conclusions: Rifaximin is safe in severe AH with a significant reduction in clinical complications. A lower number of infections and a trend towards a lower ACLF and mortality favours its use in these patients., (© 2022 The Authors. Liver International published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: The outbreak of COVID19 evolved rapidly into a global pandemic, forcing hospitals, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) referral units, to change their practices to ensure quality of care., Aims: To describe the clinical outcomes and the fulfilment of the treatment schedule of patients with IBD treated with biological agents in a single-center of a red-zone of the pandemic, and to report the patients' perceptions about COVID-19 and the measures adopted at our center., Methods: Therapeutic adherence and clinical outcomes were collected for all patients undergoing treatment with intravenous biologicals and subcutaneous biologicals at our center. A telephone survey was also performed to assess these patients' perceptions of the COVID pandemic and the related measures adopted at their IBD unit., Results: A total of 234 patients were included (117 on intravenous and 117 on subcutaneous biologicals). Only 10% of patients postponed intravenous infusions intentionally and 5% postponed the collection of subcutaneous biologicals at the hospital pharmacy. Only five confirmed COVID-19 cases were registered (2.1%), all of them of mild severity. One hundred and fifty-five patients participated in the survey (77 on intravenous and 78 on subcutaneous drugs). Fear of going to the hospital was the most common reason for postponing biological administrations. Among those on combination therapy, only 7% admitted to have withdrawn immunosuppressants., Conclusions: Adherence to intravenous and subcutaneous biological therapies during the pandemic was high in a single-center cohort of IBD patients even though the cumulative incidence of confirmed COVID-19 was low., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Older age has been reported as a risk factor for severe SARS-CoV-2 disease (COVID-19). The impact of immunosuppressants (IMS) on COVID-19 is still under debate., Aim: To describe the incidence and severity of COVID-19 in elderly patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in relation to the use of IMS., Methods: IBD patients over 65 years of age were selected and grouped in terms of IMS use. Confirmed COVID-19, adherence to IST, comorbidities and concomitant non-IBD-related treatments between 1st of March 2020 to 1st of March 2021 were recorded., Results: Out of 418 patients included, 89 (21.3%) were on IMS. Thirty-two patients (7.7%) had COVID-19, 7 of whom were on IMS (7.6% not on IMS vs. 7.9% on IMS; P = 0.933) and 7 (22%) patients died., Conclusions: Incidence of COVID-19 among elderly IBD patients was similar to that reported in the background population, regardless of the use of IMS., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

(1) Aims: To assess the incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Spain, to describe the main epidemiological and clinical characteristics at diagnosis and the evolution of the disease, and to explore the use of drug treatments. (2) Methods: Prospective, population-based nationwide registry. Adult patients diagnosed with IBD-Crohn's disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC) or IBD unclassified (IBD-U)-during 2017 in Spain were included and were followed-up for 1 year. (3) Results: We identified 3611 incident cases of IBD diagnosed during 2017 in 108 hospitals covering over 22 million inhabitants. The overall incidence (cases/100,000 person-years) was 16 for IBD, 7.5 for CD, 8 for UC, and 0.5 for IBD-U; 53% of patients were male and median age was 43 years (interquartile range = 31-56 years). During a median 12-month follow-up, 34% of patients were treated with systemic steroids, 25% with immunomodulators, 15% with biologics and 5.6% underwent surgery. The percentage of patients under these treatments was significantly higher in CD than UC and IBD-U. Use of systemic steroids and biologics was significantly higher in hospitals with high resources. In total, 28% of patients were hospitalized (35% CD and 22% UC patients, p < 0.01). (4) Conclusion: The incidence of IBD in Spain is rather high and similar to that reported in Northern Europe. IBD patients require substantial therapeutic resources, which are greater in CD and in hospitals with high resources, and much higher than previously reported. One third of patients are hospitalized in the first year after diagnosis and a relevant proportion undergo surgery.

The number of older patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is increasing due to both improvements in the life expectancy of patients with long-lasting IBD and later onset of the disease. In spite of a less aggressive IBD phenotype, disease management in older patients is hampered by comorbidities and polypharmacy (which increase the risk of drug-related adverse events and errors in medication intake) and also by an increased risk of the infections and malignancies associated with the immunosuppressive drugs that are frequently used to treat IBD. Thiopurines are the most frequently used immunosuppressive drugs in IBD, though they are often discontinued due to adverse events. However, when tolerated, thiopurines are efficient in the maintenance of remission in ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. In fact, thiopurines still have a role to play in the treatment algorithm of older patients with IBD because anti-tumor necrosis factor agents do not provide clear advantages for this population in terms of their safety profile, while data on the new biological drugs are still scarce. In this article, we review the optimal use of thiopurines in older patients with IBD.

Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of tofacitinib in ulcerative colitis [UC] in real life., Methods: Patients from the prospectively maintained ENEIDA registry and treated with tofacitinib due to active UC were included. Clinical activity and effectiveness were defined based on Partial Mayo Score [PMS]. Short-term response/remission was assessed at Weeks 4, 8, and 16., Results: A total of 113 patients were included. They were exposed to tofacitinib for a median time of 44 weeks. Response and remission at Week 8 were 60% and 31%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, higher PMS at Week 4 (odds ratio [OR] = 0].2; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0].1-0.4) was the only variable associated with lower likelihood of achieving remission at Week 8. Higher PMS at Week 4 [OR = 0.5; 95% CI = 0.3-0.7] and higher PMS at Week 8 [OR = 0.2; 95% CI = 0.1-0.5] were associated with lower probability of achieving remission at Week 16. A total of 45 patients [40%] discontinued tofacitinib over time. Higher PMS at Week 8 was the only factor associated with higher tofacitinib discontinuation [hazard ratio = 1.5; 95% CI = 1.3-1.6]. A total of 34 patients had remission at Week 8; of these, 65% had relapsed 52 weeks after achieving remission; the dose was increased to 10 mg/12 h in nine patients, and five of them reached remission again. Seventeen patients had adverse events., Conclusions: Tofacitinib is effective and safe in UC patients in real practice, even in a highly refractory cohort. A relevant proportion of patients discontinue the drug over time, mainly due to primary failure., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Despite the efficacy of biological agents, surgery is still required for a large percentage of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)., Aims: To assess the postoperative mortality rates and associated risk factors in IBD patients in a population-based setting in the era of biological agents., Methods: This is a population-based longitudinal study including all patients diagnosed with IBD in Catalonia who underwent intestinal resection or colectomy between 2007 and 2016, identified from the Catalan Health Surveillance System database. Logistic regression was used to calculate the adjusted odds ratio for postoperative in-hospital and 30-day mortality. Data for Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) were analysed separately., Results: A total of 1,660 interventions for CD (69%) and 738 for UC (31%) were performed at 55 centres. In-hospital and 30-day postoperative mortality rates were 2.1% and 2.5% for CD, and 5.4% and 6.4% for UC, respectively. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, comorbidity was associated with in-hospital and 30-day postoperative mortality in CD and UC, whereas age was only associated with mortality in CD and a non-laparoscopic surgical approach with UC., Conclusions: In the era of biologicals, the postoperative mortality rate for IBD depends mostly on co-morbidities and age., (Copyright © 2020 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)