Demography and clinical course of ulcerative colitis in a multiracial Asian population: a nationwide study from Malaysia

Significant Racial and Ethnic Disparities Exist in Health Care Utilization in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is rising worldwide, though the differences in health care utilization among different races and ethnicities remains uncertain. We aimed to better define this through a systematic review and meta-analysis.

METHODS

We explored the impact of race or ethnicity on the likelihood of needing an IBD-related surgery, hospitalization, and emergency department visit. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated with I2 values reporting heterogeneity. Differences in IBD phenotype and treatment between racial and ethnic groups of IBD were reported.

RESULTS

Fifty-eight studies were included. Compared with White patients, Black patients were less likely to undergo a Crohn's disease (CD; OR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.50-0.95; I2 = 68.0%) or ulcerative colitis (OR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.40-0.83; I2 = 85.0%) surgery, more likely to have an IBD-hospitalization (OR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.06-2.24; I2 = 77.0%), and more likely to visit the emergency department (OR, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.32-2.30; I2 = 0%). There were no significant differences in disease behavior or biologic exposure between Black and White patients. Hispanic patients were less likely to undergo a CD surgery (OR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.48-0.68; I2 = 0%) but more likely to be hospitalized (OR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.01-1.88; I2 = 37.0%) compared with White patients. There were no differences in health care utilization between White and Asian or South Asian patients with IBD.

CONCLUSIONS

There remain significant differences in health care utilization among races and ethnicities in IBD. Future research is required to determine factors behind these differences to achieve equitable care for persons living with IBD.

A Systematic Review on the Increasing Incidence of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Southeast Asia: Looking Beyond the Urbanization Phenomenon

The incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been increasing in Southeast Asia (SEA) in tandem with its economic growth and urbanization over the past 2 decades. Specific characteristics of IBD in SEA are similar to East Asia and the West, such as the declining ratio of ulcerative colitis to Crohn's disease. However, exceptionally low familial aggregation is seen. Smoking is also not a common risk factor in patients with Crohn's disease. The incidence of perianal disease is higher in SEA than in Australia and is comparable to the West. In a multiracial population, such as Singapore and Malaysia, Indians have the highest incidence and prevalence rates, which are likely to be due to important putative mutations. For instance, a higher frequency of the NOD2 predisposing mutation SNP5 and IBD risk allele IGR2198a and IGR2092a were found in Indians. Although differences in the genetic constitution play an important role in the epidemiology and prognosis of IBD in SEA, the emergence of this disease offers a unique opportunity to identify potential exposomes that contribute to its pathogenesis.

Correlation of ulcerative colitis and colorectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

A large number of studies have shown that ulcerative colitis (UC) can increase the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). The purpose of the present study was to explore the specific mechanism of UC influence on CRC.

METHODS

We searched PubMed for articles related to CRC and colitis since the establishment of the database until April 2021. Keywords, such as ulcerative colitis, colorectal cancer, and relevance, were used for the article search. Two investigators read through the full text according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria to screen the articles. Cochrane system review manual (version 5.3) was adopted to evaluate the quality of the selected articles. Then, data was extracted, and the overall risk of UC patients into CRC, the course of the disease, and the region were systematically analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 11 studies involving 26,765 patients with UC were included. The results showed that UC is one of the risk factors for CRC. we also found that geographical location also had an impact on the transition from UC to CRC, but the impact was not significant. Patients with colitis had a significantly higher rate of conversion to CRC after 10 to 20 years of disease.

DISCUSSION

A total of 11 articles were included to analyze the association between UC and CRC. The studies found that the location, duration, and geographical location of patients with UC directly affected the occurrence of CRC and are independent risk factors for the transformation of UC into CRC.

Epidemiology, burden of disease, and unmet needs in the treatment of ulcerative colitis in Asia

INTRODUCTION

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an idiopathic, chronic inflammatory disease of the colon, characterized by relapsing and remitting symptoms. Although traditionally viewed as a Western disease, the incidence and prevalence of UC is increasing in developing regions, including Asian countries.

AREAS COVERED

A PubMed search identified articles describing epidemiology, disease burden, patient demographics, clinical characteristics, risk factors, and treatment of UC across Asia. We review the epidemiology and disease course of UC across Asia, including region-specific factors that may aid development of more cost-effective treatment approaches tailored to the needs of Asian populations.

EXPERT OPINION

The opinion of non-Pfizer-affiliated practicing gastroenterologists is that epidemiological data from the last four decades have shown 1.5-fold to almost 20-fold increases in the incidence and prevalence of UC in some Asian countries, although prevalence remains generally lower than in the West. As the prevalence of UC rises, so will overall healthcare costs. Disparities in healthcare systems and funding mean that different Asian countries face unique challenges in how best to use available resources, including selection from a growing number of emerging treatment options. More clinical trial and real-world data are required to help define treatment approaches that will most benefit Asian populations.

Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Asia: Epidemiology and natural history

Pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (PIBD) in Asia, once considered a rare entity, has seen a sharp increase in incidence over the preceding decade. However, there is a paucity of epidemiological data on PIBD in Asia, and the true disease burden is difficult to estimate due to the lack of national disease registries, prospective databases and the fact that much of existing published data are limited to single-center experiences. This sets the stage for examining recent published data on epidemiological trends and its natural history. Hence, we reviewed the relevant published literature on PIBD in order to summarize the epidemiological data in the Asian populations and compare it with the data available from the other population including Western population. Our review demonstrates that the rapid surge in PIBD incidence across Asian centers lies in contrast to the plateauing albeit high incidence rates in larger established Western cohorts. Important epidemiological trends observed across emerging Asian literature are the higher rates of perianal involvement at disease onset amongst pediatric Crohn's disease (CD) patients, a higher proportion of early-onset disease and the over-representation of the Indian ethnicity in multi-ethnic cohorts. A number of issues currently limit a robust comparison and hence the way forward would be to advocate the recognition of PIBD as an increasingly important public health problem with the need to establish robust disease registries.

Ethnic differences in inflammatory bowel disease: Results from the United Kingdom inception cohort epidemiology study

BACKGROUND

The current epidemiology of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in the multi-ethnic United Kingdom is unknown. The last incidence study in the United Kingdom was carried out over 20 years ago.

AIM

To describe the incidence and phenotype of IBD and distribution within ethnic groups.

METHODS

Adult patients (> 16 years) with newly diagnosed IBD (fulfilling Copenhagen diagnostic criteria) were prospectively recruited over one year in 5 urban catchment areas with high South Asian population. Patient demographics, ethnic codes, disease phenotype (Montreal classification), disease activity and treatment within 3 months of diagnosis were recorded onto the Epicom database.

RESULTS

Across a population of 2271406 adults, 339 adult patients were diagnosed with IBD over one year: 218 with ulcerative colitis (UC, 64.3%), 115 with Crohn's disease (CD, 33.9%) and 6 with IBD unclassified (1.8%). The crude incidence of IBD, UC and CD was 17.0/100000, 11.3/100000 and 5.3/100000 respectively. The age adjusted incidence of IBD and UC were significantly higher in the Indian group (25.2/100000 and 20.5/100000) compared to White European (14.9/100000, P = 0.009 and 8.2/100000, P < 0.001) and Pakistani groups (14.9/100000, P = 0.001 and 11.2/100000, P = 0.007). The Indian group were significantly more likely to have extensive disease than White Europeans (52.7% vs 41.7%, P = 0.031). There was no significant difference in time to diagnosis, disease activity and treatment.

CONCLUSION

This is the only prospective study to report the incidence of IBD in an ethnically diverse United Kingdom population. The Indian ethnic group showed the highest age-adjusted incidence of UC (20.5/100000). Further studies on dietary, microbial and metabolic factors that might explain these findings in UC are underway.

A four-decade analysis of the incidence trends, sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of inflammatory bowel disease patients at single tertiary centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) was once considered as a Western disease. However, recent epidemiological data showed an emerging trend of IBD cases in the Eastern Asia countries. Clinico-epidemiological data of IBD in Malaysia is scarce. This study aimed to address this issue.

METHODS

Retrospective analysis of ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD), diagnosed from January 1980 till June 2018 was conducted at our centre.

RESULTS

A total of 413 IBD patients (281 UC, 132 CD) were identified. Mean crude incidence of IBD has increased steadily over the first three decades: 0.36 (1980-1989), 0.48 (1990-1999) and 0.63 per 100,000 person-years (2000-2009). In the 2010 to 2018 period, the mean crude incidence has doubled to 1.46 per 100,000 person-years. There was a significant rise in the incidence of CD, as depicted by reducing UC:CD ratio: 5:1 (1980-1989), 5:1 (1990-1999), 1.9:1 (2000-2009) and 1.7:1 (2010-2018). The prevalence rate of IBD, UC and CD, respectively were 23.0, 15.67 and 7.36 per 100,000 persons. Of all IBD patients, 61.5% (n = 254) were males. When stratified according to ethnic group, the highest prevalence of IBD was among the Indians: 73.4 per 100,000 persons, followed by Malays: 24.8 per 100,000 persons and Chinese: 14.6 per 100,000 persons. The mean age of diagnosis was 41.2 years for UC and 27.4 years for CD. Majority were non-smokers (UC: 76.9%, CD: 70.5%). The diseases were classified as follows: UC; proctitis (9.2%), left-sided colitis (50.2%) and extensive colitis (40.6%), CD; isolated ileal (22.7%), colonic (28.8%), ileocolonic (47.7%) and upper gastrointestinal (0.8%). 12.9% of CD patients had concurrent perianal disease. Extra intestinal manifestations were observed more in CD (53.8%) as compared to UC (12%). Dysplasia and malignancy, on the other hand, occurred more in UC (4.3%, n = 12) than in CD (0.8%, n = 1). Over one quarter (27.3%) of CD patients and 3.6% of UC patients received biologic therapy.

