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Summary Introduction Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic immune-mediated disease of the esophagus with increasing incidence and dysphagia as the main symptom. The management of suspected or known EoE by Austrian endoscopists has not been investigated yet. Methods A web-based survey with 13 questions about the management of EoE was sent to endoscopists via the Austrian Society of Gastroenterology and Hepatology (ÖGGH). Results A total of 222 endoscopists (74% gastroenterologists, 23% surgeons, and 2% pediatricians; 68% working in a hospital) from all 9 states participated. In patients with dysphagia but a normal appearing esophagus, 85% of respondents reported always taking biopsies; however, surgeons were less likely to obtain biopsies compared to gastroenterologists (“always” 69% vs. 90%, “sometimes” 29% vs. 10%, “never” 2% vs. 0%, p Conclusion The vast majority of Austrian endoscopists adhere to the European and US guidelines in cases of suspected EoE. In contrast, despite the chronic disease course, a significant percentage of providers indicate not to use maintenance therapy and monitor the patients routinely.

SummaryUlcerative colitis (UC) is one of the main forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Despite the widening range of drug treatment options, primary nonresponse, secondary loss of response as well as adverse events call for additional treatment alternatives.Tofacitinib is an oral small-molecule drug of the class of Janus kinase inhibitors which, in the European Union, was approved for the treatment of moderate to severe active UC in August 2018. This position paper, drawn up by the IBD Working Group of the Austrian Society of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, summarizes the mechanism of action, clinical development, marketing authorization status, efficacy and safety of tofacitinib. Also, by providing a synopsis of available data from both pivotal and post-marketing studies, clinical aspects of specific interest are highlighted and discussed.The available body of evidence indicates that tofacitinib is an additional effective medication for the treatment of UC that exhibits a good safety profile. This position paper aims at optimizing the safe and effective use of tofacitinib in daily clinical practice.

Background Little is known about the bleeding risk in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and venous thromboembolism (VTE) treated with anticoagulation. Our aim was to elucidate the rate of major bleeding (MB) events in a well-defined cohort of patients with IBD during anticoagulation after VTE. Methods This study is a retrospective follow-up analysis of a multicenter cohort study investigating the incidence and recurrence rate of VTE in IBD. Data on MB and IBD- and VTE-related parameters were collected via telephone interview and chart review. The objective of the study was to evaluate the impact of anticoagulation for VTE on the risk of MB by comparing time periods with anticoagulation vs those without anticoagulation. A random-effects Poisson regression model was used. Results We included 107 patients (52 women, 40 with ulcerative colitis, 64 with Crohn disease, and 3 with unclassified IBD) in the study. The overall observation time was 388 patient-years with and 1445 patient-years without anticoagulation. In total, 23 MB events were registered in 21 patients, among whom 13 MB events occurred without anticoagulation and 10 occurred with anticoagulation. No fatal bleeding during anticoagulation was registered. The incidence rate for MB events was 2.6/100 patient-years during periods exposed to anticoagulation and 0.9/100 patient-years during the unexposed time. Exposure to anticoagulation (adjusted incidence rate ratio, 3.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.5-9.0; P = 0.003) and ulcerative colitis (adjusted incidence rate ratio, 3.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.5-8.1; P = 0.003) were independent risk factors for MB events. Conclusion The risk of major but not fatal bleeding is increased in patients with IBD during anticoagulation. Our findings indicate that this risk may be outweighed by the high VTE recurrence rate in patients with IBD.

Background Despite substantial evidence on the negative effect of active smoking, the impact of passive smoking on the course of Crohn’s disease (CD) remains largely unclear. Our aim was to assess passive smoking as a risk factor for intestinal surgeries in CD. Methods The study was conducted in a university-based, monocentric cohort of 563 patients with CD. Patients underwent a structured interview on exposure to passive and active smoking. For clinical data, chart review was performed. Response rate was 84%, leaving 471 cases available for analysis. For evaluation of the primary objective, which was the impact of exposure to passive smoking on the risk for intestinal surgery, only never actively smoking patients were included. Results Of 169 patients who never smoked actively, 91 patients (54%) were exposed to passive smoking. Exposed patients were more likely to undergo intestinal surgery than nonexposed patients (67% vs 30%; P < 0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that passive smoking was an independent risk factor for intestinal surgeries (hazard ratio, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.04–2.9; P = 0.034) after adjustment for ileal disease at diagnosis (hazard ratio, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.9–4.5; P < 0.001) and stricturing or penetrating behavior at diagnosis (hazard ratio, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.2–3.1; P = 0.01). Passive smoking during childhood was a risk factor for becoming an active smoker in later life (odds ratio, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.5–3.2; P < 0.001). Conclusion Passive smoking increases the risk for intestinal surgeries in patients with CD.

ZusammenfassungBiologika nehmen eine herausragende Rolle in der Therapie chronisch-entzündlicher Darmerkrankungen (CED) ein. Diese aus lebenden Zellen biotechnologisch hergestellten Antikörper (Ak) ermöglichen zunehmend selektive antientzündliche Behandlungsansätze, wobei deren Produktion und Zulassung einem komplexen und kostenintensiven Entwicklungsprozess unterliegen. Mit Patentablauf einzelner Biologika kommen seit einigen Jahren nun zunehmend Biosimilars, ebenso biotechnologisch produzierte Nachfolgepräparate, auf den Markt und führen zu einer zunehmenden Präparatevielfalt bei sinkenden Kosten für das Gesundheitssystems. Das vorliegende Positionspapier der Arbeitsgruppe (AG) CED der Österreichischen Gesellschaft für Gastroenterologie und Hepatologie (ÖGGH) versucht mit dieser Entwicklung aufkommende Fragen betreffend Wirksamkeit, Sicherheit, Präparatewechsel (Switch) und Verschreibungsgebarung zu beantworten, um eine höchstmögliche Patientensicherheit auch zukünftig zu gewährleisten.

Objective Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) seems to be frequently used among patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We aimed to determine the prevalence and indicators of CAM use in Austrian IBD patients. Methods In a multicentre cross-sectional study, adult patients with IBD attending 18 Austrian outpatient clinics completed a multi-item questionnaire that recorded use of CAM as well as medical and socioeconomic characteristics. Patients were recruited between June 2014 and June 2015. The study outcome was the prevalence of CAM use and its socioeconomic and disease-related associations. Results A total of 1286 patients (Crohn's disease 830, ulcerative colitis 435, IBD unclassified 21; females 651) with a median age of 40 years (interquartile range 31-52 years) and a median disease duration of 10 years (4-18 years) were analysed. The prevalence of previous and/or current CAM use was 50.7%, with similar results for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. In the multivariable analysis, female gender and a university education were independent socioeconomic indicators of CAM use. IBD-related indicators were longer duration of the disease and previous and/or current treatment with steroids and TNF-α inhibitors. Conclusion CAM use for IBD is frequent in Austrian IBD patients and associated with female gender, higher educational level of university degree, longer duration of the disease, and treatment with steroids and TNF-α inhibitors.

