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Microscopic bowel inflammation is present in up to 60% of all patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA) and appears to be associated with more severe joint disease and a higher risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This study aimed to determine the utility of fecal calprotectin (fCAL) in evaluating endoscopic and histological bowel inflammation in SpA patients.Ileocolonoscopies with biopsies and fCAL measurements were performed in 65 patients with SpA.In 47 (72.3%) patients, the fCAL levels were higher than 50 μg/g, whereas in 20 (30.7%), these levels were greater than 250 μg/g. A total of 38 (58.5%) patients presented with microscopic bowel inflammation, and 13 (20%) presented with signs of endoscopic inflammation. fCAL levels were significantly higher in patients with microscopic bowel inflammation than in those without inflammatory findings (P .001); additionally, these levels were slightly higher in patients with endoscopic signs of bowel inflammation (P = .053). A fCAL cutoff value of 96 μg/g predicted histological bowel inflammation with 73% sensitivity and 67% specificity. No statistically significant difference was observed in the fCAL levels between patients who had been treated or not treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).Our findings confirm a high prevalence of microscopic bowel inflammation in SpA patients, regardless of the use of NSAIDs. The evaluation of fCAL levels proved to be useful in the identification of microscopic inflammation and could help in the more judicious indication of ileocolonoscopy. These results support the use of fCAL for the evaluation of microscopic bowel inflammation in SpA patients.

Objectives Proper management of the inflammatory process in Crohn's disease (CD) results in lower rates of complications. The objective of this study was to investigate the performance of isolated and combined use of fecal calprotectin (FC) and serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) as markers of inflammatory activity in CD and the possibility of their use as a therapeutic target. Patients and methods Patients with CD and indication for colonoscopy were prospectively enrolled in the study and allocated according to the presence or absence of endoscopic inflammatory activity. The correlation between FC and CRP levels and the Simplified Endoscopic Score of Crohn's Disease (SES-CD) was performed, and the accuracy of these markers was evaluated for the diagnosis of inflammatory activity, when used alone or in series. Results Eighty colonoscopies were performed in patients with CD. The FC cut-off value of 155 μg/g showed high sensitivity (96%) and accuracy (78%) for the diagnosis of endoscopic activity. For CRP, the value of 6.7 mg/L demonstrated sensitivity of 75% and specificity of 67%. The sequential usage of these markers (FC + CRP) showed greater specificity (82%) when compared to the use of these markers alone. Depending on the probability of inflammatory activity, different scenarios were used to evaluate the performance of these markers and an algorithm is proposed. Discussion Combined analysis of FC and CRP, when performed consecutively, allows decisions to be made with a high degree of certainty and even eliminates the need for colonoscopy in many situations.

Made available in DSpace on 2022-04-29T08:30:04Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-06-21 BACKGROUND Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) with a remission-relapsing presentation and symptomatic exacerbations that have detrimental impacts on patient quality of life and are associated with a high cost burden, especially in patients with moderate-to-severe disease. The Real-world Data of Moderate-to-Severe Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Brazil (RISE BR) study was a noninterventional study designed to evaluate disease control, treatment patterns, disease burden and health-related quality of life in patients with moderate-to-severe active IBD. We report findings from the prospective follow-up phase of the RISE BR study in patients with active UC or CD. AIM To describe the 12-mo disease evolution and treatment patterns among patients with active moderate-to-severe IBD in Brazil. METHODS This was a prospective, noninterventional study of adult patients with active Crohn’s disease (CD: Harvey-Bradshaw Index ≥ 8, CD Activity Index ≥ 220), inadequate CD control (i.e., calprotectin > 200 µg/g or colonoscopy previous results), or active ulcerative colitis (UC: Partial Mayo score ≥ 5). Enrollment occurred in 14 centers from October 2016 to February 2017. The proportion of active IBD patients after 9-12 mo of follow-up, Kaplan-Meier estimates of the time to mild or no activity and a summary of treatment initiation, discontinuation and dose changes were examined. RESULTS The study included 118 CD and 36 UC patients, with mean ± SD ages of 43.3 ± 12.6 and 44.9 ± 16.5 years, respectively. The most frequent drug classes at index were biologics for CD (62.7%) and 5-aminosalicylate derivates for UC patients (91.7%). During follow-up, 65.3% of CD and 86.1% of UC patients initiated a new treatment at least once. Discontinuations/dose changes occurred in 68.1% of CD patients [median 2.0 (IQR: 2-5)] and 94.3% of UC patients [median 4.0 (IQR: 3-7)]. On average, CD and UC patients had 4.4 ± 2.6 and 5.0 ± 3.3 outpatient visits, respectively. The median time to first mild or no activity was 319 (IQR: 239-358) d for CD and 320 (IQR: 288-358) d for UC patients. At 9-12 mo, 22.0% of CD and 20.0% of UC patients had active disease. CONCLUSION Although a marked proportion of active IBD patients achieved disease control within one year, the considerable time to achieve this outcome represents an unmet medical need of the current standard of care in a Brazilian real-world setting. Department of Internal Medicine Botucatu Medical School at Sao Paulo State University (UNESP) Botucatu Department of Gastroenterology Escola Paulista de Medicina Sao Paulo São Paulo Department of Proctology Kaiser Day Hospital, São Jose do Rio Preto Department of Gastroenterology Faculdade de Medicina do ABC Santo Andre Department of Gastroenterology Faculdade de Medicina, Goiania 74535-170 Department of Gastroenterology CMIP Centro Mineiro de Pesquisa Juiz de Fora Department of Internal Medicine Federal University of Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro Department of Gastroenterology Escola Paulista de Medicina São Paulo Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre Porto Alegre Hospital de Clinicas da Universidade Federal do Paraná Hospital de Clinicas da Universidade Federal do Paraná Gastroenterology Department Hospital Nossa Senhora das Graças Curitiba Department of General Medicine Universidade Federal do Piauí Teresina Gastroenterology Hospital Universitario da Universidade Federal do Piaui Teresina Department of Medicine University Hospital of Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora Department of Clinical Medicine Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte Hospital de Clinicas da Universidade Federal do Paraná Hospital de Clinicas da Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba Department of Surgery and Anatomy Ribeirao Preto Medical School University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirão Preto Scientific Affairs Takeda Pharmaceuticals Brazil Clinical Research Takeda Pharmaceuticals São Paulo IBD Unit Federal University of Bahia, Salvador Department of Internal Medicine Botucatu Medical School at Sao Paulo State University (UNESP) Botucatu

