ECCO-ESGAR Guideline for Diagnostic Assessment in IBD Part 1: Initial diagnosis, monitoring of known IBD, detection of complications

Identification of an Anti-Integrin αvβ6 Autoantibody in Patients With Ulcerative Colitis

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Ulcerative colitis is the most frequent type of inflammatory bowel disease and is characterized by colonic epithelial cell damage. Although involvement of autoimmunity has been suggested in ulcerative colitis, specific autoantigens/antibodies have yet to be elucidated.

METHODS

Using 23 recombinant integrin proteins, we performed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays on sera from patients with ulcerative colitis and controls. Integrin expression and IgG binding in the colon tissues of patients with ulcerative colitis and controls were examined using immunofluorescence and coimmunoprecipitation, respectively. The blocking activity of autoantibodies was examined using solid-phase binding and cell adhesion assays.

RESULTS

Screening revealed that patients with ulcerative colitis had IgG antibodies against integrin αvβ6. In the training and validation groups, 103 of 112 (92.0%) patients with ulcerative colitis and only 8 of 155 (5.2%) controls had anti-integrin αvβ6 antibodies (P < .001), resulting in a sensitivity of 92.0% and a specificity of 94.8% for diagnosing ulcerative colitis. Anti-integrin αvβ6 antibody titers coincided with ulcerative colitis disease activity, and IgG1 was the major subclass. Patient IgG bound to the integrin αvβ6 expressed on colonic epithelial cells. Moreover, IgG of patients with ulcerative colitis blocked integrin αvβ6-fibronectin binding through an RGD (Arg-Gly-Asp) tripeptide motif and inhibited cell adhesion.

CONCLUSIONS

A significant majority of patients with ulcerative colitis had autoantibodies against integrin αvβ6, which may serve as a potential diagnostic biomarker with high sensitivity and specificity.

Evolving role of endoscopy in inflammatory bowel disease: Going beyond diagnosis

Inflammatory bowel disease, encompassing Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis, are chronic immune-mediated inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) that primarily affect the gastrointestinal tract with periods of activity and remission. Large body of evidence exist to strengthen the prognostic role of endoscopic evaluation for both disease activity and severity and it remains the gold standard for the assessment of mucosal healing. Mucosal healing has been associated with improved clinical outcomes with prolonged remission, decreased hospitalization, IBD-related surgeries and colorectal cancer risk. Therefore, endoscopic objectives in IBD have been incorporated as part of standard care. With the known increased risk of colorectal cancer in IBD, although prevention strategies continue to develop, regular surveillance for early detection of neoplasia continue to be paramount in IBD patients’ care. It is thanks to evolving technology and visualization techniques that surveillance strategies are continuously advancing. Therapeutic endoscopic options in IBD have also been expanding, from surgery sparing therapies such as balloon dilation of fibrostenotic strictures in CD to endoscopic mucosal resection of neoplastic lesions. In this review article, we discuss the current evidence on the use of endoscopy as part of standard of care of IBD, its role in surveillance of neoplasia, and the role of interventional endoscopic therapies.

Evaluation of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in patients with inflammatory bowel disease using controlled attenuation parameter technology: A Taiwanese retrospective cohort study

Background/purpose

An increased prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is observed in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Western countries. Both intestinal inflammation and metabolic factors contribute to the pathogenesis of IBD-associated NAFLD. The burden of NAFLD is not clear in the Asian population. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of NAFLD and liver fibrosis in a cohort of Taiwanese patients with IBD.

Methods

From January to December 2019, patients with IBD who underwent ultrasound examination were enrolled. Hepatic steatosis and fibrosis were measured with liver stiffness measurement (LSM) and controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) using FibroScan. Patients with a history of excessive alcohol or recent steroid use were excluded. Univariate and multivariate analysis were performed.

Results

A total of 81 consecutive patients were enrolled and included in the analysis (45 with ulcerative colitis, 36 with Crohn’s disease). The median age was 42 years old. The patients were classified in terms of body mass index as normal weight (54.3%), underweight (11.1%), overweight (28.4%), and obese (6.2%). The mean CAP increased to 162.22 dB/m in the underweight group, 210.86 dB/m in the normal weight group, 260.7 dB/m in the overweight group, and 274.0 dB/m in the obese group. NAFLD was observed in 29.6% of the patients, 1.2% of which had significant fibrosis. Increased body mass index (odds ratio [OR] 1.33, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1–1.62) and older age at IBD diagnosis (OR: 1.05, 95% CI 1–1.11) was found to be associated with the presence of NAFLD.

Conclusion

In this study, the prevalence of NAFLD was lower (29.6%) in IBD patients than in the Western population. Higher BMI and older age were associated with NAFLD in our study.

Proteomic analysis-based discovery of a novel biomarker that differentiates intestinal Behçet's disease from Crohn's disease

Intestinal Behçet's disease (BD) and Crohn's disease (CD) present similar manifestations, but there are no specific diagnostic tests to differentiate them. We used a proteomic approach to discover novel diagnostic biomarkers specific to intestinal BD. Colon mucosa tissue samples were obtained from patients with intestinal BD or CD using colonoscopy-guided biopsy of the affected bowel. Peptides from seven intestinal BD and seven CD patients were extracted and labeled using tandem mass tag (TMT) reagents. The labeled peptides were identified and quantified using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The proteins were further validated using immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis with tissue samples and an ELISA test with serum samples from 20 intestinal BD and 20 CD patients. Using TMT/LC-MS/MS-based proteomic quantification, we identified 39 proteins differentially expressed between intestinal BD and CD. Beta-2 glycoprotein 1 (APOH) and maltase-glucoamylase (MGAM) showed higher intensity in the IHC staining of intestinal BD tissues than in CD tissues. The serum MGAM level was higher in intestinal BD patients. Proteomic analysis revealed that some proteins were differentially expressed in patients with intestinal BD compared with those with CD. Differential MGAM expression in intestinal BD suggests its role as a potential novel diagnostic biomarker.

Evolution of the emotional impact in patients with early inflammatory bowel disease during and after Covid-19 lockdown

Background

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are vulnerable to some psychological disorders. Here we describe the psychological impact of a COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in patients with IBD.

Methods

This multicenter prospective cohort study included 145 patients recently diagnosed with IBD. Data on clinical and demographic characteristics, anxiety and depression scales, and IBD activity were collected in two telephone surveys, during and after the first COVID-19 lockdown in Spain. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated.

Results

During lockdown, 33.1% and 24.1% scored high on the anxiety and depression scales, respectively. Independent factors related to anxiety (all values ORs; 95% CIs) during lockdown were female sex (2; 1.2–5.4) and IBD activity (4.3; 1.8–10.4). Factors related to depression were comorbidity (3.3; 1.1–9.8), IBD activity (6; 1.9–18.1), use of biologics (2.9; 1.1–7.6), and living alone or with one person (3.1; 1.2–8.2). After lockdown, anxiety and depression symptoms showed significant improvement, with 24.8% and 15.2% having high scores for anxiety and depression, respectively. Factors related to post-lockdown anxiety were female sex (2.5; 1.01–6.3), Crohn's disease (3.3; 1.3–8.5), and active IBD (4.1; 1.2–13.7). Factors associated with depression were previous history of mood and/or anxiety disorders (6.3; 1.6–24.9), active IBD (7.5; 2.1–26.8), and steroid use (6.4; 1.4–29).

Conclusions

Lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant psychological impact in patients with IBD. Disease activity was related to the presence of anxiety and depression symptoms during and after lockdown.

Infliximab Originator, Infliximab Biosimilar, and Adalimumab Are More Effective in Crohn's Disease Than Ulcerative Colitis: A Real-Life Cohort Study

There are no real-life studies comparing the efficacy and safety of the different antitumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α drugs available in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). To verify the effectiveness and tolerability of different anti–TNF-α agents (infliximab [IFX] originator, biosimilar CTP13, and adalimumab [ADA]) in patients with moderate-to-severe CD and UC.

MicroRNA-320a Monitors Intestinal Disease Activity in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease

In patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a treat-to-target treatment strategy requires tight monitoring of disease activity. Noninvasive biomarkers may help to monitor the intestinal disease activity. We demonstrated recently that peripheral microRNA (miR)-320a expression in mice follows the course of experimental colitis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of miR-320a to monitor the disease activity in patients with IBD, to predict the course of disease, and to distinguish IBD from infectious colitis.