CONCLUSION

The incidence of IBD is rising in Malaysia, especially in the last one decade. This might be associated with the urbanization and changing diets. Public and clinicians' awareness of this emerging disease in Malaysia is important for the timely detection and management.

Population Density and Risk of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Prospective Population-Based Study in 13 Countries or Regions in Asia-Pacific

INTRODUCTION

Living in an urban environment may increase the risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It is unclear if this observation is seen globally. We conducted a population-based study to assess the relationship between urbanization and incidence of IBD in the Asia-Pacific region.

METHODS

Newly diagnosed IBD cases between 2011 and 2013 from 13 countries or regions in Asia-Pacific were included. Incidence was calculated with 95% confidence interval (CI) and pooled using random-effects model. Meta-regression analysis was used to assess incidence rates and their association with population density, latitude, and longitude.

RESULTS

We identified 1175 ulcerative colitis (UC), 656 Crohn's disease (CD), and 37 IBD undetermined (IBD-U). Mean annual IBD incidence per 100 000 was 1.50 (95% CI: 1.43-1.57). India (9.31; 95% CI: 8.38-10.31) and China (3.64; 95% CI, 2.97-4.42) had the highest IBD incidence in Asia. Incidence of overall IBD (incidence rate ratio [IRR]: 2.19; 95% CI: 1.01-4.76]) and CD (IRR: 3.28; 95% CI: 1.83-9.12) was higher across 19 areas of Asia with a higher population density. In China, incidence of IBD (IRR: 2.37; 95% CI: 1.10-5.16) and UC (IRR: 2.63; 95% CI: 1.2-5.8) was positively associated with gross domestic product. A south-to-north disease gradient (IRR: 0.94; 95% CI: 0.91-0.98) was observed for IBD incidence and a west-to-east gradient (IRR: 1.14; 95% CI: 1.05-1.24) was observed for CD incidence in China. This study received IRB approval.

CONCLUSIONS

Regions in Asia with a high population density had a higher CD and UC incidence. Coastal areas within China had higher IBD incidence. With increasing urbanization and a shift from rural areas to cities, disease incidence may continue to climb in Asia.

Long-term maintenance treatment of ulcerative colitis in eastern India: a 15-year follow-up

Clinical data of 65 histologically documented ulcerative colitis patients from January 2001 to December 2013 were prospectively recorded till June 2017 and analysed to determine the outcome of long-term maintenance treatment. Drugs used were 5-aminosalicylates, steroids and azathioprine. Primary outcome measure was relapse. Though 73.8% patients relapsed, most occurred within the first five years with mild to moderate severity and were easily controlled with the same medicines. None had progressive disease; drug discontinuation was possible in six cases. Side effects of drugs were negligible. Rates of surgery, colon cancer, complications and disease-related death were very low. Longer disease duration, azathioprine discontinuation and 5-aminosalicylate use in dose < 2.4 g/d were positively associated with relapses. Biologics were not used in any patient. We conclude that long-term effective use of low-cost drugs in India may obviate the need for newer more expensive drugs.

Epidemiology of inflammatory bowel disease in racial and ethnic migrant groups

AIM

To summarise the current literature and define patterns of disease in migrant and racial groups.

METHODS

A structured key word search in Ovid Medline and EMBASE was undertaken in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Studies on incidence, prevalence and disease phenotype of migrants and races compared with indigenous groups were eligible for inclusion.

RESULTS

Thirty-three studies met the inclusion criteria. Individual studies showed significant differences in incidence, prevalence and disease phenotype between migrants or race and indigenous groups. Pooled analysis could only be undertaken for incidence studies on South Asians where there was significant heterogeneity between the studies [95% for ulcerative colitis (UC), 83% for Crohn’s disease (CD)]. The difference between incidence rates was not significant with a rate ratio South Asian: Caucasian of 0.78 (95%CI: 0.22-2.78) for CD and 1.39 (95%CI: 0.84-2.32) for UC. South Asians showed consistently higher incidence and more extensive UC than the indigenous population in five countries. A similar pattern was observed for Hispanics in the United States. Bangladeshis and African Americans showed an increased risk of CD with perianal disease.

CONCLUSION

This review suggests that migration and race influence the risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease. This may be due to different inherent responses upon exposure to an environmental trigger in the adopted country. Further prospective studies on homogenous migrant populations are needed to validate these observations, with a parallel arm for in-depth investigation of putative drivers.

Risk of colorectal cancer in Asian patients with ulcerative colitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The increased risk of colorectal cancer in ulcerative colitis is well known. The risk of sporadic colorectal cancer in Asian populations is considered low and risk estimates of colorectal cancer related to ulcerative colitis from Asia vary. This meta-analysis is an Asian perspective on the risk of colorectal cancer related to ulcerative colitis.

METHODS

We searched PubMed and Embase for terms related to colorectal cancer in ulcerative colitis from inception to July 1, 2016. The search for published articles was done by country for all countries in Asia. We included studies with information on the prevalence and cumulative risk of colorectal cancer at various timepoints. A random-effects meta-analysis was done to calculate the pooled prevalence as well as a cumulative risk at 10 years, 20 years, and 30 years of disease.