Made available in DSpace on 2021-06-25T10:51:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-01-14 BACKGROUND Understanding the treatment landscape of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) is essential for improving disease management and patient outcomes. Brazil is the largest Latin American country, and it presents socioeconomic and health care differences across its geographical regions. This country has the highest increase in IBD incidence and prevalence in Latin America, but information about the clinical and treatment characteristics of IBD is scarce. AIM To describe the sociodemographic, clinical, and treatment characteristics of IBD outpatients in Brazil overall and in the Southeast, South and Northeast/Midwest regions. METHODS Multicenter, cross-sectional study with a 3-year retrospective chart review component. Patients with moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC) were consecutively enrolled between October 2016 and February 2017. Active CD at enrollment was defined as a Harvey Bradshaw Index ≥ 8 or a CD Activity Index ≥ 220 or a calprotectin level > 200 μg/g or an active result based on colonoscopy suggestive of inadequate control during the previous year; active UC was defined as a partial Mayo score ≥ 5. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze all variables. RESULTS In a total of 407 included patients, CD was more frequent than UC, both overall (264 CD/143 UC patients) and by region (CD:UC ratios of 2.1 in the Southeast, 1.6 in the South and 1.2 in the Northeast/Midwest). The majority of patients were female (54.2% of CD; 56.6% of UC), and the mean ages were 45.9 ± 13.8 years (CD) and 42.9 ± 13.0 years (UC). The median disease duration was 10.0 (range: 0.5-45) years for both IBD types. At enrollment, 44.7% [95% confidence interval (CI): 38.7-50.7] of CD patients and 25.2% (95%CI: 18.1-32.3) of UC patients presented with active disease. More than 95% of IBD patients were receiving treatment at enrollment; CD patients were commonly treated with biologics (71.6%) and immunosuppressors (67.4%), and UC patients were commonly treated with mesalazine [5-Aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA)] derivates (69.9%) and immunosuppressors (44.1%). More than 50% of the CD patients had ileocolonic disease, and 41.7% presented with stricturing disease. One-quarter of CD patients had undergone CD-related surgery in the past 3 years, and this proportion was lower in the Northeast/Midwest region (2.9%). CONCLUSION In Brazil, there are regional variations in IBD management. CD outweighs UC in both frequency and disease activity. However, one-quarter of UC patients have active disease, and most are receiving 5-ASA treatment. Department of Internal Medicine Federal University of Rio de Janeiro Department of Surgery and Anatomy Ribeirão Preto Medical School University of São Paulo Department of Internal Medicine São Paulo State University (UNESP) Medical School IBD Unit Federal University of Bahia Department of Clinical Medicine Medical School Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Department of Gastroenterology Escola Paulista de Medicina Hospital de Clinicas Universidade Federal do Parana Department of Proctology Beneficencia Portuguesa Hospital Kaiser Day Hospital Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Sciences Hospital de Clínicas Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul Department of Gastroenterology Faculdade de Medicina do ABC Department of General Medicine Gastroenterology Unit University Hospital Federal University of Piaui Department of Gastroenterology Faculdade de Medicina Universidade Federal de Goiás Department of Surgery Botucatu Medical School São Paulo State University (UNESP) Department of Gastroenterology UNIFESP IBD Unit Gastroenterology Department Hospital Nossa Senhora das Graças Department of Proctology Kaiser Hospital Dia Health Sciences Center Epidemiology Unit State University of Piaui Department of Gastroenterology CMIP Centro Mineiro de Pesquisa Scientific Affairs Takeda Pharmaceuticals Brazil Clinical Research Takeda Pharmaceuticals Brazil Department of Medicine University Hospital of Federal University of Juiz de Fora Department of Internal Medicine São Paulo State University (UNESP) Medical School Department of Surgery Botucatu Medical School São Paulo State University (UNESP)

Introduction Acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) and has become the subject of several studies to understand and treat it. Objective This study does a descriptive analysis of the apoptotic index (AI) evaluation and intestinal permeability (IP) alterations in association with the clinical, endoscopic and histopathological data on patients undergoing AHSCT, with emphasis on acute intestinal graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) diagnosis. Methods Thirty-one patients were divided into two groups—one of patients with a clinical GVHD diagnosis and one of those without GVHD diagnosis. Results Thirteen deaths (41.9%) occurred during the study period, thereby reaffirming the severity of the alterations found in the patients. Fifteen patients subjected to 21 esophagogastroduodenoscopy procedures prior to D + 90 post-transplant had visible endoscopic alterations and 19 biopsies revealed histological alterations to the stomach and duodenum. Higher apoptotic indices, not reaching statistical significance, were observed in patients who died of graft versus host disease (GVHD), in the more acute forms of GVHD and where clinical GVHD was present. The intestinal permeability evaluation was performed on nine patients able to undergo it in the three proposed study periods, which showed alterations, some of which were pronounced even during pre-transplant and, therefore, the pre-conditioning phase. Conclusion Clinical judgment remains a fundamental tool in the diagnosis of GVHD. This study points to the known limitations of traditional diagnostic aids (endoscopy and histology) and points to new methods not usually employed in clinical practice.

Background Crohn’s disease (CD) is characterized by chronic inflammation of the human intestine. Several studies have demonstrated that the intestinal mucosa of CD patients in Western countries is abnormally colonized by adherent-invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC) strains. However, no studies to date have focused on the involvement of such E. coli strains in CD patients in Brazil. Here, we characterized E. coli strains associated with the ileal mucosa of Brazilian CD patients (ileal biopsies from 35 subjects, 24 CD patients and 11 controls). Results The colonization level of adherent Enterobacteriaceae associated with the ileal mucosa of CD patients was significantly higher than that of the controls. The proportions of E. coli strains belonging to phylogroups B1 and B2 were two-fold higher in strains isolated from CD patients than in those isolated from controls. CD patients in the active phase harbored 10-fold more E. coli belonging to group B2 than CD patients in remission. Only a few E. coli isolates had invasive properties and the ability to survive within macrophages, but 25% of CD patients in Brazil (6/24) harbored at least one E. coli strain belonging to the AIEC pathobiont. However, fimH sequence analysis showed only a few polymorphisms in the FimH adhesin of strains isolated in this study compared to the FimH adhesin of AIEC collections isolated from European patients. Conclusions Mucosa-associated E. coli strains colonize the intestinal mucosa of Brazilian CD patients. However, the strains isolated from Brazilian CD patients have probably not yet co-evolved with their hosts and therefore have not fully developed a strong adherent-invasive phenotype. Thus, it will be crucial to follow in the future the emergence and evolution of AIEC pathobionts in the Brazilian population.

