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Background Whether aminosalicylates or thiopurines reduce the risk of colorectal cancer ( CRC) in inflammatory bowel ( IBD) disease is controversial. Aim To assess simultaneously the chemopreventive effect of aminosalicylates or thiopurines in a case-control study nested in the CESAME observational cohort that enrolled consecutive patients with IBD between May 2004 and June 2005. Patients were followed up to December 2007. Methods Study population comprised 144 case patients who developed CRC from the diagnosis of IBD (65 and 79 cases diagnosed, respectively, before and from 2004, starting year of the prospective observational period of CESAME) and 286 controls matched for gender, age, IBD subtype and year of diagnosis, and cumulative extent of colitis. Exposure to aminosalicylates or thiopurines was defined by an exposure to the treatment during the year of the diagnosis of cancer. The propensity of receiving 5- ASA and thiopurines was quantified by a composite score taking into account patient and IBD characteristics. The role of aminosalicylates or thiopurines was assessed by multivariate analysis. Propensity scores and the history of primary sclerosing cholangitis were entered into the multivariate model for adjustment. Results By multivariate analysis adjusted for propensity, a significant protective effect of exposure to drugs during the year of cancer was found for aminosalicylates ( OR = 0.587, 95% CI: 0.367-0.937, P = 0.0257), but not for thiopurines ( OR = 0.762, 95% CI: 0.432-1.343, P = 0.3468). Conclusion In a case-control study nested in the CESAME cohort, a significant decrease in the risk of colorectal cancer in IBD was associated with exposure to aminosalicylates, not to thiopurines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The risk of urinary tract cancers, including kidney and bladder cancers, was increased in transplant recipients receiving thiopurines. Aim To assess the risk of urinary tract cancers in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) receiving thiopurines in the CESAME observational cohort. Methods Between May 2004 and June 2005, 19 486 patients with IBD, 30.1% of whom were receiving thiopurines, were enrolled. Median follow-up was 35 months (IQR: 29-40). Results Ten and six patients developed respectively kidney and bladder cancer. The incidence rates of urinary tract cancer were 0.48/1000 patient-years in patients receiving thiopurines (95% CI: 0.21-0.95), 0.10/1000 patient-years in patients who discontinued thiopurines (95% CI: 0.00-0.56) and 0.30/1000 patient-years in patients never treated with thiopurines (95% CI: 0.12-0.62) at entry. The standardised incidence ratio of urinary tract cancer was 3.40 (95% CI: 1.47-6.71, P = 0.006) in patients receiving thiopurines, 0.64 (95% CI: 0.01-3.56, P = 0.92) in patients previously exposed to thiopurines and 1.17 (95% CI: 0.47-12.42, P = 0.78) in patients never treated with thiopurines. The multivariate-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of urinary tract cancer between patients receiving thiopurines and those not receiving thiopurines was 2.82 (95% CI: 1.04-7.68, P = 0.04). Other significant risk factors were male gender (HR: 3.98, 95% CI: 1.12-14.10, P = 0.03) and increasing age (HR after 65 years (ref <50): 13.26, 95% CI: 3.52-50.03, P = 0.0001). Conclusion Patients with IBD receiving thiopurines have an increased risk of urinary tract cancers. Clinically relevant excess risk is observed in older men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Our objective was to describe the incidence and risk factors of legionellosis associated with tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α antagonist use.Methods: From February 1, 2004, to January 31, 2007, we prospectively collected all cases of legionellosis among French patients receiving TNF-α antagonists in the Research Axed on Tolerance of Biotherapies (RATIO) national registry. We conducted an incidence study with the French population as a reference and a case-control analysis with four control subjects receiving TNF-α antagonists per case of legionellosis.Results: Twenty-seven cases of legionellosis were reported. The overall annual incidence rate of legionellosis for patients receiving TNF-α antagonists, adjusted for age and sex, was 46.7 (95% CI, 0.0-125.7) per 100,000 patient-years. The overall standardized incidence ratio (SIR) was 13.1 (95% CI, 9.0-19.1; P < .0001) and was higher for patients receiving infliximab (SIR, 15.3 [95% CI, 8.5-27.6; P < .0001]) or adalimumab (SIR, 37.7 [95% CI, 21.9-64.9; P < .0001]) than etanercept (SIR, 3.0 [95% CI, 1.00-9.2; P = .06]). In the case-control analysis, exposure to adalimumab (OR, 8.7 [95% CI, 2.1-35.1]) or infliximab (OR, 9.2 [95% CI, 1.9-45.4]) vs etanercept was an independent risk factor for legionellosis.Conclusions: The incidence rate of legionellosis for patients receiving TNF-α antagonists is high, and the risk is higher for patients receiving anti-TNF-α monoclonal antibodies than soluble TNF-receptor therapy. In case of pneumonia occurring during TNF-α antagonist therapy, specific urine antigen detection should be performed and antibiotic therapy should cover legionellosis.Trial Registry: ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT00224562; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study that describes the incidence and risk factors of Legionella pneumophilia pneumonia associated with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) - α antagonist therapy. The results of the study reveal that the incidence rate of legionellosis for such patients is high and the risk is increased for patients under anti-TNF-α monoclonal antibodies. The authors recommend specific urine antigen detection and antibiotic coverage for legionellosis.