FINDINGS

Our search identified 2575 articles; of which 44 were eligible for inclusion. Our analysis included a total of 31 287 patients with ulcerative colitis with a total of 293 reported colorectal cancers. Using pooled prevalence estimates from various studies, the overall prevalence was 0·85% (95% CI 0·65-1·04). The risks for colorectal cancer were 0·02% (95% CI 0·00-0·04) at 10 years, 4·81% (3·26-6·36) at 20 years, and 13·91% (7·09-20·72) at 30 years. Subgroup analysis by stratifying the studies according to region or period of the study did not reveal any significant differences.

INTERPRETATION

We found the risk of colorectal cancer in Asian patients with ulcerative colitis was similar to recent estimates in Europe and North America. Adherence to screening is therefore necessary. Larger population-based, prospective studies are required for better estimates of the risk.

FUNDING

Indo-US Science and Technology Forum.

Comparing the clinical outcomes of young-onset and adult-onset ulcerative colitis: a multi-center Korean Association for the Study for Intestinal Diseases study

BACKGROUND/AIMS

The aim of this study was to compare the clinical features and outcomes of ulcerative colitis (UC) according to the age of onset in Korea.

METHODS

A total of 1,141 patients who were diagnosed with UC between July 1987 and November 2013 at 11 tertiary hospitals were enrolled. The baseline disease characteristic and disease state at onset, treatment during the disease course were retrospectively reviewed among patients with young-onset (YO, < 20 years) and adult-onset (AO, ≥ 20 years). Severe outcome was defined as use of intravenous (IV) steroids, infliximab, immunosuppressant, or UC-related operation.

RESULTS

There were 55 YO patients (mean age, 17.8 ± 2.4) and 1,086 AO patients (mean age, 43.0 ± 13.6). High Mayo scores (7.7 ± 3.0 vs. 5.6 ± 2.7, p = 0.000), extensive UC (52.7% vs. 25.8%, p = 0.000) and IV steroid (41.8% vs. 18.0%, p = 0.000), immunosuppressant (47.3% vs. 26.9%, p = 0.002), and infliximab (20.0% vs. 7.2%, p = 0.001) use were more frequent in the YO than in the AO group. According to multivariate analysis, severe outcomes were related to YO disease (hazard ratio [HR], 2.18; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.27 to 3.71), body mass index < 23 kg/m² (HR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.07 to 2.00), severe (HR, 2.29; 95% CI, 1.36 to 3.38), and moderate (HR, 2.48; 95% CI, 1.67 to 3.67) disease, extensive UC (HR, 2.90; 95% CI, 1.79 to 4.69), UC-related admission (HR, 63.89; 95% CI, 20.41 to 200.02), and oral steroid use (HR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.39 to 0.67).

CONCLUSIONS

UC with YO presented with more advanced clinical features at onset and more severe outcomes than the AO. YO cases require careful management and intense treatment strategies.

Inflammatory bowel disease in India - Past, present and future

There is rising incidence and prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in India topping the Southeast Asian (SEA) countries. The common genes implicated in disease pathogenesis in the West are not causal in Indian patients and the role of “hygiene hypothesis” is unclear. There appears to be a North-South divide with more ulcerative colitis (UC) in north and Crohn’s disease (CD) in south India. IBD in second generation Indian migrants to the West takes the early onset and more severe form of the West whereas it retains the nature of its country of origin in migrants to SEA countries. The clinical presentation is much like other SEA countries (similar age and sex profile, low positive family history and effect of smoking, roughly similar disease location, use of aminosalicylates for CD, low use of biologics and similar surgical rates) with some differences (higher incidence of inflammatory CD, lower perianal disease, higher use of aminosalicylates and azathioprine and lower current use of corticosteroids). UC presents more with extensive disease not paralleled in severity clinically or histologically, follows benign course with easy medical control and low incidence of fulminant disease, cancer, complications, and surgery. UC related colorectal cancer develop in an unpredictable manner with respect to disease duration and site questioning the validity of strict screening protocol. About a third of CD patients get antituberculosis drugs and a significant number presents with small intestinal bleed which is predominantly afflicted by aggressive inflammation. Biomarkers have inadequate diagnostic sensitivity and specificity for both. Pediatric IBD tends to be more severe than adult. Population based studies are needed to address the lacunae in epidemiology and definition of etiological factors. Newer biomarkers and advanced diagnostic techniques (in the field of gastrointestinal endoscopy, molecular pathology and genetics) needs to be developed for proper disease definition and treatment.

The Same Intestinal Inflammatory Disease despite Different Genetic Risk Factors in the East and West?

Background

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory disease with unknown etiology. It is likely caused by a complex interplay between genetic, immunologic and environmental factors. Although IBD is still relatively uncommon in Asia, a multitude of studies have shown that it is an emerging disease around the world. Recent insights have highlighted both the similarities and differences amongst Asian and Western IBD patients.