Background: Effective control of the inflammatory process in Crohn’s disease (CD) is reflected in intestinal mucosal healing. The performances of faecal calprotectin (fcal), clinical and serologic parameters in the inflammatory activity evaluation and their correlation to the simple endoscopic score (SES-CD) are the goals of this study. Methods: Patients with CD referred for ileocolonoscopy were prospectively included and distributed according to the degree of endoscopic inflammatory activity into remission, mild activity, and moderate to severe activity groups. The different degrees of endoscopic activity were correlated with the following indexes: Crohn’s disease activity index (CDAI), fCal, serum C-reactive protein (CRP), and haemogram. The control group comprised individuals without known intestinal disease who were referred for colorectal cancer screening. Results: Eighty colonoscopies were performed in patients with CD and 21 in the control group. The control group had a lower median fCal (59.7 mcg/g) than patients with CD (683 mcg/g, p < 0.001). A moderate Spearman correlation occurred between SES-CD and CRP (r = 0.525), fCal (r = 0.450), and CDAI (r = 0.407), while a weak correlation was found with the platelet count (r = 0.257). Only fCal distinguished patients in remission from those with mild activity (236.6 mcg/g × 654.9 mcg/g, p = 0.014) or moderate to severe activity (236.6 mcg/g × 1128 mcg/ g, p < 0.001). An fCal cut-off of 155 mcg/g was sensitive (96%) and accurate (78%) for the diagnosis of endoscopic activity. Conclusions: fCal provides greater diagnostic accuracy than the other activity markers for endoscopic activity of patients with CD, moderate correlation to SES-CD, and a capacity to discriminate patients in remission from those with mild or moderate to severe activity. Introdução: O controle efetivo do processo inflamatório na doença de Crohn (DC) se reflete na mucosa intestinal cura. O desempenho da calprotectina fecal (fcal), parâmetros clínicos e sorológicos na atividade inflamatória avaliação e sua correlação com o escore endoscópico simples (SES-CD) são os objetivos deste estudo. Métodos: Pacientes com DC encaminhados para ileocolonoscopia foram incluídos prospectivamente e distribuídos de acordo com o grau de atividade inflamatória endoscópica em remissão, atividade leve e atividade moderada a grave grupos. Os diferentes graus de atividade endoscópica foram correlacionados com os seguintes índices: doença de Crohn índice de atividade (CDAI), fCal, proteína C reativa sérica (PCR) e hemograma. O grupo controle foi composto por indivíduos sem doença intestinal conhecida que foram encaminhados para rastreamento de câncer colorretal. Resultados: Oitenta colonoscopias foram realizadas em pacientes com DC e 21 no grupo controle. O grupo de controle apresentaram uma fCal mediana menor (59,7 mcg/g) do que os pacientes com DC (683 mcg/g, p < 0,001). Um lanceiro moderado ocorreu correlação entre SES-CD e PCR (r = 0,525), fCal (r = 0,450) e CDAI (r = 0,407), enquanto uma correlação fraca foi encontrada correlação com a contagem de plaquetas (r = 0,257). Apenas fCal distinguiu pacientes em remissão daqueles com atividade leve (236,6 mcg/g × 654,9 mcg/g, p = 0,014) ou atividade moderada a grave (236,6 mcg/g × 1128 mcg/ g, p < 0,001). Um corte de fCal de 155 mcg/g foi sensível (96%) e preciso (78%) para o diagnóstico de atividade. Conclusões: fCal fornece maior precisão diagnóstica do que os outros marcadores de atividade para atividade endoscópica de pacientes com DC, correlação moderada com SES-CD e capacidade de discriminar pacientes em remissão daqueles com atividade leve ou moderada a grave.

Background Crohn's disease (CD) is often associated with nutrition disorders. Many nutrition therapeutic alternatives have been studied. Nevertheless, the actual role of nutrition therapy is still controversial. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of nutrition supplementation with and without transforming growth factor-beta 2 (TGF-β2) on inflammatory, endoscopic, histopathologic, and nutrition parameters in active CD. Materials and methods Thirty-eight patients were allocated into 3 groups: group 1 (patients who received only nutrition orientation), group 2 (nutrition orientation and a normoproteic, normocaloric nutrition supplement), and group 3 (nutrition orientation and the nutritional supplement with TGF-β2). Clinical and nutrition evaluation, C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, and assessment of endoscopic and histologic parameters in the intestinal mucosa were performed before and after nutrition intervention. Results The mean follow-up period was 3 months. In the beginning of the study, groups were homogeneous regarding age, gender, CD behavior and localization, and medication in use. In the end of the study, the Clinical Disease Activity Index score was reduced in groups 2 and 3; in group 3, a reduction in CRP levels and an improvement in histologic findings were observed. Among patients who received nutritional supplement, some anthropometric patterns were improved. Conclusion The results of the study indicate that nutritional supplementation improved nutrition and inflammatory patterns in patients with active CD. However, only patients receiving TGF-β2-enriched formula showed improvement in histologic parameters and significant reduction in CRP levels.

Made available in DSpace on 2020-12-12T01:42:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2019-10-14 AbbVie Ferring Pharmaceuticals Pfizer Background: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) have been associated with a low quality of life (QoL) and a negative impact on work productivity compared to the general population. Information about disease control, patient-reported outcomes (PROs), treatment patterns and use of healthcare resources is relevant to optimizing IBD management. Aim: To describe QoL and work productivity and activity impairment (WPAI), treatment patterns and use of healthcare resources among IBD patients in Brazil. Methods: A multicenter cross-sectional study included adult outpatients who were previously diagnosed with moderate to severe Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC). At enrolment, active CD and UC were defined as having a Harvey Bradshaw Index ≥ 8 or a CD Activity Index ≥ 220 or calprotectin > 200 μg/g or previous colonoscopy results suggestive of inadequate control (per investigator criteria) and a 9-point partial Mayo score ≥ 5, respectively. The PRO assessment included the QoL questionnaires SF-36 and EQ-5D-5L, the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (IBDQ), and the WPAI questionnaire. Information about healthcare resources and treatment during the previous 3 years was collected from medical records. Chi-square, Fisher's exact and Student's t-/Mann-Whitney U tests were used to compare PROs, treatment patterns and the use of healthcare resources by disease activity (α = 0.05). Results: Of the 407 patients in this study (CD/UC: 64.9%/35.1%, mean age 42.9/45.9 years, 54.2%/56.6% female, 38.3%/37.1% employed), 44.7%/25.2% presented moderate-to-severe CD/UC activity, respectively, at baseline. Expressed in median values for CD/UC, respectively, the SF-36 physical component was 46.6/44.7 and the mental component was 45.2/44.2, the EQ-visual analog scale score was 80.0/70.0, and the IBDQ overall score was 164.0/165.0. Moderate to severe activity, female gender, being unemployed, a lower educational level and lower income were associated with lower QoL (P < 0.05). Median work productivity impairment was 20% and 5% for CD and UC patients, respectively, and activity impairment was 30%, the latter being higher among patients with moderate to severe disease activity compared to patients with mild or no disease activity (75.0% vs 10.0%, P < 0.001). For CD/UC patients, respectively, 25.4%/2.8% had at least one surgery, 38.3%/19.6% were hospitalized, and 70.7%/77.6% changed IBD treatment at least once during the last 3 years. The most common treatments at baseline were biologics (75.3%) and immunosuppressants (70.9%) for CD patients and 5-ASA compounds (77.5%) for UC patients. Conclusion: Moderate to severe IBD activity, especially among CD patients, is associated with a substantial impact on QoL, work productivity impairment and an increased number of IBD surgeries and hospitalizations in Brazil. Department of Surgery and Anatomy Ribeirao Preto Medical School University of Sao Paulo Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center Federal University of Juiz de Fora Hospital de Clinicas da Universidade Federal do Parana Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre Universidade Federal do Piaui Hospital de Clínicas da Universidade Federal do Parana CTI Clinical Trial and Consulting Services CMIP Centro Mineiro de Pesquisa Hospital Nossa Senhora das Gracas Hospital Universitario da Universidade Federal do Piaui Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Universidade do Estado da Bahia Department of Internal Medicine Botucatu Medical School at Sao Paulo State University (UNESP) Instituto Goiano de Gastroenterologia e Endoscopia Digestiva Ltda Kaiser Clinica Escola Paulista de Medicina UNIFESP Disciplina de Gastroenterologia Faculdade de Medicina do ABC Faculdade de Medicina UFMG Takeda Pharmaceuticals Brazil Department of Internal Medicine Botucatu Medical School at Sao Paulo State University (UNESP)

