Specific endoscopic features of ulcerative colitis complicated by cytomegalovirus infection

The histopathological approach to inflammatory bowel disease: a practice guide

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are lifelong disorders predominantly present in developed countries. In their pathogenesis, an interaction between genetic and environmental factors is involved. This practice guide, prepared on behalf of the European Society of Pathology and the European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation, intends to provide a thorough basis for the histological evaluation of resection specimens and biopsy samples from patients with ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease. Histopathologically, these diseases are characterised by the extent and the distribution of mucosal architectural abnormality, the cellularity of the lamina propria and the cell types present, but these features frequently overlap. If a definitive diagnosis is not possible, the term indeterminate colitis is used for resection specimens and the term inflammatory bowel disease unclassified for biopsies. Activity of disease is reflected by neutrophil granulocyte infiltration and epithelial damage. The evolution of the histological features that are useful for diagnosis is time- and disease-activity dependent: early disease and long-standing disease show different microscopic aspects. Likewise, the histopathology of childhood-onset IBD is distinctly different from adult-onset IBD. In the differential diagnosis of severe colitis refractory to immunosuppressive therapy, reactivation of latent cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection should be considered and CMV should be tested for in all patients. Finally, patients with longstanding IBD have an increased risk for the development of adenocarcinoma. Dysplasia is the universally used marker of an increased cancer risk, but inter-observer agreement is poor for the categories low-grade dysplasia and indefinite for dysplasia. A diagnosis of dysplasia should not be made by a single pathologist but needs to be confirmed by a pathologist with expertise in gastrointestinal pathology.

Long-term follow-up of ulcerative colitis patients treated on the basis of their cytomegalovirus antigen status

AIM: To clarify the impact of cytomegalovirus (CMV) activation and antiviral therapy based on CMV antigen status on the long-term clinical course of ulcerative colitis (UC) patients.

METHODS: UC patients with flare-up were divided into CMV-positive and -negative groups according to the CMV antigenemia assay. The main treatment strategy provided for the patients in the CMV-positive group comprised a dose reduction of corticosteroids and administration of ganciclovir.

RESULTS: The median number of days to initial remission was significantly greater for the patients in the CMV-positive group (21 d vs 16 d, P = 0.009). However, the relapse rate after remission and colectomy rate during more than 30 mo of observation did not differ between the two groups. Multivariate analysis revealed that administration of ganciclovir was the only independent factor for avoiding colectomy in patients of the CMV-positive group.

CONCLUSION: CMV antigen status did not significantly affect the long-term prognosis in UC patients under treatment with appropriate antiviral therapy.

European consensus on the histopathology of inflammatory bowel disease

The histologic examination of endoscopic biopsies or resection specimens remains a key step in the work-up of affected inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients and can be used for diagnosis and differential diagnosis, particularly in the differentiation of UC from CD and other non-IBD related colitides. The introduction of new treatment strategies in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) interfering with the patients' immune system may result in mucosal healing, making the pathologists aware of the impact of treatment upon diagnostic features. The European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation (ECCO) and the European Society of Pathology (ESP) jointly elaborated a consensus to establish standards for histopathology diagnosis in IBD. The consensus endeavors to address: (i) procedures required for a proper diagnosis, (ii) features which can be used for the analysis of endoscopic biopsies, (iii) features which can be used for the analysis of surgical samples, (iv) criteria for diagnosis and differential diagnosis, and (v) special situations including those inherent to therapy. Questions that were addressed include: how many features should be present for a firm diagnosis? What is the role of histology in patient management, including search for dysplasia? Which features if any, can be used for assessment of disease activity? The statements and general recommendations of this consensus are based on the highest level of evidence available, but significant gaps remain in certain areas.

Effect of intensive granulocyte and monocyte adsorptive apheresis in patients with ulcerative colitis positive for cytomegalovirus

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) exacerbates ulcerative colitis (UC) refractory to immunosuppressive therapies. The conditions under which CMV reactivation occurs in patients with UC, however, is unclear. In addition, the diagnostic and treatment strategies for UC positive for CMV have not been established. Granulocyte and monocyte adsorptive apheresis (GMAA) is natural biological therapy for UC in which the granulocytes/macrophages producing inflammatory cytokines are removed. We investigated the rate of colonic CMV reactivation and the efficacy of GMAA in active UC patients positive for CMV without concomitant corticosteroid (CS) therapy.

METHODS

Fifty-one active UC patients without concomitant CS therapy were enrolled. Colonic CMV reactivation was examined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using biopsy specimen and/or histological examination. All patients were treated with intensive GMAA (twice per week). Rates of clinical remission and mucosal healing were compared between UC patients positive and negative for CMV.

RESULTS

Of 51 patients, 15 (29.4%) were diagnosed as CMV positive. The clinical remission rates following intensive GMAA did not differ between UC patients positive and negative for CMV (73.3% vs 69.4%, p=0.781). Proportion of patients achieving mucosal healing was also similar between these two groups. CMV-DNA became negative in all UC patients positive for CMV who achieved clinical remission 1 week after completion of intensive GMAA.