Summary

The annual incidence of IBD in the East is still low compared with the West, but there are differences between different regions of Asia. Time trend studies have shown that the incidence of IBD is on the rise. Some notable differences in the clinical manifestations of IBD between the East and West have also been noted. 'Westernization' of lifestyle may encompass various social and environmental changes that account for the emergence of IBD in our population, although genetics also plays a role in disease pathogenesis. Diagnosis and treatment challenges include limited access to medical care in certain areas, limited availability and high cost of medications, lack of insurance reimbursement, paucity of multidisciplinary teams for the management of complicated IBD cases, and a high prevalence of endemic infections. Currently, the risk of colorectal cancer is lower in the East than in the West, but cancer rates will likely approach that of the West in the future as the prevalence of IBD continues to rise.

Key Messages

Measures to improve access to diagnostic tools, increase the availability of medication, and provide adequate multidisciplinary care for IBD patients will become increasingly important in Asia. Differences between the East and West will provide a unique opportunity for global collaboration in basic and clinical research to further our understanding of the disease entity and also provide more locoregional data to healthcare providers and policymakers to make informed decisions and policy changes when tackling the rising burden of IBD in Asia.

Extraintestinal manifestations in inflammatory bowel disease: Prevalence and predictors in Indian patients

BACKGROUND

There is a paucity of reports on extraintestinal manifestations (EIMs) in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) from Asia and India.

METHODS

From May 2011 to October 2012, consecutive IBD patients underwent a detailed history and physical examination, also by trained rheumatologist, dermatologist, and ophthalmologist, about whether they experienced any EIM at the time of inclusion or in the past. The disease phenotype/severity and location was classified according to the Montréal classification. All underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of sacroiliac joints, liver function test (LFT), transabdominal ultrasound, and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scanning at neck femur (bilateral) and L4-L5 spine.

RESULTS

One hundred twenty patients were analyzed, 62 had Crohn's disease (CD) and 58 had ulcerative colitis (UC). Thirty-eight percent had at least one while 20% suffered from multiple EIMs. Except for uveitis and episcleritis, the frequency of individual EIMs did not differ between CD and UC patients. Twenty-three percent had peripheral arthritis, 18% had ankylosing spondylitis, and 13% had ophthalmological manifestations. Mucocutaneous manifestations, aphthous stomatitis and pyoderma gangrenosum (PG), were seen in 9%. None had erythema nodosum (EN) or primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). Fifty percent of patients had either osteopenia or osteoporosis on DEXA. Multivariable analysis revealed female gender, Hindu religion, severe disease, and steroid usage were significantly associated with the presence of EIMs.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of EIM is similar to that reported from Europe and USA, albeit higher than that previously reported in Asian patients. Female sex, religion, severe disease, and steroid use were associated with EIM.

Laparoscopic restorative proctocolectomy ileal pouch anal anastomosis: How I do it?

Surgery for ulcerative colitis is a major and complex colorectal surgery. Laparoscopy benefits these patients with better outcomes in context of cosmesis, pain and early recovery, especially in young patients. For surgeons, it is a better tool for improving vision and magnification in deep cavities. This is not the simple extension of the laparoscopy training. Starting from preoperative preparation to post operative care there are wide variations as compared to open surgery. There are also many variations in steps of laparoscopic surgery. It involves left colon, right colon and rectal mobilisation, low division of rectum, pouch creation and anastomosis of pouch to rectum. Over many years after standardisation of this technique, it takes same operative time as open surgery at our centre. So we present our standardized technique of laparoscopic assisted restorative proctocolectomy and ileal pouch anal anastomosis (IPAA).

A first study on the incidence and prevalence of IBD in Malaysia--results from the Kinta Valley IBD Epidemiology Study

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] is known to be rare in the Asia Pacific region but epidemiological studies are scarce.

METHODS

Kinta Valley [Ipoh] was chosen as the sample population. Malaysia has a multiethnic population consisting of Malays, Chinese, and Indians. New cases over 2 years were prospectively captured as well as all known existing cases. Total numbers of the population as a whole and of each ethnic group were obtained. Incidence, prevalence, and mean incidence over two decades were then calculated.

RESULTS

There were 10 new cases of IBD diagnosed from April 2011 to April 2013. The crude incidence rates of IBD, ulcerative colitis [UC], and Crohn's disease[CD], respectively, were 0.68, 0.46, and 0.20 per 100,000 persons. The highest incidence was among the Indians, 1.91 compared with 0.35 and 0.63 per 100,000 persons among the Malays and the Chinese, respectively. The mean incidence of IBD has increased steadily from 0.07 to 0.69 per 100,000 person-years over the past two decades. The UC:CD ratio was 8:1 from 1990 to 2000 and 3.6:1 from 2000 to 2010. The prevalence rates of IBD, UC, and CD, respectively, were 9.24, 6.67, and 2.17 per 100,000 persons. The highest prevalence also was among the Indians: 24.91 compared with 7.00 and 6.90 per 100,000 persons among the Malay and Chinese races, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence and prevalence rates of IBD are low in Malaysia but the incidence appears to be increasing and marked racial differences exist. As in other Asian countries, the incidence of CD is increasing at a more rapid rate relative to UC.