Increased intestinal permeability has been reported in multiple studies of cirrhotic patients, although specific factors associated with this finding have not been fully elucidated. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate whether there was an association between nutrition status measured by different methods and intestinal permeability in cirrhotic patients who were candidates for liver transplantation.The study group comprised 18 cirrhotic patients and 15 healthy controls. Patients' nutrition status was evaluated by Subjective Global Assessment (SGA), anthropometry, dynamometry, and phase angle, which was determined by bioelectrical impedance analysis. Intestinal permeability was assessed by the lactulose/mannitol test.The prevalence of malnutrition showed wide variance between different assessment methods (5.5%-77.8%). Intestinal permeability was significantly higher in cirrhotic patients than in healthy controls. In relation to nutrition status, intestinal permeability and phase angle did not differ significantly between patients who were considered well nourished (median intestinal permeability, 0.010 [range, 0.001-0.198]; median phase angle, 6.0 [range, 4.2-6.9]) and malnourished patients (intestinal permeability, 0.032 [range, 0.002-0.079]; phase angle, 4.8 [range, 2.2-6.1]) by SGA. In addition, no correlation was found between nutrition diagnosis as assessed by different methods, patient age, liver disease severity scores, and laboratory measurements with intestinal permeability.Although intestinal permeability was increased in cirrhotic patients, this finding was not associated with nutrition status.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is the most prevalent chronic liver disease in Western countries; it can progress to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), cirrhosis and hepatocarcinoma. The importance of gut-liver-adipose tissue axis has become evident and treatments targeting gut microbiota may improve inflammatory and metabolic parameters in NASH patients. In a randomized, controlled clinical trial, involving 50 biopsy-proven NASH patients, we investigated the effects of synbiotic supplementation on metabolic parameters, hepatic steatosis, intestinal permeability, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) serum levels. Patients were separated into two groups receiving Lactobacillus reuteri with guar gum and inulin for three months and healthy balanced nutritional counseling versus nutritional counseling alone. Before and after the intervention we assessed steatosis by magnetic resonance imaging, intestinal permeability by lactulose/mannitol urinary excretion and SIBO by glucose breath testing. NASH patients presented high gut permeability, but low prevalence of SIBO. After the intervention, only the synbiotic group presented a reduction in steatosis, lost weight, diminished BMI and waist circumference measurement. Synbiotic did not improve intestinal permeability or LPS levels. We concluded that synbiotic supplementation associated with nutritional counseling seems superior to nutritional counseling alone for NASH treatment as it attenuates steatosis and may help to achieve weight loss.

Background: Polymorphisms in genes linked to the innate and adaptive immune response may be involved in inflammatory bowel disease pathogenesis. Our aim was to investigate associations among IL1B-511, IL1B-31, IL1RN, TNFA-307, TLR-2, TLR-4, IL2-330, NOD2 G908R, NOD2 L1007fsinsC polymorphisms and both Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) in a Brazilian population. Methods: We studied 43 patients with CD, 42 with UC, and 541 blood donors. Polymorphisms were evaluated by PCR, PCR-CTPP, or PCR-RFLP. Data were analyzed in multivariate models adjusting for confounding factors. Results:IL1RN VNTR (P = 0.00, odds ratio [OR] = 2.43, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.50–3.90), as well as TNFA-307 polymorphic allele (P = 0.05, OR = 1.70, 95% CI = 1.00–2.94) were associated with UC. Both NOD2 mutations (G908R, P = 0.02, OR = 6.83, 95% CI = 1.62–25.45, and L1007fsinsC, P = 0.00, OR = 20.00, 95% CI = 3.21–124.69) were associated with CD. Conclusions: Our analyses showed positive associations between proinflammatory polymorphisms at IL1RN and TNFA-307 loci and UC, as well as polymorphisms in the NOD2 gene and CD. These results highlight the importance of different genetic profiles associated with CD and UC. (Inflamm Bowel Dis 2008)

The gut barrier monitors and protects the gastrointestinal tract from challenges such as microorganisms, toxins and proteins that could act as antigens. There is evidence that gut barrier dysfunction may act as a primary disease mechanism in intestinal disorders. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the barrier function towards sugars after the appropriate treatment of celiac disease and Crohn's disease patients and compare the results with those obtained with healthy subjects. Fifteen healthy volunteers, 22 celiac disease patients after 1 year of a gluten-free diet, and 31 Crohn's disease patients in remission were submitted to an intestinal permeability test with 6.0 g lactulose and 3.0 g mannitol. Six-hour urinary lactulose excretion in Crohn's disease patients was significantly higher than in both celiac disease patients (0.42 vs 0.15%) and healthy controls (0.42 vs 0.07%). Urinary lactulose excretion was significantly higher in celiac disease patients than in healthy controls (0.15 vs 0.07%). Urinary mannitol excretion in Crohn's disease patients was the same as healthy controls (21 vs 21%) and these values were significantly higher than in celiac disease patients (10.9%). The lactulose/mannitol ratio was significantly higher in Crohn's disease patients in comparison to celiac disease patients (0.021 vs 0.013) and healthy controls (0.021 vs 0.003) and this ratio was also significantly higher in celiac disease patients compared to healthy controls (0.013 vs 0.003). In spite of treatment, differences in sugar permeability were observed in both disease groups. These differences in the behavior of the sugar probes probably reflect different mechanisms for the alterations of intestinal permeability.