Introduction Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) suffer from various symptoms, impairing their quality of life and often affecting psychosocial issues. This may lead to the need for additional psychological care. This study investigated patients' subjective need for integrated psychosomatic support and psychotherapy and indicators for it. Materials and methods This is a cross‐sectional multicentre study in Austrian IBD patients who were in routine care at 18 IBD outpatient clinics. Patients filled in an anonymous, validated questionnaire (Assessment of the Demand for Additional Psychological Treatment Questionnaire [ADAPT]) assessing the need for psychological care. The ADAPT gives two separate scores: the need for integrated psychosomatic support and for psychotherapy. In addition, health‐related quality of life and the use of complementary and alternative medicine as well as clinical and socio‐demographic variables were queried. Multivariable regression analysis was performed to estimate the effect of the previously mentioned variables on the need for additional psychological care. Results Of 1286 patients, 29.7% expressed a need for additional psychological care, 19.6% expressed a need for integrated psychosomatic support and 20.2% expressed a need for psychotherapy. In the multivariable analysis, the two strongest indicators for the need for both types of psychological care were the use of complementary and alternative medicine (for integrated psychosomatic support: odds ratio = 1.64, 95% confidence interval 1.13–2.39, p = 0.010; for psychotherapy: odds ratio = 1.74, 95% confidence interval 1.20–2.53, p = 0.004), and a low health‐related quality of life score (for integrated psychosomatic support: odds ratio = 0.95, 95% confidence interval 0.94–0.96, p, Key summary What is already known? Despite ongoing improvement of treatment options, patients may not respond to treatment or may develop side effects. Due to this burden of disease, patients may also suffer from psychological symptoms, such as depressionIn our previous study in 2008, we found that 31% of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) expressed a subjective need for psychological interventions What are the significant and/or new findings of the study? Despite improvements in therapy, around 30% of patients with IBD express a subjective need for psychological interventionsThis subjective need for psychological interventions is associated with complementary and alternative medicine use and low quality of life

Vedolizumab (Entyvio®) ist ein darmselektiver monoklonaler IgG1-Antikorper, der zur Behandlung der Colitis ulcerosa und des Morbus Crohn zugelassen ist. Im Vergleich zu Tumornekrosefaktor Alpha (TNF-α) Inhibitoren bietet Vedolizumab bei chronisch entzundlichen Darmerkrankungen (CED) vergleichbare Ansprechraten. Generell zeigt Vedolizumab fur Patienten mit CED ein gunstigeres Nebenwirkungsprofil hinsichtlich schwerer Nebenwirkungen und Infektionen, hat wahrscheinlich ein hoheres Sicherheitsprofil im Alter und kann bei Kontraindikationen fur TNF-α-Inhibitoren wie z. B. hohergradige Herzinsuffizienz sicher eingesetzt werden. In Osterreich ist derzeit die Erstattung limitiert auf Patienten mit Versagen, Unvertraglichkeit oder Kontraindikationen auf eine Therapie mit TNF-α-Inhibitoren. Eine Erstlinienbiologikatherapie mit Vedolizumab bei Colitis ulcerosa oder Morbus Crohn ist laut Erstattungskodex derzeit nicht vorgesehen.

Summary An increasing and early-onset use of immunosuppressives and biologics has become more frequently seen among patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and rheumatic disorders. Many women in their childbearing years currently receive such medications, and some of them in an interdisciplinary setting. Many questions arise in women already pregnant or wishing to conceive with respect to continuing or discontinuing treatment, the risks borne by the newborns and their mothers and long-term safety. Together with the Austrian Society of Rheumatology and Rehabilitation, the IBD working group of the Austrian Society of Gastroenterology and Hepatology has elaborated consensus statements on the use of immunosuppressives and biologics in pregnancy and lactation. This is the first Austrian interdisciplinary consensus on this topic. It is intended to serve as a basis and support for providing advice to our patients and their treating physicians.

Supplemental digital content is available in the text., Objective Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is associated with alterations along the brain-gut-microbiota axis. Previous studies have suggested a parallel segregation of microbial features and psychological burden in IBS. This study aimed at exploring the microbial correlates of psychological distress in patients with IBS. Methods Forty-eight patients with IBS (Rome III criteria, M (SD) age = 42 (15) years, 35 female, 25 diarrhea-dominant, 5 constipation-dominant, and 18 alternating-type IBS) were assessed for psychological and clinical variables with validated questionnaires, fecal samples underwent microbial 16S rRNA analyses (regions V1–2). Microbial analyses comprised examination of alpha and beta diversity, correlational analyses of bacterial abundance and comparisons among subgroups defined by thresholds of psychological and IBS symptom variables, and machine learning to identify bacterial patterns corresponding with psychological distress. Results Thirty-one patients (65%) showed elevated psychological distress, 22 (31%) anxiety, and 10 depression (21%). Microbial beta diversity was significantly associated with distress and depression (q = .036 each, q values are p values false discovery rate–corrected for multiple testing). Depression was negatively associated with Lachnospiraceae abundance (Spearman's ρ = −0.58, q = .018). Patients exceeding thresholds of distress, anxiety, depression, and stress perception showed significantly higher abundances of Proteobacteria (q = .020–.036). Patients with anxiety were characterized by elevated Bacteroidaceae (q = .036). A signature of 148 unclassified species accounting for 3.9% of total bacterial abundance co-varied systematically with the presence of psychological distress. Conclusions Psychological variables significantly segregated gut microbial features, underscoring the role of brain-gut-microbiota interaction in IBS. A microbial signature corresponding with psychological distress was identified. Clinical Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT02536131, retrospectively registered.

ZusammenfasungAnti-TNF-α-Antikörper haben die Therapie chronisch-entzündlicher Darmerkrankungen und anderer immunmediierter inflammatorischer Erkrankungen revolutioniert. Der zunehmende Einsatz dieser Substanzen war Anlass, den Konsensusbericht zur sicheren Anwendung von Infliximab der Arbeitsgruppe für Chronisch Entzündliche Darmerkrankungen der Österreichischen Gesellschaft für Gastroenterologie und Hepatologie aus dem Jahr 2010 zu aktualisieren und auf alle anti-TNF-α-Antikörper zu erweitern. Der vorliegende Konsensusbericht fasst die aktuelle Datenlage zur sicheren Anwendung von anti-TNF-α-Antikörpern zusammen und berücksichtigt folgende Themen: allgemeines Infektionsrisiko, bakterielle Infekte (inkl. Clostridium difficile, Tuberkulose, Nahrungsmittelhygiene), Pneumozystis jiroveci, virale Infektionen (inkl. Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV, CMV, VZV), Impfungen und Impfempfehlungen, gastrointestinale Aspekte (perianale Fistel, abdominale Fistel, Stenose), dermatologische Aspekte (Haut-Malignome, Ekzem-ähnliche anti-TNF-α-assoziierte Hautläsionen), Infusionsreaktionen und Immunogenität, demyelinisierende Erkrankungen, Hepatotoxizität, Hämatotoxizität, Herzinsuffizienz, Malignomrisiko und Einsatz nach Malignomen, sowie Schwangerschaft und Stillen. Da der Konsensusbericht als praktischer Leitfaden für die sichere Anwendung dieser Substanzen dienen soll, wurden die relevanten Aspekte in einer Checkliste zusammengefasst, die sich in zwei Teile „vor Therapie“ und „während Therapie“ gliedert.