Faecal Calprotectin in Assessment of Mucosal Healing in Adults with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Meta-Analysis

Achieving mucosal healing in patients with inflammatory bowel disease is related to a higher incidence of sustained clinical remission and it translates to lower rates of hospitalisation and surgery. The assessment methods of disease activity and response to therapy are limited and mainly rely on colonoscopy. This meta-analysis reviews the effectiveness of using faecal calprotectin as a marker for mucosal healing in inflammatory bowel disease. Two meta-analyses were conducted in parallel. The analysis on the use of faecal calprotectin in monitoring mucosal healing in colonic Crohn’s disease is based on 16 publications (17 studies). The data set for diagnostic values of faecal calprotectin in ulcerative colitis is composed of 35 original publications (total 49 studies). The DOR for the use of faecal calprotectin in Crohn’s disease is estimated to be 11.20 and the area under the sROCis 0.829. In cases of ulcerative colitis, the DOR is 14.48, while the AUC sROC is 0.858. Heterogeneity of the studies was moderatetosubstantial. Collected data show overall good sensitivity and specificity of the faecal calprotectin test, as well as a good DOR. Thus, monitoring of mucosal healing with a non-invasive faecal calprotectin test may represent an attractive option for physicians and patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Understanding the Molecular Drivers of Disease Heterogeneity in Crohn's Disease Using Multi-omic Data Integration and Network Analysis

Crohn's disease (CD), a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), is characterized by heterogeneity along multiple clinical axes, which in turn impacts disease progression and treatment modalities. Using advanced data integration approaches and systems biology tools, we studied the contribution of CD susceptibility variants and gene expression in distinct peripheral immune cell subsets (CD14+ monocytes and CD4+ T cells) to relevant clinical traits. Our analyses revealed that most clinical traits capturing CD heterogeneity could be associated with CD14+ and CD4+ gene expression rather than disease susceptibility variants. By disentangling the sources of variation, we identified molecular features that could potentially be driving the heterogeneity of various clinical traits of CD patients. Further downstream analyses identified contextual hub proteins such as genes encoding barrier functions, antimicrobial peptides, chemokines, and their receptors, which are either targeted by drugs used in CD or other inflammatory diseases or are relevant to the biological functions implicated in disease pathology. These hubs could be used as cell type-specific targets to treat specific subtypes of CD patients in a more individualized approach based on the underlying biology driving their disease subtypes. Our study highlights the importance of data integration and systems approaches to investigate complex and heterogeneous diseases such as IBD.

Enteroscopy in Crohn's Disease: Are There Any Changes in Role or Outcomes Over Time? A KASID Multicenter Study

Background/Aims

Although balloon-assisted enteroscopy (BAE) enables endoscopic visualization of small bowel (SB) involvement in Crohn's disease (CD), there is no data on the changes in outcomes over time. We therefore investigated the changes in BAE use on CD patients over different time periods in terms of its role and clinical outcomes.

Methods

We used a multicenter enteroscopy database to identify CD patients with SB involvement who underwent BAE (131 procedures, 116 patients). We compared BAE-related factors and outcomes between the first period (70 procedures, 60 patients) and the second period (61 procedures, 56 patients). The specific cutoff point for dividing the two periods was 2007, when BAE guidelines were introduced.

Results

Initial diagnosis of SB involvement in CD was the most common indication for BAE during each period (50.0% vs 31.1%, p=0.034). The largest change was in the number of BAE uses for stricture evaluation and/or treatment, which increased significantly in the latter period (2.9% vs 21.3%, p=0.002). The diagnostic yield in patients with suspected CD was 90.7% in the first period and 95.0% in the second (p=0.695). More endoscopic interventions were performed in the second period than in the first (5.1% vs 17.6%, p=0.041). Enteroscopic success rates were high throughout (100% in the first period vs 80.0% in the second period, p>0.999). In the first and second periods, therapeutic plans were adjusted in 62.7% and 61.4% of patients, respectively.

Conclusions

The overall clinical indications, outcomes, and effectiveness of BAE were constant over time in CD patients with SB involvement, with the exception that the frequency of enteroscopic intervention increased remarkably.

Adalimumab biosimilars, ABP501 and SB5, are equally effective and safe as adalimumab originator

To date, data on effectiveness and safety of Adalimumab (ADA) biosimilars in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are lacking. Therefore, we aimed to verify the ability of ABP501 and SB5 to maintain the clinical and biochemical response induced by the ADA originator, after switching to them. We prospectively analyzed data collected from 55 patients with IBD who switched to ABP501, and 25 patients with IBD who switched to SB5, from ADA originator at four IBD Units between 2018 and 2020. In addition, we included an age and sex-matched control group (n = 38) who continued ADA originator for at least two years and who did not switch to a biosimilar drug. Clinical and biochemical data (C-Reactive Protein (CRP), fecal calprotectin (FC)), concomitant steroid and/or immunosuppressant therapy at the time of the switch and after six months were collected. At six months, in the ABP501 group, we did not observe statistically significant modifications in clinical activity of disease (p = 0.09) and FC values (p = 0.90)_. Some patients (n = 8) needed to add steroids at six months after switching (p = 0.01), however the need for optimization was not significant between the two timepoints (p = 0.70). Finally, 14.5% patients stopped therapy after six months. Similarly, in the SB5 group we observed a stability of clinical activity and FC values (p = 0.90 and p = 0.20), and a concomitant statistically significant decrease in CRP (p = 0.03). There were no differences in steroids/immunosuppressants need or optimizing biological therapy in this group. Finally, drug survival curves of patients who switched from originator to ABP501 and those who continued ADA originator were similar (p = 0.20). Overall, biosimilar drugs seem to be as effective and safe as the originator. Further larger and longer studies are mandatory to understand the clinical implications of these findings.

WSES-AAST guidelines: management of inflammatory bowel disease in the emergency setting

BACKGROUND

Despite the current therapeutic options for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease, surgery is still frequently required in the emergency setting, although the number of cases performed seems to have decreased in recent years. The World Society of Emergency Surgery decided to debate in a consensus conference of experts, the main pertinent issues around the management of inflammatory bowel disease in the emergent situation, with the need to provide focused guidelines for acute care and emergency surgeons.

METHOD

A group of experienced surgeons and gastroenterologists were nominated to develop the topics assigned and answer the questions addressed by the Steering Committee of the project. Each expert followed a precise analysis and grading of the studies selected for review. Statements and recommendations were discussed and voted at the Consensus Conference of the 6th World Society of Emergency Surgery held in Nijmegen (The Netherlands) in June 2019.

CONCLUSIONS

Complicated inflammatory bowel disease requires a multidisciplinary approach because of the complexity of this patient group and disease spectrum in the emergency setting, with the aim of obtaining safe surgery with good functional outcomes and a decreasing stoma rate where appropriate.

Serum proteomic profiling at diagnosis predicts clinical course, and need for intensification of treatment in inflammatory bowel disease

BACKGROUND

Success in personalized medicine in complex disease is critically dependent on biomarker discovery. We profiled serum proteins using a novel proximity extension assay [PEA] to identify diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in inflammatory bowel disease [IBD].

METHODS

We conducted a prospective case-control study in an inception cohort of 552 patients [328 IBD, 224 non-IBD], profiling proteins recruited across six centres. Treatment escalation was characterized by the need for biological agents or surgery after initial disease remission. Nested leave-one-out cross-validation was used to examine the performance of diagnostic and prognostic proteins.

RESULTS

A total of 66 serum proteins differentiated IBD from symptomatic non-IBD controls, including matrix metallopeptidase-12 [MMP-12; Holm-adjusted p = 4.1 × 10-23] and oncostatin-M [OSM; p = 3.7 × 10-16]. Nine of these proteins are associated with cis-germline variation [59 independent single nucleotide polymorphisms]. Fifteen proteins, all members of tumour necrosis factor-independent pathways including interleukin-1 (IL-1) and OSM, predicted escalation, over a median follow-up of 518 [interquartile range 224-756] days. Nested cross-validation of the entire data set allowed characterization of five-protein models [96% comprising five core proteins ITGAV, EpCAM, IL18, SLAMF7 and IL8], which define a high-risk subgroup in IBD [hazard ratio 3.90, confidence interval: 2.43-6.26], or allowed distinct two- and three-protein models for ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease respectively.

CONCLUSION

We have characterized a simple oligo-protein panel that has the potential to identify IBD from symptomatic controls and to predict future disease course. Further prospective work is required to validate our findings.

Automated Detection of Crohn's Disease Intestinal Strictures on Capsule Endoscopy Images Using Deep Neural Networks

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Passable intestinal strictures are frequently detected on capsule endoscopy [CE]. Such strictures are a major component of inflammatory scores. Deep neural network technology for CE is emerging. However, the ability of deep neural networks to identify intestinal strictures on CE images of Crohn's disease [CD] patients has not yet been evaluated.

METHODS

We tested a state-of-the-art deep learning network for detecting CE images of strictures. Images of normal mucosa, mucosal ulcers, and strictures of Crohn's disease patients were retrieved from our previously described CE image bank. Ulcers were classified as per degree of severity. We performed 10 cross-validation experiments. A clear patient-level separation was maintained between training and testing sets.

RESULTS

Overall, the entire dataset included 27 892 CE images: 1942 stricture images, 14 266 normal mucosa images, and 11 684 ulcer images [mild: 7075, moderate: 2386, severe: 2223]. For classifying strictures versus non-strictures, the network exhibited an average accuracy of 93.5% [±6.7%]. The network achieved excellent differentiation between strictures and normal mucosa (area under the curve [AUC] 0.989), strictures and all ulcers [AUC 0.942], and between strictures and different grades of ulcers [for mild, moderate, and severe ulcers-AUCs 0.992, 0.975, and 0.889, respectively].

