Novel prognostic biomarkers of pouchitis after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis for ulcerative colitis: Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio

Current and emerging biomarkers for ulcerative colitis

INTRODUCTION

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic illness requiring lifelong management that could be enhanced by personalizing care using biomarkers.

AREAS COVERED

The main biomarker discovery modalities are reviewed, highlighting recent results across the spectrum of applications, including diagnostics (serum anti-αvβ6 antibodies achieving an area under the curve [AUC] = 0.99; serum oncostatin M AUC = 0.94), disease activity assessment (fecal calprotectin and serum trefoil factor 3: AUC > 0.90), prognostication of the need for treatment escalation (whole blood transcriptomic panels and CLEC5A/CDH2 ratio: AUC > 0.90), prediction of treatment response, and early identification of patients with subclinical disease. The use of established biomarkers is discussed, along with new evidence regarding autoantibodies, proteins, proteomic panels, transcriptomic signatures, deoxyribonucleic acid methylation patterns, and UC-specific glycomic and metabolic disturbances.

EXPERT OPINION

Novel biomarkers will pave the way for optimized UC care. However, validation, simplification, and direct clinical translation of complex models may prove challenging. Currently, few candidates exist to assess key characteristics, such as UC susceptibility, histological disease activity, drug response, and long-term disease behavior. Further research will likely not only reveal new tools to tackle these issues but also contribute to understanding UC pathogenesis mechanisms.

Review of long-term complications and functional outcomes of ileoanal pouch procedures in patients with inflammatory bowel disease

BACKGROUND

In medically refractory Ulcerative Colitis (UC), proctocolectomy with ileoanal pouch procedure (IAPP) is the preferred continence-preserving surgical option. Functional outcomes post-surgery and long-term complication rates in the biologic era remain ambiguous. This review primarily aims to provide an update on these outcomes. Secondarily, risk factors associated with chronic pouchitis and pouch failure are explored.

METHODS

Two online databases (MEDLINE and EMBASE) were searched on 4 October 2022 for English studies from 2011-present relating to long-term outcomes of IAPP in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. Adult patients with 12 month follow-up were included. Studies focused on 30-day post-operative outcomes, non-IBD patients or studies including less than 30 patients were excluded.

RESULTS

Following screening and full-text review of 1094 studies, 49 were included. Median sample size was n = 282 (IQR: 116-519). Median incidences for chronic pouchitis and pouch failure were 17.1% (IQR: 12-23.6%) and 6.9% (IQR: 4.8-10.8%), respectively. Upon multivariate analysis, chronic pouchitis development was most significantly associated with pre-operative steroid use, pancolitis and extra-intestinal IBD manifestations, whilst pouch failure was most significantly associated with pre-operative diagnosis of Crohn's disease (compared to UC), peri-operative pelvic sepsis and anastomotic leak. Overall patient satisfaction was very high with four included studies reporting greater than 90% satisfaction rates.

CONCLUSION

Long-term complications for IAPP were common. However, despite this, patient satisfaction post-IAPP was high. Up-to-date knowledge of complication rates and their risk factors improves pre-operative counselling, management planning and patient outcomes.

Disease Monitoring of the Ileoanal Pouch: How to Utilize Biomarkers, Imaging, and Pouchoscopy

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis for ulcerative colitis has been associated with multiple short- and long-term complications. In this review, we examine the role of biomarkers, imaging, and pouchoscopy in the assessment of patients after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis, with a particular focus on the emergence of novel biomarkers and techniques for evaluating and risk stratifying patients after this procedure in the hopes of improving outcomes in this specific population.

RECENT FINDINGS

There are indications that that the incidence of pouchitis may be increasing in recent decades. Calprotectin and other non-invasive imaging tests such as ultrasound may offer advantages in distinguishing patients with inflammatory conditions of the pouch from other etiologies. In the search for other biomarkers that may identify patients at risk for inflammatory conditions of the pouch, the stool microbiota and metabolomics may play a key role in identifying those patients at greatest risk for complications. Advances in biomarkers, imaging, and standardized pouchoscopy scoring offer immediate improvements in clinical care and will prompt future research efforts.

Biomarkers for the Evaluation of Pouch Inflammation: A Systematic Review

Background

Ileal pouch inflammation is a common problem following ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA). Despite its prevalence, diagnosis remains multimodal and requires endoscopy. The use of biomarkers in the prediction of and/or association with pouchitis has not been well characterized. We performed a systematic review to summarize the available evidence.

Method

A search of Ovid, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and Web of Science was conducted. Inclusion criteria included studies evaluating biomarkers for the evaluation and prediction of inflammation in patients with IPAA utilizing pouchoscopy as the gold standard. Exclusion criteria included studies on the role of the microbiome or genetic markers.