Demography and clinical course of ulcerative colitis in Arabs - a study based on the Montreal classification

OBJECTIVE

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is generally considered a disease of the Caucasian populations in developed countries, but its incidence is increasing rapidly in many developing countries, including the Middle East. The objective of this study was to determine the clinical epidemiology of UC in Arabs.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This cross-sectional medical record-based descriptive study collected sociodemographic and clinical information on 182 Arab patients with UC in Kuwait. Age at diagnosis, extent and severity of disease were determined according to the Montreal classification. results: Among the 182 patients, 91 (50.0%) were males. The median age at diagnosis was 28.5 years. Family history of UC was reported by 26 (14.3%) patients. The extent of the disease was limited to the rectum in 34 (18.7%) patients, left sided in 67 (36.8%) and pan colitis in 81 (44.5%). At the time of inclusion in the study, 127 (69.8%) patients were in clinical remission, 53 (29.1%) had mild-to-moderate disease and 2 (1.1%) had severe colitis. Younger age at diagnosis and non-smoking were associated with more extensive colitis. The majority of patients were treated with mesalamine, steroids and immunomodulators, while biologic therapy and surgery were needed in 5% and 4% of the patients, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

UC presents more commonly at younger age among Arabs in Kuwait. Extensive disease at presentation is associated with younger age at diagnosis and absence of tobacco smoking. There also appears to be less need for surgery and biologic therapy for the disease in this population.

Clinical characteristics and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease: A comparison of Eastern and Western perspectives

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic, relapsing intestinal inflammatory disorder with unidentified causes. Both environmental factors and genetic aspects are believed to be crucial to the pathogenesis of IBD. The incidence and prevalence of IBD have recently been increasing throughout Asia, presumably secondary to environmental changes. This increasing trend in IBD epidemiology necessitates specific health care planning and education in Asia. To this end, we must gain a precise understanding of the distinctive clinical and therapeutic characteristics of Asian patients with IBD. The phenotypes of IBD reportedly differ considerably between Asians and Caucasians. Thus, use of the same management strategies for these different populations may not be appropriate. Moreover, investigation of the Asian-specific clinical aspects of IBD offers the possibility of identifying causative factors in the pathogenesis of IBD in this geographical area. Accordingly, this review summarizes current knowledge of the phenotypic manifestations and management practices of patients with IBD, with a special focus on a comparison of Eastern and Western perspectives.

Latitude, sunshine, and human lactase phenotype distributions may contribute to geographic patterns of modern disease: the inflammatory bowel disease model

Countries with high lactase nonpersistence (LNP) or low lactase persistence (LP) populations have lower rates of some "western" diseases, mimicking the effects of sunshine and latitude. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), ie, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, is putatively also influenced by sunshine. Recent availability of worldwide IBD rates and lactase distributions allows more extensive comparisons. The aim of this study was to evaluate the extent to which modern day lactase distributions interact with latitude, sunshine exposure, and IBD rates. National IBD rates, national distributions of LP/LNP, and population-weighted average national annual ultraviolet B exposure were obtained, estimated, or calculated from the literature. Negative binomial analysis was used to assess the relationship between the three parameters and IBD rates. Analyses for 55 countries were grouped in three geographic domains, ie, global, Europe, and non-Europe. In Europe, both latitude and ultraviolet B exposure correlate well with LP/LNP and IBD. In non-Europe, latitude and ultraviolet B exposure correlate weakly with LP/LNP, but the latter retains a more robust correlation with IBD. In univariate analysis, latitude, ultraviolet B exposure, and LP/LNP all had significant relationships with IBD. Multivariate analysis showed that lactase distributions provided the best model of fit for IBD. The model of IBD reveals the evolutionary effects of the human lactase divide, and suggests that latitude, ultraviolet B exposure, and LP/LNP mimic each other because LP/LNP follows latitudinal directions toward the equator. However, on a large scale, lactase patterns also follow lateral polarity. The effects of LP/LNP in disease are likely to involve complex interactions.

Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of inflammatory bowel diseases in Cairo, Egypt

AIM: To study the natural history, patterns and clinical characteristics of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) in Egypt.

METHODS: We designed a case-series study in the gastroenterology centre of the Internal Medicine department of Cairo University, which is a tertiary care referral centre in Egypt. We included all patients in whom the diagnosis of ulcerative colitis (UC) or Crohn’s disease (CD) was confirmed by clinical, laboratory, endoscopic, histological and/or radiological criteria over the 15 year period from 1995 to 2009, and we studied their sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Endoscopic examinations were performed by 2 senior experts. This hospital centre serves patients from Cairo, as well as patients referred from all other parts of Egypt. Our centre received 24156 patients over the described time period for gastro-intestinal consultations and/or interventions.