CONCLUSIONS

Deep neural networks are highly accurate in the detection of strictures on CE images in Crohn's disease. The network can accurately separate strictures from ulcers across the severity range. The current accuracy for the detection of ulcers and strictures by deep neural networks may allow for automated detection and grading of Crohn's disease-related findings on CE.

From terminal ileitis to Crohn's disease: how capsule endoscopy is crucial to diagnosis

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Terminal ileitis is a common condition and may be associated with a wide variety of diseases, mostly Crohn's disease. Although small bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE) is a valuable diagnostic tool for small-bowel diseases, data regarding its diagnostic impact on isolated terminal ileitis are sparse. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of SBCE for isolated terminal ileitis detected during ileocolonoscopy and to assess predictive factors for Crohn's disease diagnosis.

METHODS

This is a retrospective study including consecutive patients undergoing SBCE after diagnosis of terminal ileitis without colonic mucosal abnormalities on ileocolonoscopy between January 2016 and September 2019.

RESULTS

This included 102 patients with isolated terminal ileitis on ileocolonoscopy. Positive findings on SBCE were found in 82.4% of patients. After performing SBCE, 61.8% of patients had a final diagnosis, being Crohn's disease the most common (34.3%), followed by NSAIDs enteropathy (12.7%). Extraintestinal manifestations (P = 0.003), weight loss (P = 0.02), abnormal imaging (P = 0.04) and positive SBCE findings (P = 0.001) were independently associated with Crohn's disease diagnosis. Regarding SBCE, presence of proximal small-bowel disease (P = 0.02), diffuse findings (P = 0.002) and moderate to severe inflammatory activity (Lewis score ≥ 790) (P < 0.001) were independently associated with Crohn's disease diagnosis.

CONCLUSION

SBCE is a valuable tool that should be systematically used in patients with isolated terminal ileitis on ileocolonoscopy, since it revealed a high diagnostic yield, supporting a definite diagnosis in almost two-thirds of patients, and Crohn's disease diagnosis in approximately one-third of patients. A diagnosis of Crohn's disease should be considered when a patient with terminal ileitis on ileocolonoscopy shows proximal involvement, diffuse findings and/or moderate to severe inflammatory activity on SBCE.

Knowledge of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Aspects of IBD Among Nurses Working in Digestive Endoscopy: A Nationwide Italian Survey

The importance of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) dedicated nurses in endoscopy services is poorly explored. Non-IBD healthcare professionals who work in endoscopy units may underestimate the discomfort and the secondary psychological distress that endoscopic procedures cause in IBD patients. We performed a nationwide survey to evaluate the level of knowledge of nurses working in endoscopy facilities throughout Italy related to IBD patients' needs undergoing endoscopic procedures. A non-validate 45 items questionnaire divided into six sections was assembled by a group of experts and supervised by nurses and IBD-physicians as part of the board of IGIBD, ANOTE-ANIGEA and AGGEI. The questionnaire was sent to 397 nurses of which 335 (84.4%) responded to the questionnaire. The median level of knowledge registered was 29 ± 12, corresponding to a medium level of knowledge based on the scores described in the method section. One hundred eighty-three nurses (54.6%) reported a high score, 113 (33.7%) a medium score, and 39 (11.6%) a low score. The majority of nurses worked in high volume endoscopy centers, where the 48% were educated in IBD management. A Low level of knowledge was recorded regarding disease severity definition, bowel preparation strategies in severe colitis and evaluation of perianal fistula. This nationwide survey clearly shows that there is a need for endoscopic nurses to acquire specific knowledge in the IBD field. Dedicated pathways for IBD management in endoscopy, continuous educational programs for nurses and further studies to improve nurse education are needed.

Infliximab Exposure Associates With Radiologic Evidence of Healing in Patients With Crohn's Disease

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Higher infliximab trough levels are associated with clinical and endoscopic remission in patients with Crohn's disease (CD). We investigated pharmacodynamic features of infliximab and radiological healing.

METHODS

We performed a substudy of the TAILORIX trial (patients with active luminal CD in Europe, treated with infliximab), analyzing baseline and week 54 magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) data. MREs were scored using the MaRIA score by blinded central readers. Radiologic response and remission were defined, based on MaRIA criteria in all segments, as scores below 11 and 7, respectively. We collected data on infliximab trough levels, biomarkers, and endoscopic findings. Our primary aim was to evaluate pharmacodynamic features associated with radiologic response and remission, based on MRE assessments at baseline and at 54 weeks after initiation of infliximab therapy.

RESULTS

We analyzed data from 36 patients (50% female; median age 35.7 years; interquartile age range, 25.6-48.6 years; median disease duration, 1.5 months; interquartile duration range, 0.6-22.4 months). At week 54 of treatment, 36.4% of patients had a radiologic response, 30.3% of patients were in remission, and 71% had endoscopic features of remission. At baseline, there was a correlation between the CD endoscopic index of severity and MaRIA scores (κ = 0.46; P = .008), but we found no correlation at week 54 (κ = 0.06; P = .75). Radiologic remission correlated with infliximab trough level at week 14 (P = .049) when the infliximab trough level cut-off value was set at 7.8 μg/mL (area under the curve, 0.74; 75% sensitivity; 86% specificity; 90% negative predictive value; 57% positive predictive value). Radiologic response correlated with infliximab trough levels at week 14 (P = .048) when the infliximab trough level cut-off value was set at 7.8 μg/mL (area under the curve, 0.73; 70% sensitivity; 90% specificity; 86% negative predictive value; 78% positive predictive value) and with continuous pharmacologic evidence of response (infliximab trough levels above 5.0 μg/mL at all time points) (P = .034).

CONCLUSIONS

In a substudy of data from the TAILORIX trial of patients with active luminal CD, we identified a relationship between exposure to infliximab and radiologic evidence of outcomes.

Inflammatory bowel disease in a colorectal cancer screening population: Diagnosis and follow-up

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is usually diagnosed in subjects with gastrointestinal symptoms, but may also be asymptomatic and diagnosed incidentally.

AIMS

to determine the prevalence of IBD in asymptomatic adults.

METHODS

we identified subjects who underwent colonoscopy between 1 September 2013 and 31 August 2019 in a regional colorectal cancer screening program with endoscopic findings suggestive of IBD, and retrieved their clinical, histological and therapeutic information.

RESULTS

5116 subjects underwent colonoscopy, and 4640 persons were considered assessable. Of these, 54 (1.16%) had endoscopic findings suggestive of IBD, including 40 of Crohn's disease (CD) and 14 of ulcerative colitis (UC). A definite diagnosis of IBD was made in 19 patients, for an overall IBD prevalence of 0.41%, with 13 cases of CD (0.28%) and 6 of UC (0.13%). The mean follow-up was 26.8 months after the first colonoscopy. Therapy was started in 5 of 13 CD patients and all UC patients.

CONCLUSION

Endoscopic findings suggestive of IBD are not infrequent in an asymptomatic colorectal cancer screening population. Visualization of the terminal ileum is recommended in this setting. A definite diagnosis of IBD was made in about 1 out of 3 subjects with endoscopic lesions. Most IBD patients had a mild form of disease, but some needed biologic therapy.

Follow-up Care in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: An Integrative Review

Inflammatory bowel disease is characterized by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract and is associated with high risks for complications, surgeries, and frequent hospitalizations. Approximately one in four inflammatory bowel disease patients are readmitted to the hospital within 90 days of discharge in the United States. Although existing literature showed a timely clinic appointment with gastroenterologists is a protective factor for disease flare-ups and hospitalizations, the follow-up appointments were found to be either lacking or significantly delayed. Further, evidence-based guidelines in timely inflammatory bowel disease care are lacking. Thus, this integrative review examined current literature to identify effective strategies for achieving timely clinic appointments with gastroenterologists in inflammatory bowel disease. A comprehensive search of three electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, and Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature [CINAHL] Plus) was conducted from January 2009 to September 2019 using the key terms: inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, appointments, and time to appointment. Nine articles met the inclusion criteria. The main interventions for timely inflammatory bowel disease care included (i) clinic-wide scheduling protocols, (ii) a dedicated healthcare team, (iii) efficient referral process, (iv) appointment management based on disease acuity and severity, and (v) addressing shortage of inflammatory bowel disease clinicians. Further research is needed to quantify the magnitude of timely inflammatory bowel disease care interventions with controls and evaluate the efficacy with a head-to-head trial. Through timely referrals, evaluations, and treatments, these quality improvement endeavors will ultimately improve quality of care and contribute to reduction in preventable hospitalizations and associated healthcare costs from delayed outpatient inflammatory bowel disease care.

Bowel wall thickening and hyperemia assessed by high-frequency ultrasound indicate histological inflammation in Crohn's ileitis

PURPOSE

We evaluated ileal bowel wall thickness and semiquantitative vascularization by ultrasound in correlation with the presence or absence of histopathological inflammation in patients with Crohn's disease (CD).