Crohn's disease (CD) is characterized by a reduction in mucosal integrity that permits antigen penetration into the intestinal tissue. The administration of probiotics has been suggested to improve the barrier function of the mucosa. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of Saccharomyces boulardii on the intestinal permeability in CD.Thirty-four patients were randomized according to the Vienna classification for treatment with either placebo or Saccharomyces boulardii. Baseline medications (mesalamine, azathioprine, prednisone, metronidazole and/or thalidomide) were maintained. Intestinal permeability (lactulose/mannitol ratio) was evaluated immediately before the beginning of treatment and at the end of the first and third treatment month. Fifteen healthy volunteers were also submitted for the intestinal permeability test.In volunteers, the lactulose/mannitol ratio was 0.005+/-0.0037, whereas this value was 0.021+/-0.01 in patients with CD (p=0.001). In the placebo group, there was an increase in lactulose/mannitol ratio by 0.004+/-0.010 (p=0.12) at the end of the third month. In the S. boulardii group, there was an improvement in intestinal permeability, with a decrease in the lactulose/mannitol ratio by 0.008+/-0.006 (p=0.0005) in the same period.Patients with CD in remission present alterations in the integrity of the intestinal mucosal barrier according to lactulose/mannitol ratio. S. boulardii added to baseline therapy improved intestinal permeability in these patients, even though complete normalization was not achieved.

Background Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease with involvement of the immune system. Chronic inflammatory diseases have been associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) but few studies have assessed this risk in patients with UC and the influence of drug treatment. Thus, we evaluated the risk of development of CVD in women with UC in clinical remission, considering the drug treatment. Material/Methods Twenty-one women with UC participated in this study: 12 used aminosalicylates (ASA group) and 9 used azathioprine added to aminosalicylates (AZA+ASA group). The healthy control group was matched for age. We evaluated blood pressure, body composition, and biochemical and immunological parameters. Results Compared to the respective control group, the UC groups showed expansion of body fat and less lean body mass. Blood pressure, pro-inflammatory cytokines, nitric oxide, C reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and anti-oxidized LDL antibodies were higher in UC groups. Only AZA+ASA group showed increased anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10 and TGF-β). Framingham scores showed higher risk of CVD in UC groups. UC groups were compared and women treated with azathioprine showed reduction of total protein, globulin, ESR, and lymphocytes, with increased IL-6, TNF, IL-10, and TGF-β. Conclusions Our data suggest that women with UC in clinical remission have a higher risk for development of atherosclerosis and CVD when compared to the control group, while women treated with azathioprine seem more protected than those treated only with aminosalicylates, due to better regulation of the inflammatory process.

OBJECTIVE: to evaluate Crohn's disease recurrence and its possible predictors in patients undergoing surgical treatment. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study with Crohn's disease (CD) patients undergoing surgical treatment between January 1992 and January 2012, and regularly monitored at the Bowel Clinic of the Hospital das Clínicas of the UFMG. RESULTS: we evaluated 125 patients, 50.4% female, with a mean age of 46.12 years, the majority (63.2%) diagnosed between 17 and 40 years of age. The ileum was involved in 58.4%, whereas stenotic behavior was observed in 44.8%, and penetrating, in 45.6%. We observed perianal disease in 26.4% of cases. The follow-up average was 152.40 months. Surgical relapse occurred in 29.6%, with a median time of 68 months from the first operation. CONCLUSION: The ileocolic location, penetrating behavior and perianal involvement (L3B3p) were associated with increased risk of surgical recurrence. OBJETIVO: avaliar a recorrência da doença de Cröhn e seus possíveis fatores preditores em pacientes submetidos ao tratamento cirúrgico. MÉTODOS: estudo retrospectivo de pacientes com doença de Crohn (DC) submetidos a tratamento cirúrgico entre janeiro de 1992 e janeiro de 2012, em acompanhamento regular no Ambulatório de Intestino Clínico do Hospital das Clínicas da UFMG. RESULTADOS: foram avaliados 125 pacientes, sendo 50,4% do sexo feminino, com média de idade de 46,12 anos, a maioria (63,2%) com diagnóstico entre 17 e 40 anos de idade. O íleo terminal foi envolvido em 58,4%, sendo que o comportamento estenosante foi observado em 44,8% e o penetrante em 45,6% dos pacientes. Doença perianal foi observada em 26,4% dos casos. A média de tempo de acompanhamento foi 152,40 meses. Recorrência cirúrgica foi observada em 29,6%, com um tempo médio de 68 meses até a segunda operação. CONCLUSÃO: a localização ileocólica, o comportamento penetrante e o acometimento perianal (L3B3p) estão associados ao maior risco de recorrência cirúrgica.

Os sintomas articulares constituem a manifestação extra-intestinal mais comum em pacientes com doença de Crohn e com retocolite ulcerativa. Reconhecida como artrite colítica, e mais recentemente, artrite enteropática, está classificada como uma das doenças do grupo das espondiloartropatias. Reconhecidamente, há dois padrões de acometimento articular: 1) periférico, habitualmente, associado aos períodos de atividade da doença intestinal e sem associação com o antígeno HLA B27, e 2) axial, caracterizado por espondilite e sacroiliíte, com curso clínico e radiográfico independente da doença intestinal e associado ao HLA B27.