In rare cases with multiple gastric polyps in the corpus and fundus, a recently described gastric polyposis syndrome called gastric adenocarcinoma and proximal polyposis of the stomach (GAPPS) has to be considered. We report on the findings in a patient fulfilling the criteria of this disease.A female patient born in 1977 underwent gastroscopy in 2005 due to recurrent abdominal pain. Endoscopy revealed more than 100 fundic gland polyps in the corpus and fundus. An ileocolonoscopy was inconspicuous. The patient did not take proton pump inhibitors. In follow-up biopsies, fundic gland polyps with low-grade dysplasia were observed. In 2015 gastroscopy with biopsy revealed for the first time high-grade dysplasia in a polyp, and the patient underwent prophylactic gastrectomy.Macroscopic examination of the gastrectomy specimen revealed hundreds of polyps predominantly measuring 3 mm in diameter covering the fundus and corpus. Histology showed fundic gland polyps, mainly covered by normal appearing foveolae. However, several of them were covered by lesions reminiscent of gastric foveolar adenomas with low- and focally high-grade dysplasia. Molecular pathology revealed a point mutation in the adenomatous polyposis coli promotor 1B. These findings in conjunction with the knowledge that the patient's father had died of gastric carcinoma in his 50 s led to the diagnosis of the autosomal dominant syndrome GAPPS, which has hitherto been described in 9 families.In seltenen Fällen von multiplen Magenpolypen in Korpus und Fundus muss ein kürzlich beschriebenes Syndrom namens GAPPS (gastric adenocarcinoma and proximal polyposis of the stomach) in Betracht gezogen werden. Wir berichten von einer Patientin, welche die Kriterien dieser Erkrankung erfüllt.Die 1977 geborene Frau unterzog sich erstmals 2005 aufgrund von rezidivierender Oberbauchbeschwerden einer Gastroskopie, bei der sich mehrere hundert Polypen fanden. Diese waren auf Korpus und Fundus beschränkt und wurden histologisch als Elster’sche Drüsenkörperzysten klassifiziert. Eine Ileokoloskopie war unauffällig.Rebiopsien in den Folgejahren zeigten wiederum Elster’sche Drüsenkörperzysten mit vereinzelt geringgradiger Epitheldysplasie. 2015 fand sich ein Anteil eines foveolären Adenoms mit bis zu hochgradiger Epitheldysplasie, woraufhin sich die Patientin einer prophylaktischen Gastrektomie unterzog.Das Gastrektomiepräparat wies einen Rasen an Elster’schen Drüsenkörperzysten in Fundus und Korpus auf, zahlreich mit Proliferationen an der Oberfläche, die als foveoläre Adenome mit multifokal hochgradiger Epitheldysplasie klassifiziert wurden. Die molekularpathologische Analyse ergab eine Punktmutation im APC (adenomatöse Polypose des Colons) Promotor 1B.Diese Befundkonstellation in Zusammenschau mit dem Wissen, dass der Vater an einem Magenkarzinom verstorben war, führte zur Diagnose des autosomal dominant vererbten Syndroms GAPPS, welches bisher in neun Familien beschrieben wurde.

Background inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are lifelong conditions challenging the patient not only with respect to somatic complaints but also affecting psychosocial issues. This may lead to the need for additional psychological care. The present study investigated the patients’ subjective need for additional psychological care and indicators for such a need. Methods We performed a cross-sectional multicentre study on Austrian IBD patients who were in routine care at one of the 18 participating IBD centres. The patients were asked to fill in a questionnaire booklet including the ADAPT, a validated questionnaire on the need for psychological care which gives two separate scores (‘ADAPT-IPC’ -need for integrated psychosomatic care, ‘ADAPT-PT’- need for psychotherapy), a validated questionnaire on the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), the SIBDQ, and questions on clinical and sociodemographic data. The primary endpoint was the need for integrated psychosomatic care, psychotherapy or both. Results 1286 patients returned the questionnaire. In total, 29.7% of all patients expressed a need for additional psychological care, 18.6% expressed a need for ADAPT-IPC and 20.2% expressed a need for ADAPT-PT. The multivariable regression analysis revealed the two dominating factors associated with the need for both types of psychological care were the use of CAM and a low SIBDQ-score ≤ 50 (see Table for details). Conclusion About 30% of the Austrian IBD patients expressed a need for integrated psychosomatic therapy a/o psychotherapy. This need was especially associated with reduced quality of life and the use of CAM which may indicate the desire for emphathetic and dedicated care. Further studies will be necessary to clarify if these results can be reproduced in other countries.

Delayed diagnosis seems to be common in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). The study was carried out to investigate the diagnostic delay and associated risk factors in Austrian IBD patients. In a multicenter cross-sectional study adult patients with IBD attending 18 Austrian outpatient clinics completed a multi-item questionnaire that recorded medical and socioeconomic characteristics. The study outcome was diagnostic delay defined as the period from symptom onset to diagnosis of IBD. A total of 1286 patients (Crohn’s disease 830, ulcerative colitis 435, inflammatory bowel disease unclassified 21; females 651) with a median age of 40 years (interquartile range 31–52 years) and a median disease duration of 10 years (4–18 years) were analyzed. The median diagnostic delay was 6 months (2–23 months) in Crohn’s disease and 3 months (1–10 months) in ulcerative colitis (p