CONCLUSIONS

Intestinal inflammation might trigger CMV reactivation in a subpopulation of active UC patients without CS treatment. GMAA could be a promising option for active UC positive for CMV.

Cytomegalovirus infection of the ileoanal pouch: clinical characteristics and outcomes

BACKGROUND

Up to 30% of cases of pouchitis are felt to have a secondary cause. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) may represent a possible etiopathological agent. Here, we report our experience with CMV involvement of the pouch, including risk factors, clinical features, and pouch outcomes in patients with inflammatory bowel disease after proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis.

METHODS

The pathology database at Mayo Clinic in Rochester was searched between January 1995 and October 2012 for patients with a tissue diagnosis of CMV of the pouch following ileal pouch-anal anastomosis.

RESULTS

Seven patients with CMV inclusions of the pouch were identified. The median age was 35 (range, 10-53) years, and the majority were female (71%). Five patients (71%) were on immunosuppressive medications including 4 who had undergone orthotopic liver transplantation for primary sclerosing cholangitis. The clinical presentation was similar among all patients: the majority had diarrhea (86%), fever (71%), and abdominal pain (57%). All had mucosal inflammation, with 71% having focal ulcerations in the pouch and 60% having inflammatory changes in the prepouch ileum. All patients improved with ganciclovir. None required pouch excision or had recurrent CMV infection. Three patients had recurrent nonspecific pouchitis.

CONCLUSIONS

A high index of suspicion is needed to diagnose CMV of the pouch. An increase in stool frequency and fever in patients on immune suppression or in those who have failed empiric antibiotics should prompt assessment for CMV infection. Antiviral therapy seems to be effective, and postinfection pouch outcomes seem favorable, particularly in those presenting with their first episode of pouchitis.

Clinical significance of cytomegalovirus infection in patients with inflammatory bowel disease

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is common in humans. The virus then enters a “latency phase” and can reactivate to different stimuli such as immunosuppression. The clinical significance of CMV infection in inflammatory bowel disease is different in Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). CMV does not interfere in the clinical course of CD. However, CMV reactivation is frequent in severe or steroid-resistant UC. It is not known whether the virus exacerbates the disease or simply appears as a bystander of a severe disease. Different methods are used to diagnose CMV colitis. Diagnosis is classically based on histopathological identification of viral-infected cells or CMV antigens in biopsied tissues using haematoxylin-eosin or immunohistochemistry, other tests on blood or tissue samples are currently being investigated. Polymerase chain reaction performed in colonic mucosa has a high sensitivity and a positive result could be associated with a worse prognosis disease; further studies are needed to determine the most appropriate strategy with positive CMV-DNA in colonic mucosa. Specific endoscopic features have not been described in active UC and CMV infection. CMV colitis is usually treated with ganciclovir for several weeks, there are different opinions about whether or not to stop immunosuppressive therapy. Other antiviral drugs may be used. Multicenter controlled studies would needed to determine which subgroup of UC patients would benefit from early antiviral treatment.

Abdominal complications following neutropenia and haematopoietic stem cell transplantation: CT findings

In haematology units, acute abdominal symptoms are common and often challenging for the clinician in charge. Two haematological conditions that may induce specific diagnoses are of particular concern: neutropenia and haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Clinical and biological manifestations, including abdominal pain, fever, diarrhoea, hepatic cytolysis, or cholestasis are often non-specific. Computed tomography is often the primary imaging screening technique performed in such patients, as it is widely available, performs well for this indication, and may demonstrate evocative findings. The aim of this review is to provide the spectrum of specific diagnoses encountered and the corresponding key CT features in patients presenting with acute abdominal disorders following neutropenia and/or haematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Progress in understanding the relationship between inflammatory bowel disease and human cytomegalovirus infection

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a ubiquitous DNA virus that can cause severe disease in immunosuppressive or immunocompromised patients. Recent studies have found that CMV might play a role in the pathogenesis and progression of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This paper gives a review of the epidemiology, clinical diagnosis, and pathogenesis of HCMV infection in patients with IBD.

Management of cytomegalovirus infection in inflammatory bowel diseases

Cytomegalovirus is a deoxyribonucleic acid virus that infects a large part of the human population; after primary infection, it develops a latent state and can be reactivated, notably after a decrease in host immune defences. In patients with inflammatory bowel diseases, cytomegalovirus is frequently involved, either as an agent of colitis or through local asymptomatic reactivation. Due to the immune context of inflammatory bowel diseases and to the immunosuppressive therapies that are used to treat them, cytomegalovirus entertains complex relationships with these diseases. Whereas Crohn's disease seems little impacted by cytomegalovirus, this agent interferes strongly with the natural progression of ulcerative colitis. While immune treatments have a clear influence on the occurrence of cytomegalovirus colitis in ulcerative colitis (favourable for steroids and cyclosporine and rather inhibitory for infliximab), the role of cytomegalovirus infection on ulcerative colitis is more debated with roles ranging from innocent bystander to key pathogen suggested. There is however growing evidence for a participation of intestinal cytomegalovirus infection in the resistance of ulcerative colitis to steroids and the investigation of cytomegalovirus infection in intestinal biopsies by immunohistochemistry or quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay is strongly recommended. In several studies, treatment of cytomegalovirus infection by ganciclovir was shown to restore the response to immunomodulatory therapies and even to prevent the need for colectomy. All of these recently acquired data need to be validated by randomised clinical trials conducted on a large panel of ulcerative colitis patients.