Background & Aims: Recent studies reported a role for more than 70 genes or loci in the susceptibility to Crohn's disease (CD). However, the impact of these associations in clinical practice remains to be defined. The aim of the study was to analyse the relationship between genotypes and phenotypes for the main 53 CD-associated polymorphisms. Method: A cohort of 798 CD patients with a median follow up of 7 years was recruited by tertiary adult and paediatric gastroenterological centres. A detailed phenotypic description of the disease was recorded, including clinical presentation, response to treatments and complications. The participants were genotyped for 53 CD-associated variants previously reported in the literature and correlations with clinical sub-phenotypes were searched for. A replication cohort consisting of 722 CD patients was used to further explore the putative associations. Results: The NOD2 rare variants were associated with an earlier age at diagnosis (p = 0.0001) and an ileal involvement (OR = 2.25[1.49-3.41] and 2.77 [1.71-4.50] for rs2066844 and rs2066847, respectively). Colonic lesions were positively associated with the risk alleles of IL23R rs11209026 (OR = 2.25 [1.13-4.51]) and 6q21 rs7746082 (OR = 1.60 [1.10-2.34] and negatively associated with the risk alleles of IRGM rs13361189 (OR = 0.29 [0.11-0.74]) and DEFB1 rs11362 (OR = 0.50 [0.30- 0.80]). The ATG16L1 and IRGM variants were associated with a non-inflammatory behaviour (OR = 1.75 [1.22-2.53] and OR = 1.50 [1.04-2.16] respectively). However, these associations lost significance after multiple testing corrections. The protective effect of the IRGM risk allele on colonic lesions was the only association replicated in the second cohort (p = 0.03). Conclusions: It is not recommended to genotype the studied polymorphisms in routine practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which assessed the risk of lymphoproliferative disorders in patients receiving thiopurines for inflammatory bowel disease. During a three-year follow-up, cases of lymphoproliferative disorder were compared with the number of cases expected in the general population with the same age and sex distributions. The risk of lymphoproliferative disorder was found to be higher in patients exposed to thiopurines. According to the article, the excess risk of lymphoproliferative disorder in patients taking thiopurines for chronic inflammatory might be caused by inflammatory itself, by thiopurine exposure, or a combination of two.

Purpose: To study the impact of fused (18)F-fluoro-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG)-hybrid positron emission tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT) images on conformal radiotherapy planning for esophageal carcinoma patients. Methods and Materials: Thirty-four esophageal carcinoma patients were referred for concomitant radiotherapy and chemotherapy with radical intent. Each patient underwent CT and FDG-hybrid PET for simulation treatment in the same treatment position. PET images were coregistered using five fiducial markers. Target delineation was initially performed on CT images, and the corresponding PET data were subsequently used as an overlay to CT data to define the target volume. Results: (18)F-fluorodeoxy-D-glucose-PET identified previously undetected distant metastatic disease in 2 patients, making them ineligible for curative conformal radiotherapy. The gross tumor volume (GTV) was decreased by CT and FDG image fusion in 12 patients (35%) and increased in 7 patients (21%). The GTV reduction was > or =25% in 4 patients owing to a reduction in the length of the esophageal tumor. The GTV increase was > or =25% with FDG-PET in 2 patients owing to the detection of occult mediastinal lymph node involvement in 1 patient and an increased length of the esophageal tumor in 1 patient. Modifications of the GTV affected the planning treatment volume in 18 patients. Modifications of the delineation of the GTV and displacement of the isocenter of the planning treatment volume by FDG-PET also affected the percentage of total lung volume receiving >20 Gy in 25 patients (74%), with a dose reduction in 12 patients and dose increase in 13. Conclusion: In our study, CT and FDG-PET image fusion appeared to have an impact on treatment planning and management of esophageal carcinoma. The affect on treatment outcome remains to be demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the significance of weight loss in HIV patients with chronic diarrhea. What diarrhea resulted from; Requests made to patients; Multiple linear regression identifying low caloric intake and high stool frequency as predictive of weight loss; Information on total energy expenditure.

Although the association of Crohn disease and Meckel diverticulum has been widely reported, the direct involvement of a Meckel diverticulum by Crohn disease is less common and is usually the result of contiguous spread. The presence of heterotopic tissues in an affected diverticulum is rare and most often consists of gastric mucosa. We report herein the presence of Crohn disease within a Meckel diverticulum, with a normal small bowel immediately adjacent to the diverticulum, associated with pancreatic heterotopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]