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a disorder with brain-gut-microbiome alterations. Gut-directed hypnotherapy (GHT) has been shown to improve quality of life and symptoms in IBS. This therapy targets psychological coping, central nervous processing and brain-gut interaction. Studies have also demonstrated effects of hypnosis on intestinal transit and the mucosal immune system. So far, no study has examined the effect of GHT on the intestinal microbiome. This study aimed at examining microbial composition, IBS symptoms, and psychological distress before and after GHT. Methods: Fecal samples were collected from 38 IBS patients (Rome-III criteria, mean age 44 years, 27 female, 11 male, 22 diarrhea-dominant, 12 alternating-type and 4 constipation-dominant IBS) before and after 10 weekly group sessions of GHT. Assessments in psychological (perceived stress, PSQ, psychological distress, HADS-D, quality of life, visual analogue scales) and IBS symptom-related variables (IBS severity, IBS-SSS, single symptoms, visual analogue scales) were performed with validated questionnaires. Fecal samples underwent microbial 16S rRNA analyses (regions V1&ndash, 2). Results: Microbial alpha diversity was stable before and after GHT (chao1 2591 &plusmn, 548 vs. 2581 &plusmn, 539, p = 0.92). No significant differences were found in relative bacterial abundances but trends of reduced abundance of Lachnospiraceae 32.18 (4.14&ndash, 39.89) Median (Q1&ndash, Q3) vs. 28.11 (22.85, 35.55) and Firmicutes: Bacteroidetes ratio after GHT were observable. Significant reductions in symptom severity (323 (266&ndash, 371) vs. 264 (191&ndash, 331), p = 0.001) and psychological distress 17.0 (12.6&ndash, 21.8) vs. 12.0 (8.3&ndash, 18.0), p = 0.001, and increased well-being were found after GHT. Adequate relief after therapy was reported by 32 (84%) patients. Conclusion: Reductions in IBS symptoms and psychological burden were observed after gut-directed hypnotherapy, but only small changes were found in intestinal microbiota composition. The findings suggest that hypnosis may act by central nervous impact and other factors largely independent from microbiota composition modulating the brain-gut axis, possibly alterations in vagus nerve functioning and microbiota metabolism.

Anti-TNFα-antibodies have revolutionized the therapy of inflammatory bowel diseases and other immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. Due to the increasing application of these substances, the Working Group of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases of the Austrian Association of Gastroenterology and Hepatology intended to update their consensus report on the safe use of Infliximab (published in 2010) and to enlarge its scope to cover all anti-TNFα-antibodies. The present consensus report summarizes the current evidence on the safe use of anti-TNFα-antibodies and covers the following topics: general risk of infection, bacterial infections (i. e., Clostridium difficile, Tuberculosis, food hygiene), Pneumocystis jiroveci, viral infections (i. e., Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV, CMV, VZV), vaccination in general and recommendation for vaccines, gastrointestinal aspects (i. e., perianal fistula, abdominal fistula, intestinal strictures, stenosis and bowel obstruction), dermatologic aspects (skin malignancies, eczema-like drug-related skin eruption), infusion reactions and immunogenicity, demyelinating diseases, hepatotoxicity, haematotoxicity, congestive heart failure, risk and history of malignancies, and pregnancy and breast feeding. For practical reasons, the relevant aspects are summarized in a checklist which is divided into two parts: issues to be addressed before therapy and issues to be addressed during therapy.Anti-TNF-α-Antikörper haben die Therapie chronisch-entzündlicher Darmerkrankungen und anderer immunmediierter inflammatorischer Erkrankungen revolutioniert. Der zunehmende Einsatz dieser Substanzen war Anlass, den Konsensusbericht zur sicheren Anwendung von Infliximab der Arbeitsgruppe für Chronisch Entzündliche Darmerkrankungen der Österreichischen Gesellschaft für Gastroenterologie und Hepatologie aus dem Jahr 2010 zu aktualisieren und auf alle anti-TNF-α-Antikörper zu erweitern. Der vorliegende Konsensusbericht fasst die aktuelle Datenlage zur sicheren Anwendung von anti-TNF-α-Antikörpern zusammen und berücksichtigt folgende Themen: allgemeines Infektionsrisiko, bakterielle Infekte (inkl. Clostridium difficile, Tuberkulose, Nahrungsmittelhygiene), Pneumozystis jiroveci, virale Infektionen (inkl. Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV, CMV, VZV), Impfungen und Impfempfehlungen, gastrointestinale Aspekte (perianale Fistel, abdominale Fistel, Stenose), dermatologische Aspekte (Haut-Malignome, Ekzem-ähnliche anti-TNF-α-assoziierte Hautläsionen), Infusionsreaktionen und Immunogenität, demyelinisierende Erkrankungen, Hepatotoxizität, Hämatotoxizität, Herzinsuffizienz, Malignomrisiko und Einsatz nach Malignomen, sowie Schwangerschaft und Stillen. Da der Konsensusbericht als praktischer Leitfaden für die sichere Anwendung dieser Substanzen dienen soll, wurden die relevanten Aspekte in einer Checkliste zusammengefasst, die sich in zwei Teile „vor Therapie“ und „während Therapie“ gliedert.

Background Salivary gland (SG) biopsy is the gold standard for the diagnosis of primary Sjogren9s syndrome (pSS). Ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the SG are emerging techniques. The comparison of both imaging methods for diagnosis and assessment of functional limitation is yet not well investigated. Objectives To assess the accuracy of US and MRI and to define possible cutoff values for the diagnosis of pSS. Methods Twenty-three patients with pSS according to AECG criteria and typical histology of the SG biopsy and 12 patients with sicca-syndrome and normal SG histology were included in the study. Two experienced ultrasound experts (C.D. 6y, T.D.Z. 5y) did ultrasound of the SG using a B-mode score (0–48 points [1]) and real-time sonoelastography (RTS; 0–16 pts [2]). Morphology of the parotid glands was also assessed by MRI (0–12 pts). We obtained clinical data (C-reactive protein (CRP), antinucleary-antibodies (ANA), Ro-/La-antibodies, Gamma globulins, patient questionaires ESSDAI and SSDI). The statistically analysis was carried out using Kolmogorov-Smirnov-test, student9s t-test, or Man-Whitney-U-test. Correlations were performed using Spearman-rang-correlations. Results Patients with pSS had significantly higher B-mode- (average =25 [2–44] vs. 9 [1–20], p Conclusions Sonography and MRI detected typical morphological changes in the SG of pSS with high sensitivity and specificity. Both methods could become valuable tools for the diagnosis of pSS. References Hocevar, Ambrozic A, Rozman B, Kveder T, Tomsic M. Ultrasonographic changes of major salivary glands in primary Sjogren9s syndrome. Diagnostic value of a novel scoring system. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2005;44(6):768–72. Rubaltelli, Corradin S, Dorigo A, Stabilito M, Tregnaghi A, Borsato S, Stramare R. Differential diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules at elastosonography. Ultraschall Med. 2009;30(2):175–9. Disclosure of Interest None declared

TNF alpha antibodies have clearly improved the outcome of moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis. Adalimumab is the first fully human, monoclonal TNF alpha antibody, which is administered subcutaneously. Since April 2012 adalimumab is approved for the treatment of moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis in patients who have not responded despite a full and adequate course of therapy with a corticosteroid and an immunosuppressant or who are intolerant to or have medical contraindications for such therapies. Adalimumab can induce and maintain clinical remission and mucosal healing compared to placebo in moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis, can reduce the rate of ulcerative colitis related hospitalisations and improve health-related quality of life. The response can be observed after two weeks of treatment. The safety profile of adalimumab is comparable to those of other TNF alpha inhibitors. Studies on the treatment of ulcerative colitis with adalimumab did not reveal new safety aspects. The present consensus report by the Working Group Inflammatory Bowel Diseases of the Austrian Society of Gastroenterology and Hepatology presents the existing evidence of adalimumab for the treatment of ulcerative colitis and is aimed to assist as code of its practice.