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective analysis of 221 ultrasound examinations of the terminal ileum or neoterminal ileum in CD patients with biopsies of the ileum during colonoscopies within 8 weeks of the ultrasound. Ultrasound data were obtained from an inflammatory bowel disease ultrasound register from 2011 to 2017. Bowel wall ultrasound was performed by a high-frequency, linear transducer (7-12 MHz). Presence of bowel wall thickening (> 3 mm), vascularization by the Limberg score, and presence of ileal histopathological inflammation were analyzed.

RESULTS

In 221 bowel wall ultrasound examinations of CD patients (128 female, 93 male, mean age 37.5 years), a thickened bowel wall was found in 140 (63.3%) and hypervascularization (corresponding to a Limberg score ≥ 2) in 96 (43.4%) cases. In 187 (84.6%) cases, ileal inflammation was confirmed by histopathology and in 34 (15.4%) cases no inflammation was shown. Bowel wall thickening showed a sensitivity of 70.1%, a negative predictive value (NPV) of 30.9%, a specificity of 73.5% and a positive predictive value (PPV) of 93.6% for the detection of histopathological ileal inflammation. Hypervasularization had a low sensitivity (49.7%) and NPV (24.8%), but high specificity (91.2%) and PPV (96.9%).

CONCLUSION

In this CD subcohort of an ultrasound register, pathologic ultrasound findings were quite common. Bowel wall thickening (> 3 mm) and hypervascularization are good predictors of histopathological inflammation within the terminal ileum or neoterminal ileum. Normal ultrasound findings without bowel wall thickening and without hypervascularization do not rule out histopathological inflammation.

Accuracy of Ultrasound for Evaluation of Colorectal Segments in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND & AIMS

The accuracy of ultrasound for evaluation of individual colorectal segments in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) has not been evaluated in a systematic review. We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound in different colorectal segments of patients with IBD.

METHODS

We searched publication databases from inception through March 2019 for studies that assessed the accuracy of ultrasound in detection of inflammation in right, transverse, and left colon and in rectum in patients with IBD, using findings from colonoscopy as the reference standard. Subgroup analyses were performed including IBD type, patient age, body mass index, and study design. The risk of bias was assessed with the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 tool.

RESULTS

Nineteen studies (1101 patients) were included in the qualitative synthesis. After we assessed the risk of bias, 7 studies (comprising 84 patients with Crohn's disease and 420 patients with ulcerative colitis) were included in the meta-analysis. Bowel wall thickness ≥ 3 mm identified colorectal segments with inflammation with 86.4% pooled sensitivity (95% CI, 76.1%-92.7%) and 88.3% pooled specificity (95% CI, 58.1%-97.6%). In rectum only, bowel wall thickness ≥ 3 mm identified inflammation with 74.5% sensitivity (95% CI, 53.0%-88.3%) and 69.5% specificity (95% CI, 33.6%-91.1%). Diagnostic accuracy was comparable among subgroups. Increased bowel wall flow and loss of stratification had higher true-positive odds ratios.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on meta-analysis of patient-level data, ultrasound has higher diagnostic accuracy for detecting inflammation in colon than rectum in patients with IBD. Studies are needed to increase the accuracy of ultrasound detection of inflammation in rectum.

Surrogate markers of mucosal healing in inflammatory bowel disease: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Mucosal healing (MH) has emerged as a key therapeutic target in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and achievement of this goal is documented by endoscopy with biopsy. However, colonoscopy is burdensome and invasive, and substitution with an accurate noninvasive biomarker is desirable.

AIM

To summarize published data regarding the performance of noninvasive biomarkers in assessing MH in IBD patients.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic review of studies that reported the performance of biomarkers in diagnosing MH in patients with IBD. The main outcome measure was to review the diagnostic accuracy of serum and fecal markers that showed promising utility in assessing MH.

RESULTS

We screened 1301 articles, retrieved 46 manuscripts and included 23 articles for full-text analysis. The majority of the included manuscripts referred to fecal markers (12/23), followed by circulatory markers (8/23); only 3/23 of the included manuscripts investigated combined markers (serum and/or fecal markers). Fecal calprotectin (FC) was the most investigated fecal marker for assessing MH. In ulcerative colitis, for cutoff levels ranging between 58 mcg/g and 490 mcg/g, the sensitivity was 89.7%-100% and the specificity was 62%-93.3%. For Crohn’s disease, the cutoff levels of FC ranged from 71 mcg/g to 918 mcg/g (sensitivity 50%-95.9% and specificity 52.3%-100%). The best performance for a serum marker was observed for the endoscopic healing index, which showed a comparable accuracy to the measurement of FC and a higher accuracy than the measurement of serum C-reactive protein.

CONCLUSION

Several promising biomarkers of MH are emerging but cannot yet substitute for endoscopy with biopsy due to issues with reproducibility and standardization.

Ultrasonographic Evaluation of Intestinal Fibrosis and Inflammation in Crohn's Disease. The State of the Art

The evaluation of the degree of inflammation and fibrosis, intrinsic elements in intestinal wall damage of Crohn’s disease, is essential to individuate the extent of the lesions and the presence of strictures. This information will contribute to the choice of the appropriate therapeutic approach, the prediction of the response to therapy and the course of the disease. The accurate evaluation of the extent and severity of inflammation and/or fibrosis in Crohn’s disease currently requires histopathological analysis of the intestinal wall. However, in clinical practice and research, transmural assessment of the intestinal wall with cross sectional imaging is increasingly used for this purpose. The B-mode ultrasonograhic characteristics of the intestinal wall, the assessment of its vascularization by color Doppler and I.V. contrast agents, and the evaluation of the mechanical and elastic properties by sonoelastography, may provide useful and accurate information on the severity and extent of inflammation and intestinal fibrosis in Crohn’s disease. The purpose of this review is to provide an update on current sonographic methods to discriminate inflammation and fibrosis in Crohn’s disease.

Rediscovering histology: what is new in endoscopy for inflammatory bowel disease?

The potential of endoscopic evaluation in the management of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) has undoubtedly grown over the last few years. When dealing with IBD patients, histological remission (HR) is now considered a desirable target along with symptomatic and endoscopic remission, due to its association with better long-term outcomes. Consequently, the ability of endoscopic techniques to reflect microscopic findings in vivo without having to collect biopsies has become of upmost importance. In this context, a more accurate evaluation of inflammatory disease activity and the detection of dysplasia represent two mainstay targets for IBD endoscopists. New diagnostic technologies have been developed, such as dye-less chromoendoscopy, endomicroscopy, and molecular imaging, but their real incorporation in daily practice is not yet well defined. Although dye-chromoendoscopy is still recommended as the gold standard approach in dysplasia surveillance, recent research questioned the superiority of this technique over new advanced dye-less modalities [narrow band imaging (NBI), Fuji intelligent color enhancement (FICE), i-scan, blue light imaging (BLI) and linked color imaging (LCI)]. The endoscopic armamentarium might also be enriched by new video capsule endoscopy for monitoring disease activity, and high expectations are placed on the application of artificial intelligence (AI) systems to reduce operator-subjectivity and inter-observer variability. The goal of this review is to provide an updated insight on contemporary knowledge regarding new endoscopic techniques and devices, with special focus on their role in the assessment of disease activity and colorectal cancer surveillance.

MIN score predicts primary response to infliximab/adalimumab and vedolizumab therapy in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases

Infliximab/adalimumab (IFX/ADA) and vedolizumab (VDZ) are the most widely used biologics in inflammatory bowel diseases. Current models used to predict their efficacies are restricted to either Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis or to only one type of biologic, which makes them limited in external validation. We therefore designed a comprehensive comparison among these models to identify the most meaningful predictors for patient responses. Several biomarkers and models were compared for their abilities to predict both IFX/ADA and VDZ responses by receiver operating characteristic curves. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression was adopted to determine a simplified gene signature. Verification was performed in biopsy samples by immunohistochemical staining. The GIMATS module (based on counts of IgG plasma cells, inflammatory monocytes, activated T cells, and stromal cells) had the best overall performance for response prediction in both biologics (IFX/ADA, AUC = 0.720-0.853; VDZ, AUC = 0.661-0.728). Based on this module, patients were equally divided into 3 groups: M type (GIMATS-low, metabolism), with a preference for IFX/ADA; I type (GIMATS-high, immune), with a preference for VDZ; and N type (GIMATS-medium, normal), with no preference for either treatment. Furthermore, to improve clinical utility, a simplified 6-gene model, MIN score, was established to determine the baseline expression of G0S2, S100A9, SELE, CHI3L1, MMP1 and CXCL13 and function as a substitute for GIMATS module. Our study suggested that the classification of metabolic or immune type by MIN score was valuable for IBD diagnosis to assist with selection of IFX/ADA and VDZ.

