Is it time to re-classify Crohn's disease?

Redefining the IBDs using genome-scale molecular phenotyping

The IBDs, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, are chronic inflammatory conditions of the gastrointestinal tract resulting from an aberrant immune response to enteric microbiota in genetically susceptible individuals. Disease presentation and progression within and across IBDs, especially Crohn's disease, are highly heterogeneous in location, severity of inflammation and other phenotypes. Current clinical classifications fail to accurately predict disease course and response to therapies. Genome-wide association studies have identified >240 loci that confer risk of IBD, but the clinical utility of these findings remains unclear, and mechanisms by which the genetic variants contribute to disease are largely unknown. In the past 5 years, the profiling of genome-wide gene expression, epigenomic features and gut microbiota composition in intestinal tissue and faecal samples has uncovered distinct molecular signatures that define IBD subtypes, including within Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. In this Review, we summarize studies in both adult and paediatric patients that have identified different IBD subtypes, which in some cases have been associated with distinct clinical phenotypes. We posit that genome-scale molecular phenotyping in large cohorts holds great promise not only to further our understanding of the diverse molecular causes of IBD but also for improving clinical trial design to develop more personalized disease management and treatment.

Extraintestinal Manifestations and Intestinal Complications in Patients with Crohn's Disease: Associations with Some Clinico-Laboratory Findings, Immunological Markers and Therapy

Crohn's disease (CD) may have some severe complications that pose an increasing health burden and negatively impact the quality of life. There are two major types - intestinal and extraintestinal complications, in which immune and non-immune mechanisms take place. We aimed to search for some associations between specific extraintestinal manifestation and intestinal complications in CD patients with some clinicallaboratory findings, immunological markers, and the therapy administered. We examined retrospectively medical files of 26 patients with CD at mean age 42 ± 13 years, including the laboratory results. The immunological markers fecal calprotectin (FC) and fecal lactoferrin (FL) were assessed in frozen fecal samples of the chosen patients. Seventy-three percent of the investigated CD patients had some extraintestinal manifestation and/or intestinal complications, at least 13/26 had intestinal complications. All three patients with extraintestinal signs were positive for FC and 2/3 were positive for FL. We observed a higher serum level of CRP (24.49 mg/l vs. 3.13 mg/l, p = 0.010), slightly lowered serum level of hemoglobin (120 g/l vs. 145 g/l, p = 0.044) and about 2-fold lower iron level (7.23 μmol/l vs. 14.0 μmol/l, p = 0.019) in patients with intestinal complications compared to patients without complications, respectively. Four out of thirteen patients with intestinal complications were without immunosuppressive therapy at the time of our study, and nine out of thirteen - on immunosuppressive drugs. Routine laboratory and immunology testing could be beneficial for gastroenterologists in identifying patients at high risk for the development of complications and in the decision making for more aggressive therapy early after diagnosis.

Crohn's disease in Tuzla region of Bosnia and Herzegovina: a 12-year study (1995-2006)

BACKGROUND

Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) is one of the Eastern European countries with lacking data on Crohn's disease (CD) epidemiology.

GOAL

We aimed to assess incidence of CD in Tuzla Canton of B&H during a 12-year period (1995-2006).

METHODS

We retrospectively evaluated hospital records of both CD inpatients and outpatients residing in Tuzla Canton of B&H (total of 496,280 inhabitants) between 1995 and 2006. Patient that satisfied previously described criteria were included in the study. Incidence rates were calculated with age standardisation using European standard population. Trends in incidence were evaluated as moving 3-year averages.

RESULTS

During the observed period, 140 patients met the diagnostic criteria for CD. Mean annual incidence was found to be 2.3/10(5) (95% CI=1.6-3.0) inhabitants ranging from 0.20 to 6.45 per 10(5). Mean annual crude incidence during the last 5 years of study (2002-2006) was 4.15/10(5) (95% CI=3.35-4.95). The prevalence of CD, at the end of the observed period was found to be 28.2/10(5) (95% CI=23.5-32.9). CD incidence increased dramatically from 0.27/10(5) in 1995-1997 to 4.84/10(5) in 2004-2006, as well as did the number of colonoscopies performed; from 29 in 1995 to 850 in 2006. We observed almost constant trend of around three new cases of CD per 100 colonoscopies performed.

CONCLUSIONS

(1)Our area is the region of moderate incidence of CD with the trend that remains toward continuing increase in the rates of CD, which is most likely a direct consequence of the growing number of performed colonoscopies. (2) We believe that in the future years, CD incidence in our region will probably further increase and stabilise at a level of around five cases per 10(5) inhabitants.

Crohn's disease: systematic review of assessment of disease severity and its relevance to surgery

BACKGROUND

The aims of treatments for Crohn's disease are symptom control by medical or surgical means and improvement in health-related quality of life (HRQOL). A wide number of classification systems, instruments of disease activity measurement (DAM) and HRQOL are available, but few are used in routine surgical practice.

OBJECTIVE

To review the validity of DAM and HRQOL instruments and their applicability to surgically treated patients.

METHOD

A systematic literature search was undertaken to identify these instruments. Qualifying articles were used to determine the construct, content and criterion validity of the instruments identified with respect to surgically treated patients.

RESULTS

Thirteen disease activity indices and 11 HRQOL assessment tools were identified. Construct validity was demonstrated throughout but concerns of content and criterion validity were noted.

CONCLUSION

None of the current disease activity or HRQOL tools can be used without potential bias in a trial of surgical vs medical therapy as the items included favour the outcomes experienced following medical therapy. A more balanced assessment tool in the setting of a multidisciplinary trial is needed.