Background and aims Extraintestinal manifestations of parenchymatous organs like kidney are rarely noticed in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of renal insufficiency (RI) in IBD and look for potential causative factors and pathogenetic aspects. Methods The study consists of two parts; the first determined the prevalence of RI in IBD and the second possible causative factors. For the first part all patients with IBD who had been investigated at our institution in the period from March 2006 to December 2007 were included. For the second part 25 IBD patients with RI were matched with 50 IBD patients without RI. To determine causative factors several gastroenterologic and renal parameters were compared between these two groups. Results Eleven out of 775 patients with IBD had RI, all of them suffering from Crohn's disease (CD). This led to a prevalence of 1.99% for patients with CD and of 0% for patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). Concerning IBD risk factors only duration of disease (p=0.002) and length of resected small bowel (p=0.004) had a significant impact. Two nephrologic parameters, recurrent urolithiasis and the number of interventions due to kidney stones, were risk factors for the development of RI (p=0.03). Conclusions RI is a rare (2%) but relevant complication in CD, not found in UC. Extensive small bowel resection and recurrent urolithiasis seem to be the major causative factors.

Background and aims Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), but data on frequency, site of thrombosis and risk factors are limited. We sought to determine prevalence, incidence as well as location and clinical features of first VTE among IBD patients. Methods We evaluated a cohort of 2811 IBD patients for a history of symptomatic, objectively confirmed first VTE, recruited from 14 referral centers. Patients with VTE before IBD diagnosis or cancer were excluded. Incidence rates were calculated based on person-years from IBD diagnosis to first VTE or end of follow-up, respectively. Results 2784 patients (total observation time 24,778 person-years) were analyzed. Overall, of 157 IBD patients with a history of VTE, 142 (90.4%) had deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and/or pulmonary embolism (PE), whereas 15 (9.6%) had cerebral, portal, mesenteric, splenic or internal jugular vein thrombosis. The prevalence and incidence rate of all VTE was 5.6% and 6.3 per 1000 person years, respectively. Patients with VTE were older at IBD diagnosis than those without VTE (34.4 ± 14.8 years vs 32.1 ± 14.4 years, p = 0.045), but did not differ regarding sex, underlying IBD and disease duration. 121 (77.1%) VTE were unprovoked, 122 (77.7%) occurred in outpatients and 78 (60.9%) in patients with active disease. Medication at first VTE included corticosteroids (42.3%), thiopurines (21.2%), and infliximab (0.7%). Conclusion VTE is frequent in IBD patients. Most of them are unprovoked and occur in outpatients. DVT and PE are most common and unusual sites of thrombosis are rare.

Background: The role of underlying biological processes in Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is subject of ongoing discussion. Especially patients with post-infectious onset (PI-IBS) are supposed to have intestinal low-grade inflammation and possibly represent a subgroup with distinct pathophysiology. Aims of the study: to investigate intestinal inflammation in IBS, with special regard to differences between IBS and PI-IBS, and to examine correlations with psychological variables and symptom burden. Methods: N = 44 IBS patients with a mean age of 43,8 ± 15,3 years, 33 (75%) female, were examined in psychological variables (Perceived Stress PSQ, Resilience CD-RISC, Quality of life VAS, and Psychological Distress HADS), symptom severity (IBS-SSS), and faecal Calprotectin (fCal) as a marker of intestinal inflammation. Obtained fCal values were classified into four categories of gastrointestinal inflammation: negative ( 250 µg/g, to be excluded from further analysis). Results: Two patients exceeded the fCal threshold of 250 µg/g and were excluded from further analysis. In the remaining n = 42 disease onset was 9,6 ± 9,1 years ago, with 9 (21%) cases to be classified as PI-IBS. IBS was classified severe in 25 (60%), moderate in 14 (33%) and mild in 3 (7%) cases. 29 (69%) showed negative, 9 (21%) marginal, and 4 (10%) positive signs of intestinal inflammation. In PI-IBS, distribution of fCal values was highly similar: 6 (67%) negative, 2 (22%) marginal, and 1 (11%) positive. Correlations between psychological variables and fCal were small and nonsignificant (PSQ: 0.012; CD-RISC: -0.204; HADS: 0.018;), except VAS (-0.311, p < 0.05). Equally, IBS-SSS and fCal prove to be almost uncorrelated (0.055). Conclusion:. Low-grade inflammation was present in about one third of patients, with no difference between PI-IBS and regular IBS. Psychological wellbeing and symptom severity seem to be largely independent from inflammation.

Summary Background Patients treated with TNF-α inhibitors (TNFi) are at high risk of reactivation of latent tuberculosis (LTB). Prospective studies on monitoring of TB reactivation and/or infection in this risk group are lacking. Aim To test the conversion and reversion rate of screening tests for latent TB serial tuberculin skin test (TST) and interferon-γ release assay (IGRA) under ongoing TNFi therapy. Methods We retested consecutive patients with IBD receiving TNFi therapy for a minimum of 5 months for LTB using IGRA and TST. A detailed patient history and concomitant therapy were recorded for each subject. Results After a median of 34.9 weeks (20.7–177.7), IGRA was retested in 184/227 patients (81.1%; Crohn's disease n = 139, ulcerative colitis n = 45) still under index TNFi. TST was available in 144/184 subjects (78.2%). The majority of patients were TNFi naive (147/184, 79.9%). In a subgroup of patients who received isoniazid due to diagnosis of latent TB at baseline (n = 32), 6/13 patients (46.2%) with baseline positive IGRA and 3/22 patients (13.6%) with baseline positive TST reverted to negative at retesting. In patients without diagnosis of LTB at baseline no permanent IGRA conversion was observed, but there were 6/144 (4.2%) TST conversions from negative to positive. No single case of TB reactivation or infection was recorded during the observation period. Conclusions During treatment TNF-α inhibitors conversion was observed for tuberculin skin test, but not interferon-γ release assay. As compared with tuberculin skin test, interferon-γ release assay reverted in nearly half of isoniazid-treated patients for latent tuberculosis. However, the fact that patients in whom the interferon-γ release assay test result remained positive did not develop active tuberculosis during follow-up questions the utility of interferon-γ release assay as a monitoring tool during chemoprevention.