Use of capsule endoscopy in inflammatory bowel disease in clinical practice in Spain. Results from a national survey

INTRODUCTION

Small bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE) is a non-invasive diagnostic technique whose use in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has spread. A panenteric capsule, PillCam Crohn's (PCC), has recently been developed. We lack information on the availability and use of the CEID and PCC in our environment.

METHODS

We conducted an electronic and anonymous survey among the members of the Grupo Español de Trabajo en Enfermedad de Crohn y Colitis Ulcerosa (GETECCU) [Spanish Working Group on Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis] and the Asociación Española de Gastroenterología (AEG) [Spanish Association of Gastroenterology], consisting of 37 multiple-choice questions.

RESULTS

One hundred and fifty members participated, the majority dedicated to IBD (69.3%). 72.8% worked at centres with an IBD unit. 79% had SBCE available at their hospital, 14% referred patients to another centre; 22% had a PCC available, 9% referred patients to another centre. 79.3% of respondents with available SBCE used it in a small percentage of patients with IBD and 15.6% in the majority. The most frequent scenarios were suspicion of Crohn's disease (76.3%), assessment of inflammatory activity (54.7%) and assessment of the extent of the disease (54.7%). More than half (59.7%) preferentially used the Patency capsule to assess intestinal patency. Almost all respondents (99.3%) considered that training resources should be implemented in this technique.

CONCLUSIONS

SBCE is widely available in Spanish hospitals for the management of IBD, although its use is still limited. There is an opportunity to increase training in this technique, and consequently its use.

Relevance of monitoring transmural disease activity in patients with Crohn's disease: current status and future perspectives

Treatment targets of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) have evolved over the last decade. Goals of therapy consisting of symptom control and steroid sparing have shifted to control of disease activity with endoscopic remission being an important endpoint. Unfortunately, this requires ileocolonoscopy, an invasive procedure. Biomarkers [C-reactive protein (CRP) and fecal calprotectin (FCP)] have emerged as surrogates for endoscopic remission and disease activity, but also have limitations. Despite this evolution, we must not lose sight that CD involves transmural inflammation, not fully appreciated with ileocolonoscopy. Therefore, transmural assessment of disease activity by cross-sectional imaging, in particular with magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) and intestinal ultrasonography (IUS), is vital to fully understand disease control. Bowel-wall thickness (BWT) is the cornerstone in assessment of transmural inflammation and BWT normalization, with or without bloodflow normalization, the key element demonstrating resolution of transmural inflammation, namely transmural healing (TH) or transmural remission (TR). In small studies, achievement of TR has been associated with improved long-term clinical outcomes, including reduced hospitalization, surgery, escalation of treatment, and a decrease in clinical relapse over endoscopic remission alone. This review will focus on the existing literature investigating the concept of TR or residual transmural disease and its relation to other existing treatment targets. Current data suggest that TR may be the next logical step in the evolution of treatment targets.

The comparison of the three assays for determination of fecal calprotectin in inflammatory bowel disease

Introduction

Fecal calprotectin is a biomarker for monitoring inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) activity. Our aim, therefore, was to evaluate two new assays, the point of care test Quantum Blue and the Liaison Calprotectin with respect to the Calprest, commonly used assay, and to determine their performance for IBD diagnosis.

Materials and methods

We included 73 prospective patients with IBD. Fecal calprotectin was measured and analysed with the routine Calprest assay and two recently introduced assays, the Quantum Blue and the Liaison Calprotectin. Furthermore, we compared the results by Bland and Altman analysis, and Passing-Bablok regression.

Results

We observed no difference in median calprotectin values obtained by the Calprest (94.6 µg/g, 95%CI 66.5 to 166.1) and Liaison assay (101.0 µg/g, 95%CI 48.1 to 180.1) whereas significantly higher concentrations were obtained with the Quantum Blue assay (240.0 µg/g, 95%CI 119.9 to 353.2). The mean absolute and relative difference between the Calprest and Quantum Blue methods was statistically significant (- 162.3 µg/g and
- 143.1%). Mean absolute difference between the Calprest and Liaison calprotectin methods was positive (2.2 µg/g). The agreement between assays revealed that Quantum Blue and Calprest have fair agreement with Kappa coefficient of 0.38 (95%CI 0.26 to 0.51). Liaison Calprotectin and Calprest revealed moderate agreement with a weak Kappa coefficient of 0.47 (95%CI 0.32 to 0.62).

Conclusion

Clinicians should be aware of these differences between the assays and avoid comparison of their respective results.

Development and Validation of an Interleukin-6 Nomogram to Predict Primary Non-response to Infliximab in Crohn's Disease Patients

Background: The primary non-response (PNR) rate of infliximab (IFX) varies from 20 to 46% for the treatment of Crohn’s disease (CD). Detected PNR reduces the improper use of specific treatments. To date, there is hardly any knowledge regarding early markers of PNR. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of Interleukin-6 (IL-6) as an early predictor of PNR of IFX for the treatment of CD.

Methods: We enrolled 322 bio-naïve patients diagnosed with CD from January 2016 to May 2020. Primary response was determined at week 14. Multivariable logistic regression was used to construct prediction models. Area under the curve (AUC), calibration and decision curve analyses (DCA) were assessed in the validation cohort. GEO data were analyzed to identify potential mechanisms of IL-6 in IFX therapy for CD.

Results: PNR occurred in 31.06% (100 of 322) patients who were assessable at week 14. IL-6 levels significantly decreased after IFX therapy (p < 0.001). The validation model containing IL-6 presented enhanced discrimination with an AUC of 0.908 and high calibration. Decision curve analysis (DCA) indicated that the model added extra predictive value. GEO data confirmed the IL-6 levels were increased in the PNR group and IL-6-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were enriched in the inflammatory response.

Conclusions: We concluded that IL-6 may be used as a predictive factor to assess the risk of PNR to IFX therapy.

Ileal Crohn's Disease Exhibits Similar Transmural Fibrosis Irrespective of Phenotype

INTRODUCTION

In Crohn's disease (CD), the assessment of transmural inflammation and fibrosis is of utmost importance. This study aimed to quantify these parameters in CD ileal specimens and correlate them with disease progression.

METHODS

This is a retrospective unicentric study based on the analysis of archived specimens (n = 103) of primary ileal resection. Data were retrieved from a prospective national inflammatory bowel disease registry. Two pathologists, blinded for CD phenotype and clinical indications for surgery, examined 3 sections per patient and graded inflammation and fibrosis, based on a histopathological score.

RESULTS

Penetrating (B3, n = 74) CD exhibited significantly higher inflammation in diseased areas, compared with stricturing (B2, n = 29) disease (score 3: 96% vs 76%, P = 0.005 in inflamed areas; 78% vs 55%, P = 0.019 in most affected areas). This was also observed for the comparison of B2 CD with B3 CD with (B3s, n = 54) and without associated stricture (B3o, n = 20): B3s vs B2: 81% vs 55%, P = 0.033 in most affected areas; B3o vs B2: 100% vs 76%, P = 0.006 in inflamed areas; 70% vs 55%, P = 0.039 in most affected areas. We could not show differences in fibrosis scores between the subphenotypes. Postoperative new penetrating events occurred only in B3s (n = 6, 11%, P = 0.043) patients. The changing of biologic therapy after surgery correlated with severe inflammation at the proximal ileal margin (55% changed vs 25% not changed, P = 0.035).

DISCUSSION

In our cohort, fibrosis scores and fibromuscular changes were comparable, irrespective of CD phenotype. Inflammation severity was the major differentiator between penetrating and stricturing disease.JOURNAL/cltg/04.03/01720094-202104000-00012/inline-graphic1/v/2021-04-13T161901Z/r/image-tiff.

The value of magnetic resonance enterography in diagnostic difficulties associated with Crohn's disease

Purpose

The diagnosis of Crohn’s disease (CD), one of the inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), along with ulcerative colitis (UC), is often challenging due to the limitations of small intestine visualisation. Magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) enables imaging of intraluminal and extraintestinal complications without ionizing radiation. The objective of this study is to select CD-related MRE features and determine the feasibility of this technique to indicate a group of patients that should be subjected to more invasive diagnostic procedures.

Material and methods

A total of 131 patients (mean age 25) underwent MRE, 60 of whom had been previously diagnosed with CD and 17 with UC. Additionally, 26 patients with suspected IBD and 28 with other or unknown pathologies were included in the study. Radiological reports of MRE examinations, effectuated using a 1.5-T field strength, were retrospectively analysed regarding radiological features of IBD, such as the following: bowel wall thickening, enhancement, comb sign, stricture, enlarged mesenteric nodes, inflammatory infiltration, and abnormal diffusion restriction in diffusion-weighted imaging. The statistical model was based on machine learning of the Kohonen map, together with univariate and multivariate analysis.

Results

The selected neuron (Neuron 3) incorporated 23 cases of CD, 9 of suspected IBD, 2 patients with UC, and 4 with other pathologies. The statistical analysis identified bowel wall thickening, intestinal stricture, and lymphadenopathy as the 3 MRE findings most associated with Neuron 3 (AUC = 0.919, p = 0.031).