Background: Helicobacter species are associated with inflammatory bowel disease in rodents and in nonhuman primates. Therefore, we prospectively investigated the presence of Helicobacter species in the intestinal mucosa of patients with and without Crohn's disease by culture and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays. Materials and Methods: Mucosal fragments were obtained from the ileum, different colon regions, and rectum of 43 patients with Crohn's disease and of 74 patients without inflammatory bowel disease. Results: Helicobacter pylori strains, identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, were more frequently isolated and PCR-detected in the intestinal mucosa of patients with ulcerative colitis-like Crohn's disease than in intestinal mucosa of the control group. Otherwise, anti-H. pylori immunoglobulin G levels were significantly lower in fibrostenosing and fistulating Crohn's disease subgroups. No other Helicobacter species were found in the intestinal mucosa of the patients. Conclusions: Although our results suggest an association between the presence of H. pylori in the intestine and ulcerative colitis-like phenotype of Crohn's disease, H. pylori infection in the actual causality of Crohn's disease is still to be determined.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of Saccharomyces boulardii on the intestinal permeability, laboratory parameters and MELD and Child-Pugh severity scores in cirrhotic patients eligible for liver transplantation.Eighteen patients followed in a Transplant Outpatient Clinic were evaluated immediately before the beginning of treatment, after a 30-day period of treatment period with probiotics and at the end of the second study month (after a thirty-day period without probiotics). Fifteen healthy controls also underwent the intestinal permeability test (lactulose/mannitol).Before the probiotic, the median lactulose/ mannitol ratio was greater in the cirrhotic patients (0.0209, range 0.0012-0.1984) compared to the healthy controls (0.0030, range 0.0020-0.0013) (p0.05). Eight of fifteen patients, half of whom had ascites, showed increased intestinal permeability above the higher value observed in the controls. No significant association was found between the severity scores for liver disease, age, presence of ascites and intestinal permeability immediately before the beginning of study. After treatment with S. boulardii, there was no improvement in intestinal permeability or significant differences in the laboratory parameters for the three evaluations.Patients eligible for liver transplants presented with increased intestinal permeability compared to healthy controls. A thirty-day treatment with S. boulardii did not improve this intestinal permeability or the severity scores, nor did it impact the laboratory parameters.Objetivo: Evaluar la influencia del Saccharomyces boulardii en la permeabilidad intestinal, parámetros bioquímicos, de MELD y de Child-Pugh en pacientes cirróticos candidatos al trasplante de hígado. Métodos: Dieciocho pacientes seguidos en ambulatorio de Transplantes fueron evaluados inmediatamente antes del inicio del tratamento con probióticos, después de período de 30 días con probióticos y al final del segundo mes de estudio (período de treinta días sin probióticos). Quince controles sanos también se sometieron a la prueba de permeabilidad intestinal (lactulosa/manitol). Resultados: Antes del probiótico, la relación de lactulosa / manitol media fue mayor en los pacientes cirróticos (0,0209; 0,0012-0,1984) en comparación con los controles sanos (0,0030; 0,0020-0,0013) (p0,05). Ocho de los quince pacientes, la mitad de los cuales tenía ascitis, presentaron con aumento de la permeabilidad intestinal por encima del valor más alto observado en los controles. No se observó asociación significativa entre los critérios de Meld, Child-Pugh y la edad, la presencia de ascitis y la permeabilidad intestinal inmediatamente antes del inicio del estudio. El tratamiento con S. boulardii, no resultó en mejoría de la permeabilidad intestinal, de los critérios de Meld y Child-Pugh así como de los los parámetros bioquímicos a lo largo de las tres evaluaciones. Conclusiones: Pacientes en lista de espera para transplantes hepático presentan mayor permeabilidad intestinal en comparación con los controles sanos. El tratamien o de treinta días con S. boulardii no resultó en mejoria de la permeabilidad intestinal, del MELD y Child-Pugh, asi como de los parâmetros bioquímicos.

Mycobaterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) tem atraído o interesse de pesquisadores devido às semelhanças entre a paratuberculose e a doença de Crohn (CD). Este estudo objetivou avaliar a frequência de MAP por meio de cultura, histologia e reação da polimerase em cadeia (PCR), em biópsias intestinais de pacientes brasileiros com CD. PCR quantitativa em tempo real (qRT-PCR) foi realizada nas amostras positivas. Estudo transversal analítico com grupo controle realizado em duas universidades federais. Amostras frescas foram coletadas de 25 pacientes; cinco com CD, oito com colite ulcerativa (UC) e 12 controles sem doença inflamatória intestinal (nIBD). Também foram coletadas 149 amostras fixadas em parafina (FFPE): 44 CD, 49 UC e 56 nIBD. Nenhuma das amostras frescas foi positiva para MAP. Cinco amostras FFPE (uma CD, duas UC e duas nIBD) e três amostras frescas (uma de cada grupo) foram positivas por IS900-PCR. qRT-PCR foi realizada nessas oito amostras. Nas amostras FFPE, havia 192,12 cópias/μl no grupo CD, 72,28 cópias/μl no UC e 81,43 cópias/μl no nIBD. Nas amostras frescas, havia 432,99 cópias/μl, 167,92 cópias/μl e 249,73 cópias/μl nos grupos CD, UC e nIBD, respectivamente. A maior carga bacteriana foi encontrada no grupo CD. Este estudo não fornece evidências do papel de MAP na etiologia da CD, embora DNA de MAP tenha sido detectado em pacientes dos três grupos. Este é o primeiro relato da presença de MAP em biópsias intestinais humanas no Brasil. Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) has attracted the interest of researchers because of similarities between paratuberculosis and Crohn's disease (CD). The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of MAP through cultures, histology and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on intestinal biopsies from Brazilian CD patients. Quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed on positive samples. Fresh samples were collected from 25 patients; five with CD, eight with ulcerative colitis (UC) and 12 controls with non-inflammatory bowel disease (nIBD). Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples from 143 patients were also collected: 44 CD, 49 UC and 56 nIBD. None of the fresh samples was positive for MAP. Five FFPE samples (one CD, two UC and two nIBD) and three fresh samples (one in each group) were positive through IS900-PCR. qRT-PCR was performed on these eight samples. Among the FFPE samples, there were 192.12 copies/μl in the CD group, 72.28 copies/μl in UC and 81.43 copies/μl in nIBD. Among the fresh samples, there were 432.99 copies/μl, 167.92 copies/μl and 249.73 copies/μl in the CD, UC and nIBD groups, respectively. The highest bacterial load was in the CD group. This study does not provide evidence for a role of MAP in the etiology of CD, although MAP DNA was detected in all three patient groups. This is the first report of MAP presence in human intestinal biopsies in Brazil.

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) interferes considerably with the anatomy and physiology of the gastrointestinal tract. The study of intestinal permeability can provide important information regarding changes in the structure and function of the mucosal barrier after the procedure.The urinary excretion rates of lactulose and mannitol after oral intake of both substances were evaluated. We also evaluated the lactulose/mannitol excretion ratio. Tests were performed during the preoperative period (T0), at the first postoperative month (T1), and at the sixth postoperative month (T6).The study included 16 morbidly obese patients. The excretion rate of mannitol was significantly lower at T1 compared with T0 and T6 (p = 0.003). There was no significant difference in the excretion rates of lactulose or in the lactulose/mannitol ratio during the three periods. Six patients (37.5%) exhibited a considerable increase in the excretion rate of lactulose at T6 (4-73 times higher than the preoperative value), accompanied by proportional variations in the lactulose/mannitol ratio.The significant increase in mannitol excretion rate from T1 to T6 most likely reflects the occurrence of intestinal adaptation (mucosal hyperplasia), which would tend to minimize the malabsorption of macronutrients. A subgroup of patients who undergo RYGB exhibit pronounced increase in their intestinal permeability (assessed by the lactulose/mannitol ratio and the lactulose excretion rate) at T6.

Objective To investigate superior mesenteric artery flow measurement by Doppler ultrasonography as a means of characterizing inflammatory activity in Crohn's disease. Materials and Methods Forty patients were examined and divided into two groups – disease activity and remission – according to their Crohn's disease activity index score. Mean superior mesenteric artery flow volume was calculated for each group and correlated with Crohn's disease activity index score. Results The mean superior mesenteric artery flow volume was significantly greater in the patients with active disease (626 ml/min ± 236 × 376 ml/min ± 190; p = 0.001). As a cut off corresponding to 500 ml/min was utilized, the superior mesenteric artery flow volume demonstrated sensitivity of 83% and specificity of 82% for the diagnosis of Crohn's disease activity. Conclusion The present results suggest that patients with active Crohn's disease have increased superior mesenteric artery flow volume as compared with patients in remission. Superior mesenteric artery flow measurement had a good performance in the assessment of disease activity in this study sample.

Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease, with the potential to affect any segment of the gastrointestinal tract. Despite the great advances in recent decades, which provided a better understanding of the pathogenesis of the disease, it is yet to be completely elucidated. Presence of genetic factors, luminal factors such as microflora and factors related to the intestinal barrier and immunoregulation are pieces that interact with each other and with environmental factors. The possibility of an infectious etiology has always been widely discussed. In this context, Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) has attracted the interest of many researchers because of the similarity between paratuberculosis and CD. In 1913, two decades before the description of CD in 1932, T. K. Dalziel made associations between chronic cases of enteritis in humans and paratuberculosis in cattle (Behr and Kapur, 2008). Some genetic studies also support the role of MAP in CD and susceptibility genes have been identified, which encode proteins involved in the innate immunity defense against intracellular bacteria. However, no study is conclusive about a causal relationship. It is not possible to conclude that a single agent is solely responsible for the etiology of CD: a multifactorial cause is much more likely (Grant et al., 2001). Whereas the causal relationship has not been established, therapeutic implications require further studies. Results of these studies could help answer questions about the role of MAP in the etiology of CD.

AIM: To evaluate inflammatory activity in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) using technetium-99m-hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime (99mTc-HMPAO) granulocyte scintigraphy. METHODS: Twenty patients (7 male and 13 female) with CD and five healthy volunteers were selected for 99mTc-HMPAO granulocyte scintigraphy. The Crohn’s Disease Activity Index (CDAI), blood tests and C-reactive protein (CRP) of each patient were performed 7 d before the scintigraphic images. The leukocytes were labeled according to the International Society of Radiolabeled Blood Elements (ISORBE) consensus protocol and the scintigraphic images, including single photon emission computed tomography, were obtained 30 min and 2 h after injection of the radiolabeled leukocytes. RESULTS: The labeling yield of the leukocytes with the lipophilic complex 99mTc-HMPAO was 55.0% ± 10%. Six of the 20 patients (30%) presented congruent results for the three parameters investigated (CDAI, Scintigraphic Index and CRP). On the other hand, 14 patients (70%) did not show congruent results. There was no significant correlation between the indices analyzed according to the Spearman test (P > 0.05, n = 20). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that 99mTc-HMPAO-labeled leukocyte scintigraphy could be important for determining inflammatory activity in CD even in the absence of clinical symptoms.

This is a cross-sectional study that analyzed the pattern and frequency of articular and ophthalmologic manifestations in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), with or without signs of active bowel inflammation. One hundred and thirty consecutive patients with CD (n = 71) and UC (n = 59) were examined. Simple X-rays of lumbar spine, sacroiliac joints, and calcaneal bone were performed and human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B27 was typed. Joint manifestations occurred in 41 (31.5%) patients, 27 (38%) with CD and 14 (23.7%) with UC. Peripheral involvement occurred in 22 patients, axial involvement in five, and mixed involvement in 14. The most frequently involved joints were knees (56.1%), ankles (29.3%), and hips (29.3%), while the predominant pattern was oligoarticular (84.6%) and asymmetrical (65.6%). Enthesitis was identified in seven (5.4%) patients and inflammatory lumbar pain in 13 (10%). Eight of these patients fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for ankylosing spondylitis (6.2%). Radiographic sacroiliitis occurred in 12 patients (9.2%). Ocular abnormalities were present in six patients (6.2%), and HLA-B27 was positive in five (5.8%). In conclusion, the articular manifestations in the present study were predominantly oligoarticular and asymmetric, with a low frequency of ophthalmologic involvement and positive HLA-B27.

Celiac disease causes chronic inflammation of the intestinal mucosa and reduces surface absorption; after the withdrawal of gluten from the diet, there are clinical and histologic improvements. The intestinal permeability test and serologic tests are useful for confirming the diagnosis and monitoring patients. The goal of this study is to compare the antigliadin antibody (AGA) test with the intestinal permeability test for celiac patients on a gluten-free diet. The sample consisted of 22 celiac patients who were antigliadin immunoglobulin A-positive before treatment. After 12 months on a gluten-free diet, AGA testing was repeated and the intestinal permeability test was performed. A control group was composed of 11 healthy individuals. AGA remained positive in 40.9% of celiac patients, and the mean urinary lactulose excretion was 10.27%, that of mannitol was 10.18%, and the lactulose/mannitol ratio was 1.02. In the subgroup in which antigliadin became negative (59.1%), the value for lactulose was 3.79%, that for mannitol was 11.12%, the lactulose/mannitol ratio was 0.38, and the p value was less than 0.0001, 0.66, and less than 0.0001, respectively. When the two celiac subgroups were compared with the control group, the urinary lactulose excretion and the lactulose/mannitol ratio was less in the control group, whereas urinary mannitol excretion was greater. The p values were less than 0.0001 for the three variables, suggesting persistent lesions in mucosa of both subgroups, although to a lesser degree for those that became AGA negative. It is concluded that intestinal permeability allows a more precise clinical physiopathologic correlation than antigliadin and offers more information for the monitoring of these patients.

In a search for Helicobacter species in the intestinal mucosae of 42 patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and 74 without UC, only H. pylori was found. Although the bacterium was detected in UC patients by culture (7.1%) and nested PCR (19.0%), its presence was not associated with the disease ( P = 0.13).

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been identified as one of the most prevalent chronic liver disease in adults and children populations. NAFLD is usually associated with the metabolic syndrome (MS), which is chiefly related to insulin resistance and its consequences. Insulin resistance has a crucial role in the pathogenesis of hepatic steatosis and potentially nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Because of the contemporary epidemics of MS and obesity, the burden of NAFLD is also expected to rise. Unhealthy diets, such as the so-called western diet, are enriched in fructose, trans-fatty acids and saturated fat and seem to be associated with the development of NAFLD. In human studies, certain dietary sugars, particularly fructose, are used as a substrate for lipogenesis leading to hepatic fatty infiltration, inflammation, and possibly fibrosis. Other investigations have shown that fat consumption especially cholesterol and trans/saturated fatty acids are also steatogenic and seem to increase visceral adiposity. The identification of specific dietary components that favor the development of NASH could be important for the management of this disorder. This review focuses on the effects of different dietary approaches to prevent and treat NAFLD emphasizing the macronutrients and energy composition.