Cytomegalovirus complicating inflammatory bowel disease: a 10-year experience in a community-based, university-affiliated hospital

There is an ongoing debate regarding the signifcance of cytomegalovirus (CMV) in colonic biopsies and the effect of antiviral therapy in patients with infammatory bowel disease (IBD). In order to evaluate the possible impact of CMV disease on IBD patients, we reviewed charts of patients admitted through the emergency department with diagnoses of IBD and CMV over a 10-year period (January 2000 to November 2009). Laboratory test results and pharmacology databases were scrutinized, and pathology slides were re-evaluated when possible. The control group consisted of a historical group of IBD patients with fares who had been similarly evaluated in the emergency department but who did not have a diagnosis of CMV. Both chi-square tests and the student's t-test were used for analysis. The study consisted of 31 patients with IBD and CMV (median age, 60 years; 65% male; 58% ulcerative colitis patients). Immunohistochemistry confirmed the diagnosis in 19 cases (61%). Nine patients with CMV and IBD underwent a colectomy (29%) compared to 65 of the 581 patients in the control group (11.2%), who were evaluated during the same time period but did not have CMV (P=.007). Mortality was similar in both groups. Of the patients with CMV, 11 received ganciclovir. No significant differences in outcomes were noted with antiviral therapy. Although CMV disease is relatively uncommon in IBD patients, its presence may designate an increased risk for colectomy for reasons that are not yet clear. Patient outcomes may be independently affected by age and comorbidities. Systematic prospective studies could help determine the true effects of CMV on IBD patients.

Intestinal superinfections in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases

BACKGROUND

Intestinal superinfections may occur in the setting of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), complicating the clinical picture and triggering flares of disease.

AIMS

To report our experience with intestinal superinfections in IBD patients over a three-year period.

METHODS

Charts of patients hospitalized for moderate-to-severe active disease during the observation period were reviewed, and data of patients with flares due to infections collected and analyzed.

RESULTS

Overall, 15 out of 113 IBD patients (13.3%) had flare-ups related to intestinal infections; 143 acute flare-ups were thus documented, with 17 episodes (12%) related to infective agents, represented by Campylobacter jejuni (3 infections), Clostridium difficile (7 infections), and Cytomegalovirus (7 infections). All but two infections occurred in ulcerative colitis patients, and all responded to appropriate treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Intestinal superinfections may complicate the clinical picture of IBD patients, increasing the diagnostic and therapeutic burden. Appropriate early diagnostic and therapeutic measures are thus needed in these patients.

Cytomegalovirus load in inflamed intestinal tissue is predictive of resistance to immunosuppressive therapy in ulcerative colitis

OBJECTIVES

Previous studies have suggested an association between cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and steroid-refractory inflammatory bowel disease. In this study, the use of CMV DNA load during acute flare-ups of ulcerative colitis (UC) to predict resistance to immunosuppressive therapy was evaluated in intestinal tissue.

METHODS

Forty-two consecutive patients (sex ratio M/F: 0.9, mean age: 43.6 years) hospitalized for moderate to severe UC and treated with IV steroids were included prospectively. A colonoscopy was performed for each patient at inclusion; colonic biopsy samples of the pathological tissue, and if possible, of the healthy mucosa, were tested for histological analysis and determination of CMV DNA load by real-time polymerase chain reaction assay. Patients were treated as recommended by the current guidelines.

RESULTS

Sixteen patients were found positive for CMV DNA in inflamed intestinal tissue but negative in endoscopically healthy tissue; all of these patients were positive for anti-CMV IgG, three exhibited CMV DNA in blood, and none was positive for intestinal CMV antigen by immunohistochemistry detection. In the 26 remaining patients, no stigmata of recent CMV infection were recorded by any technique. By multivariate analysis, the only factor associated with CMV DNA in inflammatory tissue was the resistance to steroids or to three lines of treatment (risk ratio: 4.7; 95% confidence interval: 1.2-22.5). A CMV DNA load above 250 copies/mg in tissue was predictive of resistance to three successive regimens (likelihood ratio+=4.33; area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve=0.85). Eight UC patients with CMV DNA in inflamed tissue and therapeutic failure received ganciclovir; a clinical remission was observed in seven cases, with a sustained response in five of them.

CONCLUSIONS

The CMV DNA load determined in inflamed intestinal tissue predicts resistance to steroid treatment and to three drug regimens in UC. Initiation of an early antiviral treatment in these patients might delay the occurrence of resistance to current treatments.