Conclusions

Bowel wall thickening, stricture, and enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes in MRE are independent predictive factors for CD diagnosis; thus, patients presenting these features should undergo further examinations. MRE constitutes a powerful imaging modality in cases of suspected IBD.

Development of a Simple, Serum Biomarker-based Model Predictive of the Need for Early Biologic Therapy in Crohn's Disease

BACKGROUND

Early or first-line treatment with biologics, as opposed to conventional immunomodulators, is not always necessary to achieve remission in Crohn's disease [CD] and may not be cost-effective. This study aimed to develop a simple model to predict the need for early biologic therapy, in order to risk-stratify CD patients and guide initial treatment selection.

METHODS

A model-building study using supervised statistical learning methods was conducted using a retrospective cohort across two tertiary centres. All biologic-naïve CD patients who commenced an immunomodulator between January 1, 2004 and December 31, 2016, were included. A predictive score was derived using Cox regression modelling of immunomodulator failure, and was internally validated using bootstrap resampling.

RESULTS

Of 410 patients [median age 37 years, 47% male, median disease duration 4.7 years], 229 [56%] experienced immunomodulator failure [39 required surgery, 24 experienced a new stricture, 44 experienced a new fistula/abscess, 122 required biologic escalation] with a median time to failure of 16 months. Independent predictors of treatment failure included raised C-reactive protein [CRP], low albumin, complex disease behaviour, younger age, and baseline steroids. Highest CRP and lowest albumin measured within the 3 months preceding immunomodulator initiation outperformed baseline measurements. After model selection, only highest CRP and lowest albumin remained and the resultant Crohn's Immunomodulator CRP-Albumin [CICA] index demonstrated robust optimism-corrected discriminative performance at 12, 24, and 36 months (area under the curve [AUC] 0.84, 0.83, 0.81, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

The derived CICA index based on simple, widely available markers is feasible, internally valid, and has a high utility in predicting immunomodulator failure. This requires external, prospective validation.

Food-related quality of life is impaired in inflammatory bowel disease and associated with reduced intake of key nutrients

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may impact the extent to which food, eating, and drinking bring satisfaction and enjoyment to peoples' lives, and this may impact dietary intake. The prevalence of an impaired food-related quality of life (FR-QoL), its associated factors, and its impact on diet have not been explored.

OBJECTIVES

To measure the prevalence and nature of the burden of impaired FR-QoL in people with IBD, the factors associated with these, and their associations with nutrient intake.

METHODS

We recruited 1576 outpatients with IBD (≥16 years old) in person from 7 IBD centers across the United Kingdom. Patients completed validated questionnaires to measure their FR-QoL, quality of life (QoL), distress, fatigue, anxiety, and depression. Dietary intake was recorded using the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer FFQ. A health professional recorded disease activity, Montreal classification, blood results, BMI, and malnutrition risk. FR-QoL was regressed onto explanatory variables using univariable and multivariable analyses.

RESULTS

Data from 1221 patients were available (77.4% response; Crohn's disease, 65%; ulcerative colitis, 35%). The FR-QoL mean (± SD) score was 80.8 ± 26.9, with wide ranges (minimum, 29; maximum, 145). Following multivariable regression, the strongest associations with FR-QoL were the number of recent disease flares (5 flares β = -12.7; P < 0.001), the IBD-specific QoL (β = 0.33; P < 0.001), and IBD-related distress (β = -0.26; P < 0.001). Patients with poorer FR-QoL had lower intakes of fiber (nonstarch polysaccharide; Q1 to Q5 difference = 2.1 g/d; 95% CI: 0.4-3.8; P = 0.048), calcium (192.6 mg/d; 95% CI: 112.5-272.6; P < 0.001), phosphorus (167 mg/d; 95% CI: 58-276; P = 0.041), and magnesium (34.4 mg/d; 95% CI: 9.3-59.4; P = 0.041).

CONCLUSIONS

Impaired FR-QoL is prevalent in IBD and is associated with recurrent disease flares, a reduced IBD-specific QoL, and greater IBD-related distress. A poorer FR-QoL was associated with lower intakes of key nutrients of importance to IBD, including those relating to gut health and bone mineralization.

Expert Consensus on Optimal Acquisition and Development of the International Bowel Ultrasound Segmental Activity Score [IBUS-SAS]: A Reliability and Inter-rater Variability Study on Intestinal Ultrasonography in Crohn's Disease

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Intestinal ultrasound [IUS] is an accurate, patient-centreed monitoring tool that objectively evaluates Crohn's disease [CD] activity. However no current, widely accepted, reproducible activity index exists to facilitate consistent IUS identification of inflammatory activity. The aim of this study is to identify key parameters of CD inflammation on IUS, evaluate their reliability, and develop an IUS index reflecting segmental activity.

METHODS

There were three phases: [1] expert consensus Delphi method to derive measures of IUS activity; [2] an initial, multi-expert case acquisition and expert interpretation of 20 blinded cases, to measure inter-rater reliability for individual measures; [3] refinement of case acquisition and interpretation by 12 international experts, with 30 blinded case reads with reliability assessment and development of a segmental activity score.

RESULTS

Delphi consensus: 11 experts representing seven countries identified four key parameters including: [1] bowel wall thickness [BWT]; [2] bowel wall stratification; [3] hyperaemia of the wall [colour Doppler imaging]; and [4] inflammatory mesenteric fat. Blind read: each variable exhibited moderate to substantial reliability. Optimal, standardised image and cineloop acquisition were established. Second blind read and score development: intra-class correlation coefficient [ICC] for BWT was almost perfect at 0.96 [0.94-0.98]. All four parameters correlated with the global disease activity assessment and were included in the final International Bowel Ultrasound Segmental Activity Score with almost perfect ICC (0.97 [0.95-0.99, p <0.001]).

CONCLUSIONS

Using expert consensus and standardised approaches, identification of key activity measurements on IUS has been achieved and a segmental activity score has been proposed, demonstrating excellent reliability.

Personalized Clinical Phenotyping through Systems Medicine and Artificial Intelligence

Personalized Medicine (PM) has shifted the traditional top-down approach to medicine based on the identification of single etiological factors to explain diseases, which was not suitable for explaining complex conditions. The concept of PM assumes several interpretations in the literature, with particular regards to Genetic and Genomic Medicine. Despite the fact that some disease-modifying genes affect disease expression and progression, many complex conditions cannot be understood through only this lens, especially when other lifestyle factors can play a crucial role (such as the environment, emotions, nutrition, etc.). Personalizing clinical phenotyping becomes a challenge when different pathophysiological mechanisms underlie the same manifestation. Brain disorders, cardiovascular and gastroenterological diseases can be paradigmatic examples. Experiences on the field of Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli in Rome (a research hospital recognized by the Italian Ministry of Health as national leader in "Personalized Medicine" and "Innovative Biomedical Technologies") could help understanding which techniques and tools are the most performing to develop potential clinical phenotypes personalization. The connection between practical experiences and scientific literature highlights how this potential can be reached towards Systems Medicine using Artificial Intelligence tools.

Does anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha prevent the recurrence of Crohn's disease? Systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) α agents are now well known to function as effective treatments for Crohn's disease (CD). Several meta-analyses have revealed the efficacy of anti-TNF therapy for preventing recurrence after surgery; however, the efficacies reported in some prospective studies differed according to the outcomes. Moreover, adverse events (AEs) were not well evaluated. We conducted this systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate both the efficacy of anti-TNF therapy after stratification by the outcome of interest and the AEs.

METHODS

We performed a systematic literature review of studies investigating anti-TNF therapy, CD, and postoperative recurrence. Meta-analyses were performed for endoscopic and clinical recurrence and AEs.

RESULTS

A total of 570 participants, including 254 patients in the intervention group and 316 patients in the control group, in eight studies, were analyzed for recurrence. Based on the results of the meta-analysis, the efficacies of anti-TNF therapy at preventing endoscopic and clinical recurrence were as follows: relative risk (RR) 0.34, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.22-0.53 and RR 0.60, 95% CI 0.36-1.02, respectively. The RR of AEs with anti-TNF therapy was 1.75 (95% CI 0.81-3.79).

CONCLUSIONS

Anti-TNF therapy after surgery for CD displays efficacy at preventing endoscopic recurrence for 1-2 years, without increasing the incidence of AEs. However, clinical recurrence was not significantly reduced. The efficacy of postoperative anti-TNF therapy may differ in terms of the outcomes, which include long-term prevention, the avoidance of further surgery, and cost-effectiveness.

An MSCT-based radiomics nomogram combined with clinical factors can identify Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis

Background

We established and evaluated a radiomics nomogram based on multislice computed tomography (MSCT) arterial phase contrast-enhanced images to distinguish between Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) objectively, quantitatively, and reproducibly.