RESULTS: A total of 157 patients with established IBD were included in this study. Of these, 135 patients were diagnosed with UC (86% of the total), and 22 patients, with CD (14% of the total). The mean ages at diagnosis were 27.3 and 29.7, respectively. Strikingly, we noticed a marked increase in the frequency of both UC and CD diagnoses during the most recent 10 years of the 15 year period studied. Regarding the gender distribution, the male:female ratio was 1:1.15 for UC and 2.6:1 for CD. The mean duration of follow up for patients with UC was 6.2 ± 5.18 years, while the mean duration of follow up for patients with CD was 5.52 ± 2.83 years. For patients with UC we found no correlation between the severity of the disease and the presence of extraintestinal manifestations. Eleven patients had surgical interventions during the studied years: 4 cases of total colectomy and 7 cases of anal surgery.

CONCLUSION: We observed a ratio of 6:1 for UC to CD in our series. The incidence of IBD seems to be rising in Egypt.

The long-term outcomes of a cohort of Sri Lankan patients with ulcerative colitis: a retrospective study at two national referral centers and review of literature

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory bowel disease, especially ulcerative colitis, is increasing in many "non-Western" countries, including Sri Lanka. The aim was to evaluate long-term outcomes of ulcerative colitis in a Sri Lankan population.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was conducted at the gastroenterology clinics of the Colombo North Teaching Hospital, Ragama and the National Hospital of Sri Lanka, Colombo; the two major referral centers for ulcerative colitis. All cases had histological confirmation of ulcerative colitis. Three outcomes: colectomy, development of colorectal carcinoma, and death were assessed. Patients not attending the clinic during the previous 4 weeks, or their families, were contacted to obtain clinical details and survival status. In those who had died, the cause of death was confirmed from clinical records and death certificates.

RESULTS

Details of 348/425 (81.9%) patients with ulcerative colitis (mean age 45.6 [standard deviation {SD} 14.3] years, male/female ratio = 1.00:1.03) were available. The mean follow-up was 6.8 (SD 6.5) years. The cumulative colectomy rates at 1, 5, 10, and 15 years were 1.5%, 4.0%, 5.5%, and 9.3% respectively. The cumulative probability of colorectal cancer in this cohort after 10 and 15 years was 0.47% and 2.36% respectively. The cumulative survival rate after 1, 5, 10, and 15 years was 99.7%, 98.9%, 98.1%, and 94.5% respectively. Patients with pancolitis were more likely to have disease-related death (P = 0.05). Multivariate analysis (Cox proportional hazards model) showed that an older age at diagnosis was associated with long-term mortality (hazard ratio, 1.11; P = 0.001).

CONCLUSION

In this cohort, colectomy, colorectal carcinoma, and death rates were low, suggesting a relatively benign disease course for ulcerative colitis.

Inflammatory bowel disease in Asia: a systematic review

The incidence and prevalence of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), are lower in Asia than in the West. However, across Asia the incidence and prevalence of IBD has increased rapidly over the last two to four decades. These changes may relate to increased contact with the West, westernization of diet, increasing antibiotics use, improved hygiene, vaccinations, or changes in the gut microbiota. Genetic factors also differ between Asians and the Caucasians. In Asia, UC is more prevalent than CD, although CD incidence is rapidly increasing in certain areas. There is a male predominance of CD in Asia, but a trend towards equal sex distribution for UC. IBD is diagnosed at a slightly older age than in the West, and there is rarely a second incidence peak as in the West. A positive family history is much less common than in the West, as are extra-intestinal disease manifestations. There are clear ethnic differences in incidence within countries in Asia, and an increased incidence in IBD in migrants from Asia to the West. Research in Asia, an area of rapidly changing IBD epidemiology, may lead to the discovery of critical etiologic factors that lead to the development of IBD.

Comparison of clinical characteristics and management of inflammatory bowel disease in Hong Kong versus Melbourne

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), common in Melbourne, was rare but is now increasing in incidence in Hong Kong (HK). To investigate whether these are the same diseases in the West and East, potential causes of changing incidence, and to plan resource needs, an appreciation of clinical characteristics in contrasting populations is essential.

METHODS

Disease characteristics were collected from prospectively populated IBD databases in two specialist centers in Melbourne, Australia and HK.

RESULTS

Of 795 patients (Crohn's disease [CD] : ulcerative colitis [UC] Melbourne 272:159 and HK 161:203), the age of diagnosis was higher, there were proportionally more male patients with CD but no UC sex difference, fewer patients were current or ex-smokers (CD 8% vs 50%; UC 17% vs 35%) and a family history of IBD was less common (2% vs 11%; P < 0.001) in HK compared to Melbourne. Stricturing and perianal CD were more common in HK (12% vs 6%; P < 0.001; and 29% vs 16%; P = 0.001, respectively). In HK for UC, more patients had extensive disease at diagnosis (42% vs 22%) but colectomy was less common (7% vs 20%; P < 0.001). In Melbourne there was greater steroid use at diagnosis and patients were more likely to receive an immunomodulator or anti-tumor necrosis factor agent.