Background: Cyclosporine (CsA) or infliximab (IFX) are used as rescue therapies in steroid-refractory, severe attacks of ulcerative colitis (UC). There are no data comparing the efficacy of these two alternatives. Methods: Outcome of rescue therapy was retrospectively studied in two cohorts of patients hospitalized due to steroid-refractory moderate to severe UC: 1) a Swedish-Danish cohort (n 49) treated with a single infusion of IFX; 2) an Austrian cohort (n 43) treated with intravenous CsA. After successful rescue therapy, maintenance immunomodulator treatment was given to 27/33 (82%) of IFX patients and to 31/40 (78%) of CsA patients. Endpoints were colectomy-free survival at 3 and 12 months. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression models were used to evaluate the association between treatment groups and colectomy. Results: At 15 days, colectomy-free survival in the IFX cohort was 36/49 (73%) versus 41/43 (95%) in the CsA cohort (P = 0.005), at 3 months 33/49 (67%) versus 40/43 (93%) (P = 0.002), and at 12 months 28/49 (57%) versus 33/43 (77%) (P = 0.034). After adjusting for potential confounding factors, Cox regression analysis yielded adjusted hazard ratios for risk of colectomy in IFX-treated patients of 11.2 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.4-53.1, P = 0.002) at 3 months and of 3.0 (95% CI 1.1-8.2, P = 0.030) at 12 months in comparison with CsA-treated patients. There were no opportunistic infections or mortality. Conclusions: Colectomy frequencies were significantly lower after rescue therapy with CsA than with a single infusion of IFX both at 3 and 12 months' follow-up. The superiority of CsA was seen principally during the first 15 days.

Background Recommendations on breastfeeding under thiopurines are inconsistent due to limited data. Aim To assess the risk of infections in offspring breastfed by mothers receiving azathioprine (AZA) for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Methods Babies, who were breastfed from their mothers treated either with or without AZA were included from a local pregnancy-registry. Women were asked by structured personal interview on general development, infections, hospitalisations and vaccinations of their offspring. Results A group of 11 mothers taking AZA (median 150mg/d) during pregnancy and lactation and another of 12 patients without using any immunosuppressive therapy breastfed 15 babies each for median 6months and 8months, respectively. Median age of children at time of interview was 3.3 and 4.7years, respectively. All offspring showed age-appropriate mental and physical development. Infections were commonly seen childhood diseases. Similar rates were observed for most of the various infections between offspring with and without azathioprine exposure during breastfeeding. However, common cold more than two episodes/year and conjunctivitis were numerically more often reported in the group without AZA exposure. In an exploratory analysis no difference in the rate of hospitalisations was seen between exposed (0.06 hospitalisations/patient year) versus non-exposed children (0.12 hospitalisations/patient year, p=0.8) Conclusion Our study which reports the largest number of babies breastfed with exposure to AZA suggests that breastfeeding does not increase the risk of infections.

Infliximab is a monoclonal antibody against tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), which is approved for the treatment of chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) such as Crohn's disease (CD), fistulating Crohn's disease (FCD), ulcerative colitis (UC), and paediatric ulcerative colitis (PUC) from 6 years onwards. Besides its therapeutic efficacy, this antibody therapy is characterised by its side effects profile, which has been addressed in a seperate consensus statement by the Working Group for chronic inflammatory bowel diseases within the Austrian Society for Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Infliximab is an effective treatment option for the above-mentioned indications; however, use of this agent requires special knowledge to assess the benefit-risk profile for each patient individually.

Background: Screening for latent tuberculosis (LTB) including chest x-ray, tuberculin skin test (TST), and facultative whole blood interferon-γ assay (IGRA) is part of routine management in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients before starting therapy with tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α inhibitors. However, in patients with immunomodulators (IM) TST and IGRA might show limitations. Methods: We aimed to evaluate the results from an IGRA (QuantiFERON-TB Gold in Tube) and TST as well as their concordance in 208 consecutive IBD patients with indications for anti-TNF-α therapy. Associations of both tests with risk factors for LTB were determined by logistic regression. Results: During screening, 149 patients (71.6%) were under IM therapy. In 26 (12.5%) patients TST was positive, whereas 15 (7.2%) patients showed a positive result from IGRA. IGRA failed on samples from 16/208 (7.7%) patients, resulting in 192/208 (92.3%) patients in whom results from both screening tests were available. Correlation between IGRA and TST results was fair (84.9%, κ = 0.21). The presence of risk factors for LTB showed association with positive results of TST (odds ratio [OR] 3.7, 1.5–9.6) and IGRA (OR 3.5, 1.2–11.3). TST was associated furthermore with age (OR 1.06, 1.02–1.10) and signs indicative of LTB in chest x-ray (OR 4.9, 1.1–19.9). The IGRA was negatively influenced by IM therapy (OR 0.3, 0.1–0.9). Conclusion: Our study reveals that results of IGRA are negatively affected by IM therapy. Thus, current guidelines for TB screening prior anti-TNF-α therapy appear inaccurate in patients under IM. Therefore, LTB screening might be best performed prior to initiation of IM treatment. (Inflamm Bowel Dis 2011;)

Background and aim Rescue therapy with intravenous cyclosporine A (CsA) helps to avoid colectomy in a substantial proportion of patients with severe ulcerative colitis (UC) but the impact on long-term outcome remains unclear. Therefore, we aimed to define predictive factors for colectomy in patients treated with intravenous CsA for severely active UC. Methods A retrospective, single-center study with a minimum follow-up of 18 months was performed. Results A total of 64 patients were evaluable (median age 33 years [range 17–80 years], female 54.7%). Median intravenous CsA dose was 4 mg/kg/day (range 2–5 mg/kg/day). After a median follow-up of 65 months (range 2–160 months), 19 patients (29.7%) underwent colectomy, 15 within 18 months. Of the various baseline parameters tested, only previous non-response to thiopurine treatment (p = 0.006) was associated with an increased risk of colectomy. During 18 months follow-up, thiopurine-naive patients receiving thiopurine maintenance therapy after intravenous CsA (32/64, 50.0%) underwent colectomy in 12.5% of cases. The colectomy rate was 27.3% among 22 patients previously non-responsive to thiopurines who continued treatment after intravenous CsA, compared to 50.0% in the 10 patients who discontinued thiopurines prior to intravenous CsA or who never received thiopurines (p = 0.037). Conclusions The long-term colectomy rate after intravenous CsA in patients with severely active UC was relatively low in our series compared to the literature. Concomitant treatment with thiopurines was the only predictor for a reduced risk of colectomy.

Infliximab (IFX) has tremendously enriched the therapy of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and other immune mediated diseases. Although the efficacy of IFX was undoubtedly proven during the last decade numerous publications have also caused various safety concerns. To summarize the immense information concerning adverse events and safety issues the Austrian Society of Gastroenterology and Hepatology launched this evidence based consensus on the safe use of IFX which covers the following topics: infusion reactions and immunogenicity, skin reactions, opportunistic infections (including tuberculosis), non-opportunistic infections (bacterial and viral), vaccination, neurological complications, hepatotoxicity, congestive heart failure, haematological side effects, intestinal strictures, stenosis and bowel obstruction (SSO), concomitant medication, malignancy and lymphoma, IFX in the elderly and the young, mortality, fertility, pregnancy and breast feeding. To make the vast amount of information practicable for routine application the consensus was finally condensed into a checklist for a safe use of IFX which consists of two parts: issues to be addressed prior to anti‐TNF therapy and issues to be addressed during maintenance. Both parts are further divided into obligatory and facultative items.