Methods

MSCT arterial phase-enhancement images of 165 lesions (99 CD, 66 UC) in 87 patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) confirmed by endoscopy or surgical pathology were retrospectively analyzed. A total of 132 lesions (80%) were selected as the training cohort and 33 lesions (20%) as the test cohort. A total of 1648 radiomic features were extracted from each region of interest (ROI), and the Pearson correlation coefficient and tree-based method were used for feature selection. Five machine learning classifiers, including logistic regression (LR), support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF), stochastic gradient descent (SGD), and linear discriminative analysis (LDA), were trained. The best classifier was evaluated and obtained, and the results were transformed into the Rscore. Three clinical factors were screened out from 8 factors by univariate analysis. The logistic regression method was used to synthesize the significant clinical factors and the Rscore to generate the nomogram, which was compared with the clinical model and LR model.

Results

Among all machine learning classifiers, LR performed the best (AUC =0.8077, accuracy =0.697, sensitivity =0.8, specificity =0.5385), SGD model had the second best performance (AUC =0.8, accuracy =0.6667, sensitivity =0.75, specificity =0.5385), and the DeLong test results showed that there was no significant difference between LR and SGD (P=0.465>0.05), while the other models performed poorly. Texture features had the greatest impact on classification results among all imaging features. The significant features of the LR model were used to calculate the Rscore. The 3 significant clinical factors were perienteric edema or inflammation, CT value of arterial phase-enhancement (AP-CT value), and lesion location. Finally, a nomogram was constructed based on the 3 significant clinical factors and the Rscore, whose AUC (0.8846) was much higher than that of the clinical model (0.6154) and the LR model (0.8077).

Conclusions

The nomogram is expected to provide a new auxiliary tool for radiologists to quickly identify CD and UC.

Validation of claims-based indicators used to identify flare-ups in inflammatory bowel disease

BACKGROUND & AIMS

There are currently no validated claims-based indicators for identifying a worsening of disease in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Therefore, we aimed to develop and validate indicators that identify flare-ups of IBD using data from Danish nationwide registries.

METHODS

Using Danish nationwide administrative data, we identified all patients with Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC) who had at least one measurement of faecal calprotectin between 1 January 2015 and 31 June 2017. We tested several different claims-based indicators of disease flare-ups against levels of faecal (F-)calprotectin (no flare-up: <250 mg/kg; mild flare-up: 250-1000 mg/kg; severe flare-up: ⩾1000 mg/kg). A generalised estimating equation was used to evaluate whether the proposed indicators could predict disease activity.

RESULTS

A total of 890 children and 4719 adults with CD, and 592 children and 5467 adults with UC were included in the study. During the observation period, 48-61% and 48-55% of the CD and UC patients, respectively, had no flare-up, 26-29% (CD) and 24-26% (UC) experienced a mild flare-up, and 12-23% (CD) and 21-27% (UC) experienced a severe flare-up. Combinations of indicators that could predict a flare-up in CD and UC adults included hospitalisation, surgery, initiation or switch of biological therapy, treatment with systemic steroids, locally acting steroids or topical 5-aminosalicylates, colonoscopy/sigmoidoscopy, and magnetic resonance imaging/computed tomography. In children, only the number of gastroenterology visits was significant as an indicator among UC patients, and none were seen in children with CD. Overall, the indicator combinations resulted in a predictive ability of 0.62-0.67.

CONCLUSION

Administrative claims data can be useful for identifying patients exhibiting (F-calprotectin defined) flare-ups of their IBD. Clinically relevant events captured in the Danish national patient registry are associated with increased levels of calprotectin and hence increased disease activity, and can be used as valid outcomes in future studies.

Serum biomarkers confirming stable remission in inflammatory bowel disease

Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) have a chronic-remittent course. Optimal management of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) relies on early intervention, treat-to-target strategies and a tight disease control. However, it is challenging to assess the risk of relapses in individual patients. We investigated blood-based biomarkers for the confirmation of disease remission in patients with IBD. We retrospectively analyzed samples of 40 IBD patients (30 UC, 10 CD) enrolled in a tight-control follow-up study. Half of the patients had a flare during follow up. Serum was analyzed for S100A12 as well as S100A8/A9 and for 50 further biomarkers in a bead-based multiplex assay. The concentrations of 9 cytokines/chemokines and S100A8/A9 significantly differed in IBD patients with unstable remission (before flares) when compared to IBD patients with stable remission. Although the number of patients was small, ROC curve analyses revealed a number of biomarkers (IL-1β, IL-1RA, IL-8, IL13, IL-15, IL-21, IL-25, IFN-β, CXCL9, CXCL10, CXCL11, Galectin-1, G-CSF and S100A8/A9) that were elevated in patients with later occurring relapses. While earlier studies on peripheral biomarkers in IBD are limited to only few analytes, our study using a broad screening approach identified serum biomarkers with the potential to indicate unstable disease control in IBD, which may help to steer individual therapies to maintain remission.

Panenteric capsule endoscopy identifies proximal small bowel disease guiding upstaging and treatment intensification in Crohn's disease: A European multicentre observational cohort study

Background

Endoscopically defined mucosal healing in Crohn's disease is associated with improved outcomes. Panenteric capsule endoscopy enables a single non‐invasive assessment of small and large bowel mucosal inflammation.

Aims and Methods

This multicentre observational study of patients with suspected and established Crohn's disease examined the feasibility, safety and impact on patient outcomes of panenteric capsule endoscopy in routine clinical practice. The potential role in assessment of disease severity and extent by a comparison with existing clinical and biochemical markers is examined.

Results

Panenteric capsule endoscopy was performed on 93 patients (71 with established and 22 with suspected Crohn's disease). A complete examination occurred in 85% (79/93). Two cases (2.8%) of capsule retention occurred in patients with established Crohn's disease. Panenteric capsule resulted in management change in 38.7% (36/93) patients, including 64.6% (32/48) of those with an established diagnosis whose disease was active, and all three patients with newly diagnosed Crohn's disease. Montreal classification was upstaged in 33.8% of patients with established Crohn's disease and mucosal healing was demonstrated in 15.5%. Proximal small bowel disease upstaged disease in 12.7% and predicted escalation of therapy (odds ratio 40.3, 95% confidence interval 3.6–450.2). Raised C‐reactive protein and faecal calprotectin were poorly sensitive in detecting active disease (0.48 and 0.59 respectively).

Conclusions

Panenteric capsule endoscopy was feasible in routine practice and the ability to detect proximal small bowel disease may allow better estimation of prognosis and guide treatment intensification. Panenteric capsule endoscopy may be a suitable non‐invasive endoscopic investigation in determining disease activity and supporting management decisions.

Summarise the established knowledge on this subject

Biochemical and clinical markers poorly predict active disease and need for treatment escalation;

Panenteric capsule endoscope is feasible, safe and has the potential to non‐invasively assess patients with Crohn's Disease.

What are the significant and/or new findings of this study?

Panenteric capsule endoscope can upstage disease in one‐third of patients with a threefold increase in the identification of proximal small bowel disease;

Identification of proximal small bowel disease predicted treatment intensification.

Correlation between endoscopy and intestinal ultrasound for the evaluation of postoperative recurrence of Crohn's disease

OBJECTIVE

Intestinal ultrasound is considered to be a valid alternative for the evaluation of post-operative recurrence (POR) of Crohn's disease. The aim of this study is to assess the correlation between ultrasound and endoscopic findings.

METHODS

Patients with Crohn's disease were retrospectively recruited who had undergone ileocecal resection, and for whom a colonoscopy and intestinal ultrasound had been performed for the detection of POR. Recurrence was assessed using the Rutgeerts score (RS). The ultrasound findings analysed were bowel wall thickness (BWT), parietal hyperaemia using power Doppler, loss of layer pattern and mesenteric fat hypertrophy.

RESULTS

A total of 31 patients were included, of which 15 (48.4%) had no POR (RS<2b) and 16 (51.6%) had POR (RS≥2b). A statistically significant association was identified between BWT and the presence of endoscopic recurrence (a mean of 2.75mm vs. 5.68mm, P>0.001). There was also a statistically significant difference in hyperaemia between the 2groups (P=0.03). For wall thickness, an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 92.9% was obtained, and with a cut-off point of 3.4mm, a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 86.6%. When comparing with the most frequent biomarkers (fecal calprotectin and serum CRP), a higher AUC was obtained for wall thickness (72.3% and 72.3% vs. 92.9%).

CONCLUSIONS

In our experience, ultrasound has high diagnostic efficacy in the detection of POR and can be considered a valid non-invasive alternative to endoscopy.

Natural History of Ulcerative Colitis with Coexistent Colonic Diverticulosis

Ulcerative colitis (UC) and colonic diverticulosis can co-exist in some patients. However, the natural history of UC associated with colonic diverticulosis is not well known. We here compared the disease characteristics and outcome of UC patients with and without concomitant colonic diverticulosis. Medical records of 347 UC patients were included in an observational, retrospective, nested-matched case-control study. Cases were 92 patients with UC and concomitant colonic diverticulosis, while controls were 255 UC patients without concomitant colonic diverticulosis. A propensity score matching (PSM) was used to homogenate cases (n = 92) and controls (n = 153) for age. UC patients with concomitant colonic diverticulosis were less likely to have an extensive disease (25/92, 27.1%) and to experience steroid dependence (8/92, 8.6%) compared to patients without concomitant colonic diverticulosis (70/153, 45.7% and 48/153, 31.3%, respectively; p < 0.001). The use of immunosuppressants (9/92, 9.7% vs. 37/153, 24.1%; p = 0.007) or biologics (3/92, 3.2% vs. 26/153, 16.9%, p < 0.001) was significantly lower in UC patients with concomitant diverticulosis compared to the control group. On multivariate analysis, steroid dependence and extensive colitis were significantly less frequent in UC patients with concomitant colonic diverticulosis compared to UC patients without diverticula. UC patients with coexisting colonic diverticulosis are less likely to have an extensive disease and to be steroid-dependent.