CONCLUSIONS

IBD in HK was diagnosed at an older age, and had more complicated disease behavior than in Melbourne. Medical therapy, however, was less intense in HK. These differences may relate to real differences in disease or delayed diagnosis due to late presentation and less disease recognition in HK.

Inflammatory bowel disease in India--changing paradigms

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory bowel disease is an emerging problem in Asia including India. Clinical data on this disease from eastern India and on its temporal trends in India is scarce.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Existing Indian data on inflammatory bowel disease were retrieved using PubMed and a comparison of earlier data (up to 1980s) was made with more recent data (1990s and later) and our own data to find any significant differences. Our data included clinical data of 40 and ten consecutive patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, respectively, collected prospectively from January 2003 to June 2009. For those whose symptoms started before 2003, data collection was partly retrospective. It included demography, symptoms and duration at presentation, follow-up findings, course, extraintestinal manifestations, treatment outcome and complications. Data were analysed by descriptive and analytical statistics.

RESULTS

Sixty-five percent of our ulcerative colitis patients presented with pancolitis, majority had severe clinical, endoscopic and histologic disease commensurate with other recent studies but in contrast to milder presentation in earlier studies. Of our patients, 27.5% developed pseudopolyposis of colon, two within 1 year of disease onset; 10% developed cancer colon for whom disease duration of 10 years or more was the only significant risk factor. Majority of our patients with Crohn's disease had mild inflammatory disease involving small gut which was controlled with aminosalicylates. Obscure lower GI bleed was an important mode of presentation.

CONCLUSIONS

Ulcerative colitis is presenting with increasing severity and extent in recent times. Rapid development of colonic pseudopolyposis was observed.

Inflammatory bowel disease: Established and evolving considerations on its etiopathogenesis and therapy

Modern studies of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) pathogenesis have been pursued for about four decades, a period of time where the pace of progress has been steadily increasing. This progress has occurred in parallel with and is largely due to developments in multiple basic scientific disciplines that range from population and social studies, genetics, microbiology, immunology, biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology, and DNA engineering. From this cumulative and constantly expanding knowledge base the fundamental pillars of IBD pathogenesis appear to have been identified and consolidated during the last couple of decades. Presently there is a general consensus among basic IBD investigators that both Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are the result of the combined effects of four basic components: global changes in the environment, the input of multiple genetic variations, alterations in the intestinal microbiota, and aberrations of innate and adaptive immune responses. There is also agreement on the conclusion that none of these four components can by itself trigger or maintain intestinal inflammation. A combination of various factors, and most likely of all four factors, is probably needed to bring about CD or UC in individual patients, but each patient or set of patients seems to have a different combination of alterations leading to the disease. This would imply that different causes and diverse mechanisms underlie IBD, and this could also explain why every patient displays his or her own clinical manifestations and a personalized response to therapy, and requires tailored approaches with different medications. While we are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of this individual variability, we have only a superficial notion of the reasons why this occurs, as hinted by the uniqueness of the genetic background and of the gut flora in each person. So, we are apparently facing the paradox of having to deal with the tremendous complexity of the mechanisms responsible for chronic intestinal inflammation in the setting of each patient's individuality in the response to this biological complexity. This obviously poses considerable challenges to reaching a full understanding of IBD pathogenesis, but being aware of the difficulties is the first step in finding answers to them.

Prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease in two districts of Sri Lanka: a hospital based survey

Background

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is being increasingly diagnosed in Asia. However there are few epidemiological data from the region.

Methods

To determine prevalence and clinical characteristics of IBD, a hospital-based survey was performed in the Colombo and Gampaha districts (combined population 4.5 million) in Sri Lanka. Patients with established ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD), who were permanent residents of these adjoining districts, were recruited from hospital registries and out-patient clinics. Clinical information was obtained from medical records and patient interviews.

Results

There were 295 cases of IBD (UC = 240, CD = 55), of which 34 (UC = 30, CD = 4) were newly diagnosed during the study year. The prevalence rate for UC was 5.3/100,000 (95% CI 5.0-5.6/100,000), and CD was 1.2/100,000 (95% CI 1.0-1.4/100,000). The incidence rates were 0.69/100,000 (95% CI 0.44-0.94/100,000) for UC and 0.09/100,000 (95% CI 0.002-0.18/100,000) for CD. Female:male ratios were 1.5 for UC and 1.0 for CD. Mean age at diagnosis was (males and females) 36.6 and 38.1y for UC and 33.4 and 36.2y for CD. Among UC patients, 51.1% had proctitis and at presentation 58.4% had mild disease. 80% of CD patients had only large bowel involvement. Few patients had undergone surgery.

Conclusions

The prevalence of IBD in this population was low compared to Western populations, but similar to some in Asia. There was a female preponderance for UC. UC was mainly mild, distal or left-sided, while CD mainly involved the large bowel.