A Doenca de Whipple (DW) e doenca sistemica rara, de etiologia infecciosa, que acomete o intestino delgado, mas pode afetar virtualmente qualquer orgao. Apresentamos cinco casos com idade que variou entre 20 e 59 anos, sendo quatro do sexo masculino e um feminino. Todos tinham em comum o comprometimento intestinal, associado ou nao as manifestacoes clinicas ligadas a esse orgao. Em uma paciente, foi observada vegetacao na valvula tricuspide, sugerindo endocardite pelo Tropheryma whippelii, com desaparecimento das alteracoes ecocardiograficas apos o tratamento. Em um dos pacientes do sexo masculino, o quadro clinico inicial foi de espondilite sorologica negativa e, em momento algum de sua evolucao observou-se diarreia. Acometimento ocular associado a mabsorcao intestinal e emagrecimento significativo foi evidenciado em um caso. Nos outros dois, a diarreia foi a manifestacao clinica principal. Em todos, o diagnostico foi feito atraves do estudo histologico por microscopia otica e eletronica da mucosa jejunal e, quando indicado, de tecidos extra-intestinais. Apos o tratamento com antibioticoterapia, houve remissao completa dos sintomas, em todos os casos. O controle realizado atraves da microscopia eletronica de mucosa jejunal, apos doze meses de tratamento com sulfametoxazol-trimetropim, mostrou em quatro, o desaparecimento do T. whippelii. O outro paciente abandonou o seguimento.

The role of serological tests on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the diagnosis of neuroschistosomiasis has not been fully elucidated; the condition is essentially diagnosed on the basis of circumstantial evidence, which may lead to an erroneous diagnosis, especially in highly endemic areas. We therefore carried out a prospective case-control study in which we compared the concentrations of immunoglobulin G (IgG) specific for schistosome soluble egg antigen (SEA) present in the CSF of 54 patients with schistosomiasis mansoni myeloradiculopathy (SMMR) with those observed in a control group consisting of 41 patients with epidemiological and serological evidence of exposure to schistosomes, and with other neurological disorders that result in mild to moderate impairment of the blood-brain barrier. Anti-SEA IgG was estimated by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values were 56%, 95%, 94% and 62% respectively. Likelihood ratios and the corresponding post-test probabilities were determined for 4 levels of anti-SEA IgG in CSF. A value below 0.1 micrograms/mL practically excluded the possibility of SMMR (post-test probability5%), a value above 1.4 micrograms/mL practically confirmed the diagnosis of SMMR (post-test probability96%), values of 0.1 to 0.5 microgram/mL had no diagnostic value (post-test probability approximately 45%), and values of 0.6 to 1.4 micrograms/mL were useful in some situations (post-test probability approximately 70%). We conclude that the estimation of anti-SEA IgG in the CSF is useful for the diagnosis of SMMR.

Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis evolve with a relapsing and remitting course. Determination of inflammatory state is crucial for the assessment of disease activity and for tailoring therapy. However, no simple diagnostic test for monitoring intestinal inflammation is available. Noninvasive markers give only indirect assessments of disease activity. Histopathological or endoscopical examinations accurately assess inflammatory activity, but they are invasive, time consuming and expensive and therefore are unsuitable for routine use. Imaging procedures are not applicable for ulcerative colitis. The usefulness of ultrasound and Doppler imaging in assessing disease activity is still a matter of discussion for Crohn's disease, and an increased interest in computed tomography enterograph (CTE) has been seen, mainly because it can delineate the extent and severity of bowel wall inflammation, besides detecting extraluminal findings. Until now, the available data concerning the accuracy of magnetic resonance enterography in detecting disease activity is less than CTE. Due to this, clinical activity indices are still commonly used for both diseases.

(1993). Clinical and immunological study of schistosomal myeloradiculopathy. Annals of Tropical Medicine & Parasitology: Vol. 87, No. 3, pp. 295-297.

The Presence of Helicobacter pylori in the Intestinal Mucosa is Closely Associated with Ulcerative Colitis Like Crohn’s Disease (UCLCD) Phenotype Dulciene M.M. Queiroz, Adriana G. Oliveira, Maria das Gracas P. Sanna, Andreia M.C. Rocha, Gifone A. Rocha Sr., Silvia B. Moura, Renato Dani, Maria de Lourdes A. Ferrari, Frederico P. Marinho, Liano S. Moreira, Lucia P.F. Castro Crohn’’s disease (CD) is a heterogeneous disorder with diverse clinical manifestations. Recently, fibrostenosing CD was associated with a serologic response to gut microbiota such as Pseudomonas fluorescens, ASCA and mutated allele of NOD2. We investigated whether the presence of Helicobacter in the intestinal mucosa was associated with specific disease phenotypes. We studied 117 patients: 74 controls and 43 with CD (22 with fibrostenosing, 16 with perforating and 12 UCLD). Fragments from the ileum and 6 different colon regions were obtained at colonoscopy. Helicobacter was investigated by culture, Helicobacter 16S rRNA, ureAnested PCR and characterized by 16S rRNA sequencing. Gastric HP infection was diagnosed by C-UBT and serology. Seven HP strains were isolated from the intestinal mucosa of 1 (2.2%) control and 6 (14.0%) CD patients (1with perforating and 5withUCLD) (p=0.02). SpecificHPDNAwas detected in the intestinal biopsies of 7 (9.5%) controls and 17 (39.5%) CD patients (p=0.0003).No otherHelicobacter species was identified.HPwasmore frequently isolated (47.1%v3.2%, p=0.004) or detected by PCR (58.3%v 22.6%, p=0.03) in the intestinal mucosa of patients with UCLD. If we considered only the group of gastric HP-positive patients, PCR was positive in 18.4% of the controls and in 100% of UCLD CD patients (p=0.00007). The positive results of culture (0.0% v 28.6%, p=0.009) and PCR (18.2% v 47.6%, p=0.04) were negatively associated with fibrostenosing disease. Positive culture was also inversely associated with ileal localization of CD (p=0.006). No association was seen between fistulating disease and positive culture (6.3% v 18.5%, p=0.4) and PCR (25.0%v 37.0%, p=0.4). Positive culture and PCRdid not associate with diarrhea **468 The Prevalence of Erosive Esophagitis in Children: A Populationbased Study Mark A. Gilger, Hashem B. El-Serag, Craig L. Dietrich Symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) occur in 2-7% of children. The manifestations of GERD can be limited to symptoms (e.g. heartburn, regurgitation) or can be more complicated, such as erosive esophagitis (EE), esophageal strictures or Barrett’s esophagus. The prevalence of such GERD complications in children is unknown. PURPOSE: To determine the prevalence of endoscopic findings of EE in children.METHODS: All children aged 0 to 18 years who underwent EGD that was recorded in the Pediatric Endoscopic Database System Clinical Outcomes Research Initiative (PEDS-CORI) between 1999 and 2002 were included. Endoscopic reports that were incomplete, missing demographic features, indications for endoscopy or endoscopic findings were excluded. EE was defined either descriptively (erythema, erosion, ulcer) or by Los Angeles classification. Esophageal biopsy was not evaluated. RESULTS: 8038 children who underwent EGD fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Of those, 1070 (13.3%) had EE. The mean age of children with children with EE was 12.6 (+/ 5.6) yrs vs. 10.0 (+/ 6.0) yrs in those without EE (p=