Ultrasound imaging for assessing functions of the GI tract

OBJECTIVE

In the following review we outline how ultrasound can be used to measure physiological processes in the gastrointestinal tract.

APPROACH

We have investigated the potential of ultrasound in assessing gastrointestinal physiology including original research regarding both basic methodology and clinical applications.

MAIN RESULTS

Our main findings show the use of ultrasound to study esophageal motility, measure volume and contractility of the stomach, assess motility, wall thickness, and perfusion of the small bowel, and evaluate wall vascularization and diameters of the large bowel.

SIGNIFICANCE

Ultrasound is a widely accessible technology that can be used for both scientific and clinical purposes. Being radiation-free and user friendly, the examination can be frequently repeated enabling longitudinal studies. Furthermore, it does not influence normal GI physiology, thus being useful to estimate motility and subtle changes in physiology. Accordingly, ultrasound scanning and physiological measurements may make a big difference for the scientist and the doctor; and for the patients who receive an efficient work-up.

Real-life evaluation of histologic scores for Ulcerative Colitis in remission

Background

Histological evaluation of ulcerative colitis (UC) patients has been debated ever since the first description of the disease and its role in follow-up has never been fully established. Recent evidence suggests an added benefit in accuracy when evaluating if the patient is in remission. Unfortunately, there are several different histological indices, and it is difficult to compare outcomes where different scores are applied. Histopathological evaluation is prone to subjective biases, despite the use of indices. In addition, these indices are developed by expert IBD pathologist, but applied at large, by general pathologist. Therefore, we evaluated the three most applied histological indices for UC on samples from patients in remission to compare test qualities and estimate their usefulness to identify remission by both general and GI specialized pathologist.

Method

Mucosal biopsies from 41 UC patients in clinical and endoscopic remission were collected as part of a larger study on UC. Three pathologists blinded to the patients’ clinical status evaluated them using Geboes score (GS), Nancy Index (NI) and Robarts Histopathological Index (RHI). We calculated the agreement between the pathologists using Inter-class correlation (ICC) and visualized it with ICC-plots and Bland-Altman plots. Association between clinical factors and histological category were analysed by Fisher’s exact test.

Results

The ICC value for GS, RHI and NI were 0.85, 0.73 and 0.70 respectively. The limits of agreement were ±6.1, ±4.0 and ±1.4, for GS, RHI and NI, respectively. Mayo endoscopic subgrade and UC clinical score did not show association with any histological scores. Despite clinical and endoscopic remission 7–35% of the patients displayed histological inflammation on a level classified as active disease, depending on the index and cut-off.

Conclusion

A substantial amount of UC patients in clinical and endoscopic remission display inflammation on a histological level, but the ability to classify these patients accurately and consistently could be improved.

Extracellular Vesicles in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Small Particles, Big Players

Extracellular vesicles are nanovesicles released by many cell types into the extracellular space. They are important mediators of intercellular communication, enabling the functional transfer of molecules from one cell to another. Moreover, their molecular composition reflects the physiological status of the producing cell and tissue. Consequently, these vesicles have been involved in many [patho]physiological processes such as immunomodulation and intestinal epithelial repair, both key processes involved in inflammatory bowel disease. Given that these vesicles are present in many body fluids, they also provide opportunities for diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic applications. In this review, we summarise functional roles of extracellular vesicles in health and disease, with a focus on immune regulation and intestinal barrier integrity, and review recent studies on extracellular vesicles and inflammatory bowel disease. We also elaborate on their clinical potential in inflammatory bowel disease.

Prognostic tools for identification of high risk in people with Crohn's disease: systematic review and cost-effectiveness study

BACKGROUND

Crohn's disease is a lifelong condition that can affect any segment of the gastrointestinal tract. Some people with Crohn's disease may be at higher risk of following a severe course of disease than others and being able to identify the level of risk a patient has could lead to personalised management.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the prognostic test accuracy, clinical impact and cost-effectiveness of two tools for the stratification of people with a diagnosis of Crohn's disease by risk of following a severe course of disease.

DATA SOURCES

The data sources MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched to inform the systematic reviews on prognostic accuracy, clinical impact of the prognostic tools, and economic evaluations. Additional data sources to inform the review of economic evaluations were NHS Economic Evaluation Database, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects and the Health Technology Assessment Database.

REVIEW METHODS

Systematic reviews of electronic databases were carried out from inception to June 2019 for studies assessing the prognostic accuracy and clinical impact of the IBDX® (Crohn's disease Prognosis Test; Glycominds Ltd, Lod, Israel) biomarker stratification tool and the PredictSURE-IBD™ (PredictImmune Ltd, Cambridge, UK) tool. Systematic reviews of studies reporting on the cost-effectiveness of treatments for Crohn's disease were run from inception to July 2019. Two reviewers independently agreed on studies for inclusion, assessed the quality of included studies and validated the data extracted from studies. Clinical and methodological heterogeneity across studies precluded the synthesis of data for prognostic accuracy. A de novo economic model was developed to compare the costs and consequences of two treatment approaches - the 'top-down' and 'step-up' strategies, with step-up considered standard care - in people at high risk of following a severe course of Crohn's disease. The model comprised a decision tree and a Markov cohort model.

RESULTS

Sixteen publications, including eight original studies (n = 1478), were deemed relevant to the review of prognostic accuracy. Documents supplied by the companies marketing the prognostic tools were also reviewed. No study meeting the eligibility criteria reported on the sensitivity or specificity of the IBDX biomarker stratification tool, whereas one study provided estimates of sensitivity, specificity and negative predictive value for the PredictSURE-IBD tool. All identified studies were observational and were considered to provide weak evidence on the effectiveness of the tools. Owing to the paucity of data on the two tools, in the base-case analysis the accuracy of PredictSURE-IBD was assumed to be 100%. Accuracy of IBDX was assumed to be 100% in a scenario analysis, with the cost of the tests being the only difference between the analyses. The incremental analysis of cost-effectiveness demonstrated that top-down (via the use of PredictSURE-IBD in the model) is more expensive and generates fewer quality-adjusted life-years than step-up (via the standard care arm of the model).

LIMITATIONS

Despite extensive systematic searches of the literature, no robust evidence was identified of the prognostic accuracy of the biomarker stratification tools IBDX and PredictSURE-IBD.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the model indicates that standard care dominates the tests, the lack of evidence of prognostic accuracy of the two tests and the uncertainty around the benefits of the top-down and step-up treatment approaches mean that the results should be interpreted as indicative rather than definitive.

STUDY REGISTRATION

This study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42019138737.

FUNDING

This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Evidence Synthesis programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 25, No. 23. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

Decreasing Trends in Intestinal Resection and Re-Resection in Crohn's Disease: A Nationwide Cohort Study

OBJECTIVE

To assess time trends in intestinal resection and re-resection in Crohn's disease (CD) patients.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA

CD treatment has changed considerably over the past decades. The effect of these advances on the necessity of intestinal resections and the risk of re-resection is unclear.

METHODS

In this nationwide cohort study, adult CD patients with ileocolonic, small bowel, colon, or rectum resections between 1991 and 2015 were included. Data were retrieved from the Dutch nationwide network and registry of histopathology and cytopathology (PALGA). Time trends were analyzed with a broken stick model and Cox proportional hazard model with smoothing splines.

RESULTS

The identified cohort comprised 8172 CD patients (3293/4879 male/female) in whom 10,315 intestinal resections were performed. The annual intestinal resection rate decreased nonlinearly from 1.9/100,000 (1991) to 0.2/100,000 (2015). A significantly steeper-decrease was observed before 1999 (slope –0.13) as compared to subsequent years (slope –0.03) (p<0.001). Analogous trends were observed for ileocolonic, small bowel, and colon resections. Overall cumulative risk of re-resection was 10.9% at 5 years, 18.6% at 10 years, and 28.3% at 20 years after intestinal resection. The hazard for intestinal re-resection showed a nonlinear decreasing trend, with hazard ratio 0.39 (95% confidence interval 0.36-0.44) in 2000 and hazard ratio 0.25 (95% confidence interval 0.18-0.34) in 2015 as compared to 1991.

CONCLUSION

Over the past 25 years, intestinal resection rate has decreased significantly for ileocolonic, small bowel, and colonic CD. In addition, current postoperative CD patients are at 75% lower risk of intestinal re-resection.