Background and aims Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are lifelong inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) progressing over time. Lack of public awareness may contribute to tardy consultation of primary care physicians, late diagnosis and development of potentially preventable complications of disease. A public opinion poll has been performed to assess the awareness of CD and UC in the Austrian population. Methods In March/April 2006, 122 interviewers of an international polling institute asked 1001 Austrians aged 16 and over about their knowledge of CD and UC. People interviewed were selected using a quota sampling scheme representing the Austrian population. Results CD and UC were never heard/read in 68% and 79% (group 1), respectively, whereas 23% and 14% had already heard/read these terms (group 2). Only 9% and 7% of participants gained information on or were familiar with CD and UC (group3), respectively. Among provided choices of potentially afflicted organs interviewees of group 3 associated the terms “CD” and “UC” with an intestinal disease in 86% each. Among those of group 2 + 3 the corresponding figures were 53% and 60% for CD and UC, respectively. Overall, 7% and 4% of the participants stated to be aware and/or informed on CD and UC and correctly associated these terms with an intestinal disease. Conclusions This is the first study on public awareness of the terms “Crohn's disease” and “ulcerative colitis”. Poor knowledge in the public is reported which may vastly impact outcome and health economic consequences of IBD.

Anemia is a common complication of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and iron deficiency (ID) is its predominant cause. Therefore, oral and intravenous iron replacements are widely used. This study was performed to evaluate the frequency and timing of anemia and ID recurrence after a successful treatment cycle.Medical records of patients who had received iron sucrose with or without erythropoietin (EPO) in one of three prospective clinical trials that had been conducted at our center (Ann Intern Med 1997, Digestion 1999, and Am J Gastroenterol 2001) were analyzed for a 5-year follow-up period. The risk for recurrence of anemia (hemoglobin (Hb)12/13 g per 100 ml) and ID (ferritin30 microg/l) was evaluated by Kaplan-Meier analysis using the log-rank test.Eighty-eight patients were available for analysis. Patients had received a mean iron dose of 2,500 mg (range 600-3,600 mg); 33 (37.1%) patients had also received EPO. Anemia recurred in a median of 10 months (95% confidence interval (CI) 8-12) and ID recurred within 19 months (95% CI 11-28). The iron dose had no influence on recurrence of ID or anemia. ID (but not anemia) recurred faster in patients with a post-treatment ferritin level100 microg/l (median 4 months, 95% CI 1-7) than in patients with ferritin level between 100 and 400 microg/l (median 11 months, 95% CI 6-16) and400 microg/l (median 49 months, 95% CI 32-66; P0.001).IBD-associated ID and anemia recur surprisingly fast, indicating that maintenance treatment may be needed in a portion of the patient population. Recurrence of ID (but not anemia) can be delayed by aiming for high post-treatment ferritin levels.

Background: Psychological distress is frequent in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Whether there is a need for psychological interventions is unknown. This study investigated the quantity and quality of the need for psychological interventions in IBD as compared to rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: In all, 302 patients with IBD and 109 patients with RA answered the ADAPT questionnaire, assessing the need for psychosomatic support (physicians support) and for psychotherapy, the hospital anxiety and depression scale, the SF-36, a questionnaire on social support (SOZU-K22), and the Rating Form of IBD Patient Concerns (IBD patients only). Detailed biomedical data were also assessed. Results: Ninety-three patients with IBD (31%) expressed a need for psychological intervention compared to 14 patients with RA (13%; P < 0.001). Stepwise logistic regression analysis revealed that anxiety (odds ratio [OR] 3.6; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.2-6.0; P < 0.001), age ≤44 years (OR 2.6; 95% CI 1.5-4.3; P < 0.001) and impaired social support (SOZU-K22

The Crohn's disease (CD) susceptibility gene, nucleotide-binding oligomerizetion domain 2 (NOD2)/caspase recruitment domain 15 (CARD15), is linked to the innate immune response associated with altered epithelial bacterial defense. Its relevance in antibiotic therapy of perianal fistulating CD remains elusive. The aim of the study was to explore systematically the association between NOD2/CARD15 variants and clinical response of perianal fistulas in patients using antibiotic therapy.Fifty-two patients (median age 36 yr) with draining perianal fistulas were treated with ciprofloxacin (N = 49) or metronidazole (N = 3) for a median duration of 7 wk. Complete response was defined as the absence of any draining fistula despite gentle finger compression. Genotyping for NOD2/CARD15 variants and human beta (beta)-defensin 2 (HBD-2) copies was performed by 5' nuclease assays (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA). The examiners and laboratory investigators were blinded. The Fisher exact test and Wilcoxon signed rank test were used for statistical analysis.Ciprofloxacin was discontinued in one patient due to diarrhea after 2 wk. Complete fistula response was observed in 13 of 39 patients with NOD2/CARD15 wild-type (33.3%) compared with none in patients carrying NOD2/CARD15 variants (0%, P= 0.02). The median number of HBD-2 gene copies between responders and partial/nonresponders was similar.The study result suggests a substantial contribution of NOD2/CARD15 to the antibiotic treatment outcome of perianal fistulating CD. NOD2/CARD15 variants may predispose to an altered intestinal microflora in perianal fistulas that is less responsive to antibiotic treatment.