Results

A total of 28 studies, 5 case-control studies, and 23 observational cohort studies were identified. Fecal biomarkers were assessed in 23 studies, of which fecal calprotectin was the most commonly studied with sensitivities ranging from 57% to 92% and specificities from 19% to 92%. Six studies examined serum biomarkers. None of the serum biomarkers demonstrated a high sensitivity or specificity in association with pouch inflammation. Six studies described the longitudinal assessment of biomarkers. Of these studies, only three reported a predictive role of biomarkers in diagnosing endoscopic inflammation.

Conclusions

Biomarkers have emerged as a potential option to improve the management of pouchitis given the relative ease of sampling compared to pouchoscopy. Unfortunately, the evaluated biomarkers have not consistently demonstrated accuracy in predicting inflammation. Moreover, these biomarkers have not been reliably shown to be sensitive or specific in association with endoscopic pouch inflammation to merit their widespread use in clinical practice.

Prevalence of pouchitis in both ulcerative colitis and familial adenomatous polyposis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

AIM

Pouchitis is a clinically significant complication of ileal pouch-anal anastomosis with its prevalence varying in the literature. Pouchitis is thought to occur more commonly in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) than in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). We conducted a systematic review with meta-analysis of all published literature to report the prevalence of pouchitis in all pouch patients as well as specifically in UC and FAP. We also investigated the prevalence of acute and chronic pouchitis in UC and FAP.

METHODS

A meta-analysis was conducted by searching the Embase, Embase Classic and PubMed databases between 1978 and 2021 exploring the prevalence of pouchitis in UC and FAP. We then performed a random effects model in order to find the pooled prevalence of pouchitis and used odds ratios to report differences in the prevalence of pouchitis in UC and FAP.

RESULTS

Fifty-nine full papers and conference abstracts were included in the meta-analysis comprising 18 117 patients with UC and 860 with FAP. The prevalence of pouchitis in UC was 0.32 (95% CI 0.27-0.37) and in FAP was found to be 0.06 (95% CI 0.03-0.15). The odds ratio of pouchitis in UC patients compared with FAP patients was 4.95 (95% CI 3.17-7.72, P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings support the consensus that the prevalence of pouchitis is higher in UC than in FAP. More significantly our findings suggest that the true prevalence of pouchitis is higher than commonly reported in the literature. This literature may help counsel patients prior to undergoing restorative proctocolectomy.

Prediction of Mucosal Health by NLR, CRP x NLR and MPV in Ulcerative Colitis: Can Their Availability Change According to Treatment Options?

Introduction

Mucosal healing is the main treatment goal in ulcerative colitis (UC). Many noninvasive parameters have been used in clinical practice to assess mucosal healing. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), C-reactive protein (CRP) x NLR and mean platelet volume (MPV) in predicting mucosal health.

Method

This study was designed as a retrospective and single-center. A total of 165 patients, 126 active and 39 in remission, were included in this study. The patients were divided into two groups. The patients were divided into two groups. Group-1 consisted of newly diagnosed patients and patients using only mesalazine; Group-2 was including patients using CS and/or AZT plus mesalazine for at least one month. The relationship between Rachmilewitz endoscopic activity index (EAI) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), CRP, NLR, CRP x NLR, MPV and platelet (PLT) was evaluated. Using receiver operating characteristic curves, cut-off values were determined for these parameters to predict active disease.

Results

A positive correlation was found between CRP, PLT and NLR and EAI (p<0.001). A negative correlation was found between MPV and EAI (p<0.001). The accuracy of CRP, NLR, CRP x NLR and PLT (2.65 mg/dl, 2.06, 4.29 and 278.5 x 10⁹/L at the indicated cut-off values, respectively) in detecting disease activity was 77.0%, 65.1%, 77.0% and 72.2%, respectively. MPV was not statistically significant in predicting disease activation (p> 0.05).

Conclusion

CRP and CRP x NLR are significant non-invasive markers for detecting mucosal health in UC. In addition, these markers can be used to evaluate mucosal health regardless of treatment types.

Age- and sex-specific pediatric reference intervals for neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio, and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio

INTRODUCTION

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) are emerging biomarkers for systemic inflammation and have been shown to predict morbidity and mortality for several diseases. However, lack of pediatric reference intervals (RIs) prevents their comprehensive use in patient care and medical research.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We calculated reference intervals and corresponding confidence intervals for NLR, PLR, and LMR from birth to 18 years using a data-mining approach: We analyzed 232 746 blood counts from 60 685 patients performed during patient care and excluded patients with elevated C-reactive protein and procalcitonin. Test results were separated according to age and sex, and the distribution of physiological ratios was estimated using an indirect approach (refineR). Additionally, we investigated the ratios' diagnostic benefit for different inflammatory diseases (acute appendicitis, asthma, Bell's palsy, Henoch-Schonlein purpura, and cystic fibrosis) using the newly obtained reference intervals.