5-aminosalicylates (5-ASA) and steroids constitute a cornerstone of medical therapy in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Whereas the efficacy of 5-ASA in Crohn's disease (CD) is equivocal, ulcerative colitis (UC) is the main indication for this drug. In UC, 5-ASA is effective in the treatment of mild to moderate acute disease and in maintenance of remission. Furthermore, 5-ASA topical therapy is an important treatment option in patients with mild to moderate proctitis and/or left-sided UC and shows additive efficacy to oral therapy. From retrospective data a chemo-preventative activity of long-term 5-ASA therapy in UC is delineated. Steroids are treatment of first choice for moderate to severe cases of CD and UC. Budesonide, a modified steroid with less side effects, plays a major role in the treatment of ileocolonic CD +/- involvement of the right colon and is used as treatment of choice in mild-to-moderate cases. In case of acute, severe disease conventional steroids are superior compared to budesonide and therefore budesonide should only be used after considerable improvement of disease activity. The necessity to apply steroids in a given patient represents a negative prognostic indicator for the course of disease and should incite the early introduction of immunosuppressive therapy in this case. Steroids are only effective as short term therapy of IBD and are to be avoided for maintenance treatment. In all cases of steroid therapy an osteoporosis prophylaxis with calcium and vitamin D is recommended. Topical steroid treatment is less effective in left-sided UC compared to 5-ASA.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS Strictures are a substantial cause of morbidity in patients with Crohn's disease. Endoscopic balloon dilation is a therapeutic option in limited strictures to avoid intestinal surgery, although there have been few reports regarding the long-term outcome. PATIENTS AND METHODS Balloon dilation was scheduled for 46 patients (26 women, 20 men; median age 34) with Crohn's-associated symptomatic and radiographically confirmed intestinal stenosis. The study plan envisaged up to four consecutive treatments within the first 2 months until relief of symptoms, and thereafter dilations depending on clinical requirements. RESULTS Dilation was not possible in seven of the 46 patients (15 %), due to technical problems (n = 2), internal fistulas (n = 3), or absence of a stenosis (n = 2). Thirty-nine patients received at least one treatment. The site of obstruction was the ileocolonic anastomosis in 23 of the 39 patients (59 %) and surgically untreated areas in 16 patients (41 %). After the initial dilation series (median 1, interquartile range 1-2), strictures were traversed in 37 of the 39 patients (95 %). During a median follow-up period of 21 months (range 3-98 months), 24 of the 39 patients (62 %) underwent a repeat intervention, including 12 (31 %) with repeat dilation, 11 (28 %) with surgical resection, and one patient who received an intestinal stent. The cumulative percentages of patients without a repeat intervention or surgery at 6, 12, 24, and 36 months were 68 %, 48 %, 36 %, and 31 %, and 97 %, 91 %, 84 % and 75 %, respectively. Two perforations and one case of severe bleeding were seen in the 73 dilation procedures (4 %) performed. CONCLUSIONS Endoscopic balloon dilation is a safe and effective method that allows surgery to be avoided in approximately 75 % of patients with Crohn's-associated short intestinal strictures. However, recurrent symptoms frequently make it necessary to repeat the procedure.

OBJECTIVE There is evidence of an interaction between psychological factors and activity of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We examined the influence of depressive mood and associated anxiety on the course of IBD over a period of 18 months in a cohort of patients after an episode of active disease. METHODS In this prospective, longitudinal, observational study, 60 patients (37 women and 23 men) with clinically inactive IBD (Crohn disease, n = 47, 78%; ulcerative colitis, n = 13, 22%) were enrolled after a flare of disease. Psychological status, health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and disease activity were evaluated at baseline and then every 3 months for a period of 18 months by means of clinical and biological parameters, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire, the Perceived Stress Questionnaire, and the Rating Form of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients Concerns. RESULTS At baseline, depression (BDI > or = 13 points) was found in 17 of 60 (28%) patients. Thirty-two patients (59%) experienced at least one relapse during the 18 months of follow-up. Regression analysis showed a significant correlation between BDI scores at baseline and the total number of relapses after 12 (p

Background Infliximab (Remicade®), a chimeric monoclonal antibody against tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), has emerged as promising therapeutic option in perianal fistulizing Crohn's disease (CD). However, little knowledge exists about its use for the treatment of internal fistulas in CD. We present our experience with infliximab in this situation. Methods Four patients with CD who had internal fistulas (Case 1: entero-enteral and entero-abdominal; Case 2: entero-enteral; Case 3: entero-enteral and parastomal; Case 4: entero-vesical) were treated with 3 infusions of infliximab (5 mg/kg body weight) with intervals of 2 and 4 weeks. In addition, 3 patients had strictures and 2 patients had perianal fistulas. Results After the three infusions of infliximab (5 mg/kg body weight), internal fistulas remained unchanged in all patients. The perianal fistulas present in 2 cases were healed. Administration of infliximab was safe and well tolerated in all cases. Conclusion Treatment with 3 infusions of infliximab (5 mg/kg body weight) led to healing of only the perianal fistulas, whereas the internal fistulas were not influenced. We conclude that in these 4 cases, infliximab was well tolerated but not effective for the management of internal fistulas and was no alternative for surgery.

Objectives To examine the relationship between serum levels of anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibodies (ASCAs) and intestinal permeability at a given time (hypothesis 1) and the probability of increased ASCA serum levels with increased intestinal permeability (hypothesis 2) in patients with Crohn's disease. Methods Each hypothesis was tested retrospectively with its own study population: group A for hypothesis 1 and group B for hypothesis 2. Intestinal permeability was measured by lactulose/mannitol test and ASCAs were quantified by using ELISA. Patients received either no treatment or 5-aminosalicylates. The lactulose/mannitol test and sampling of sera for ASCA assessment had to be performed within 1 month in group A. In group B the highest intestinal permeability value obtained from among at least three measurements made during different stages of disease activity was chosen for evaluation. Results Both study populations consisted of 140 patients with Crohn's disease. Elevated IgG ASCAs were detected in 64% (90/140) in group A compared with 65% (91/140) in group B. In group A, 64% (90/140) and in group B 66% (92/140) were IgA ASCA positive. Correlation analysis showed a tendency for a positive relationship between IgG ASCAs and intestinal permeability in group A (tau = 0.16, P = 0.07) and in group B (tau = 0.16, P = 0.06). A positive trend was seen for the combination of high intestinal permeability and high IgG ASCAs in group B (chi-squared test, P = 0.07). Conclusion Elevated serum levels of anti-S. cerevisiae antibodies do not seem to result primarily from a defect of the gut barrier. This observation points to an intrinsic pathomechanism in the development of increased ASCA serum levels.

Summary Background: Conventional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have been associated with an increased risk of exacerbation of inflammatory bowel disease. Aim: To evaluate, in a prospective, open-label study, the safety and efficacy of a 20-day regimen of the selective cyclo-oxygenase-2 inhibitor, rofecoxib, 12.5–25 mg/day, in inflammatory bowel disease patients with associated peripheral arthropathy and/or arthritis. Methods: Patients with clinically inactive to mild inflammatory bowel disease and a joint pain score of at least two points on a scale ranging from zero (none) to four (very poor) were eligible. Response was defined by a decrease of at least two points in the arthralgia score. Results: Of the 32 patients included, 26 (81%) were treated with rofecoxib, 25 mg/day, and six (19%) with rofecoxib, 12.5 mg/day. In three patients (9%), rofecoxib had to be withdrawn after a few days due to gastrointestinal complaints which ceased immediately after drug discontinuation. No flare of inflammatory bowel disease occurred. Thirteen of the 32 patients (41%) were responders and, overall, the arthralgia score decreased from two to one (P = 0.0001). Conclusions: This is the first prospective study on the use of a selective cyclo-oxygenase-2 inhibitor in inflammatory bowel disease patients with peripheral arthropathy and/or arthralgia. The promising safety and efficacy profile warrants further evaluation in controlled trials.