RESULTS

We estimated age- and sex-specific reference intervals from birth to adulthood for NLR, PLR, and LMR. Analyses in pediatric inflammatory diseases showed that PLR and LMR were poor markers to detect the examined inflammatory diseases, while NLR was significantly increased in patients with appendicitis and asthma.

CONCLUSION

We provide pediatric reference intervals for NLR, PLR, and LMR to improve the interpretation of these biomarkers in children.

Appendiceal inflammation in colectomy is independently correlated with early pouchitis following ileal pouch anal anastomosis in ulcerative colitis and indeterminate colitis

BACKGROUND

Appendiceal inflammation in colectomy is one of the histologic predictors of pouchitis in ulcerative colitis (UC) following ileal pouch anal anastomosis (IPAA). Fecal calprotectin level has been shown to increase 2 months prior to the onset of pouchitis. We evaluated whether inflammation and calprotectin expression in appendiceal specimens correlate with early-onset pouchitis in UC and indeterminate colitis (IC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

IPAA (2000-2018) cases with appendix blocks available in colectomy specimens were identified (n = 93, 90 UC, 3 IC). Histologic features thought to predict pouchitis were evaluated. The degree of appendiceal inflammation was scored. Calprotectin immunostain was performed on the appendix blocks and the extent of mucosal staining was quantified. Electronic medical records were reviewed for demographics, smoking history, clinical pouchitis, time of onset of pouchitis, and clinical and endoscopic components of the Pouchitis Disease Activity Index (PDAI) score. Follow-up pouch biopsies were reviewed and scored to generate histologic PDAI score, when available.

RESULTS

Among the patients with clinical pouchitis (n = 73), moderate to severe appendiceal inflammation independently correlated with earlier pouchitis compared to no/mild inflammation (median time to pouchitis 12.0 vs. 23.8, log rank p = 0.016). Calprotectin staining correlated with inflammatory scores of the appendix (Spearman's rho, r = 0.630, p < 0.001) but not with early pouchitis (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The presence of moderate to severe appendiceal inflammation at the time of colectomy was associated with a shorter time to pouchitis following IPAA. Calprotectin immunostain may be used to demonstrate the presence of inflammation in the appendix but its role in predicting early pouchitis remains limited.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio: A Systematic Scoping Review

Neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a biomarker of the systemic inflammatory response. The objective of this systematic scoping review was to examine the literature on NLR and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). PubMed, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL, CINAHL, ClinicalTrials.gov, Cochrane Specialized Register, DOAJ, PDQT, Biosis Citation Index, Scopus, and Web of Science were systematically searched. A total of 2621 citations yielding 62 primary studies were synthesized under four categories: distinguishing patients with IBD from controls, disease activity differentiation, clinical outcome prediction, and association of NLR with other IBD biomarkers. Thirty-eight studies employed receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to generate optimal NLR cutpoints for applications including disease activity differentiation and prediction of response to treatment. Among the most promising findings, NLR may have utility for clinical and endoscopic disease activity differentiation and prediction of loss of response to infliximab (IFX). Overall findings suggest NLR may be a promising IBD biomarker. Assessment of NLR is non-invasive, low cost, and widely accessible given NLR is easily calculated from blood count data routinely and serially monitored in patients with IBD. Further research is justified to elucidate how evaluation of NLR in research and clinical practice would directly impact the quality and cost of care for patients living with IBD.

Elevated systemic immune inflammation index level is associated with disease activity in ulcerative colitis patients

BACKGROUND

It has been confirmed that high Systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) levels usually indicate poor outcomes in various diseases, especially on malignancies. However, the clinical significance of the SII in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients is remain unclear. Therefore, the purpose of our paper is to analyze the levels of SII in UC patients and assess the relationship between the SII and disease activity.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We studied 187 consecutive patients with UC and 185 age- and sex-matched healthy controls retrospectively. The Mayo scoring system was adopted to evaluate disease activity in UC patients. We collected clinical characteristics and laboratory parameters from hospital electronic medical records.

RESULTS

The SII levels were significantly higher in UC patients than those in healthy subjects (P < 0.001). Higher SII levels were observed in moderate and severe UC subgroups compared to mild or remission subgroups. Correlation analysis displayed that the SII levels were positively relatived with Mayo score (r = 0.469, P < 0.001), C reactive protein (CRP) (r = 0.480, P < 0.001), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (r = 0.336, P < 0.001), but negatively with haemoglobin (Hb) (r = -0.271, P < 0.001). A multiple linear regression analysis suggested that there was an independent correlation between Mayo score and SII (beta = 0.324, t = 4.241, P < 0.001). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve revealed that the maximum area under the curve (AUC) was 0.711 (95% CI, 0.630-0.791, P < 0.001), and the cut-off value for diagnosing active UC was 485.95, the sensitivity was 0.641, and the specificity was 0.75.

CONCLUSIONS

We demonstrated that the SII was elevated significantly in UC patients and was closely related to the UC disease activity. In addition, the SII had a high discriminative capacity for active UC.