Guselkumab in Patients With Moderately to Severely Active Ulcerative Colitis: QUASAR Phase 2b Induction Study

BACKGROUND & AIMS

The QUASAR Phase 2b Induction Study evaluated the efficacy and safety of guselkumab, an interleukin-23p19 subunit antagonist, in patients with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis (UC) with prior inadequate response and/or intolerance to corticosteroids, immunosuppressants, and/or advanced therapy.

METHODS

In this double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-ranging, induction study, patients were randomized (1:1:1) to receive intravenous guselkumab 200 or 400 mg or placebo at weeks 0/4/8. The primary endpoint was clinical response (compared with baseline, modified Mayo score decrease ≥30% and ≥2 points, rectal bleeding subscore ≥1-point decrease or subscore of 0/1) at week 12. Guselkumab and placebo week-12 clinical nonresponders received subcutaneous or intravenous guselkumab 200 mg, respectively, at weeks 12/16/20 (uncontrolled study period).

RESULTS

The primary analysis population included patients with baseline modified Mayo scores ≥5 and ≤9 (intravenous guselkumab 200 mg, n = 101; 400 mg, n = 107; placebo, n = 105). Week-12 clinical response percentage was greater with guselkumab 200 mg (61.4%) and 400 mg (60.7%) vs placebo (27.6%; both P < .001). Greater proportions of guselkumab-treated vs placebo-treated patients achieved all major secondary endpoints (clinical remission, symptomatic remission, endoscopic improvement, histo-endoscopic mucosal improvement, and endoscopic normalization) at week 12. Among guselkumab week-12 clinical nonresponders, 54.3% and 50.0% of patients in the 200- and 400-mg groups, respectively, achieved clinical response at week 24. Safety was similar among guselkumab and placebo groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Guselkumab intravenous induction was effective vs placebo in patients with moderately to severely active UC. Guselkumab was safe, and efficacy and safety were similar between guselkumab dose groups.

CLINICALTRIALS

gov number: NCT04033445.

Infliximab trough levels may predict sustained response to infliximab in patients with Crohn's disease

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Over 10% of Crohn's disease (CD) patients annually lose response to infliximab. Infliximab trough levels (TL), concomitant immunosuppressants and endoscopic healing were proposed as predictors of favourable infliximab outcome. We assessed infliximab TL measured after induction therapy as predictors of sustained clinical response. Furthermore, we tried to identify other predictors of long-term benefit of infliximab therapy.

METHODS

We included CD patients treated with infliximab between October 2007 and March 2010 who responded to 3-dose induction followed by maintenance therapy and in whom blood samples taken at treatment week 14 or 22 were available in blood bank. Sustained response to infliximab was defined as absence of treatment failure due to loss of response or drug intolerance.

RESULTS

Eighty four patients were included. Sustained response to infliximab was observed in 47 (56%) patients during a median follow-up of 25 months (14-37). Infliximab TL>3μg/ml were associated with a decreased risk of treatment failure (HR 0.34; 95% CI: 0.16-0.75), whereas the presence of antibodies against infliximab and need for corticosteroids increased this risk (HR 4.34; 95% CI: 1.51-12.5 and HR 2.49, 95% CI: 1.08-5.73, respectively). No impact of concomitant thiopurines was observed, although patients receiving thiopurines had higher infliximab TL than those without immunomodulators (5.51 vs. 0.71μg/ml; p=0.01).

CONCLUSION

During a median follow up of 2 years sustained response to infliximab was observed in slightly more than half of CD patients. Infliximab TL>3μg/ml at the start of maintenance regime were predicative of sustained response to infliximab.

Pregnancy and newborn outcome of mothers with inflammatory bowel diseases exposed to anti-TNF-α therapy during pregnancy: three-center study

OBJECTIVE

Substantial number of women with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) conceives while on anti-TNF-α therapy. The aim was to assess the safety and efficacy of anti-TNF-α treatment during pregnancy and to analyze relationship of neonatal and maternal anti-TNF-α levels at delivery with gestational age at the last exposure.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Women with IBD exposed to anti-TNF-α therapy during pregnancy were included. Data on anti-TNF-α treatment, disease activity, concomitant medication, pregnancy and newborn outcome were recorded. Anti-TNF-α levels from cord blood were assessed by ELISA.

RESULTS

Forty-one pregnancies (27 Crohn's disease; 14 ulcerative colitis) were exposed to infliximab (IFX; 32) and adalimumab (ADA; 9). Ten (24%) women had active disease at conception and 31 (76%) were in remission with 3 patients experiencing relapse during pregnancy. Anti-TNF-α therapy started prior to and after conception in 32 and 9 women, respectively. There were 34 (83%) live births (median birth weight 3145 g) of which 28 were at-term and 6 preterm deliveries. Five (12%) pregnancies ended in spontaneous and two in therapeutic abortion. No congenital malformations except for one case of hip dysplasia were observed. Similarly, no serious perinatal complication occurred. IFX cord levels measured in 11 children positively correlated with gestational week at the last drug administration and maternal levels at delivery, while no such correlation was found in case of ADA.

CONCLUSIONS

The results confirm that anti-TNFs are effective and safe during pregnancy. A positive correlation between IFX cord levels and gestational week of last exposure as well as maternal serum levels was observed.

[Acute hemorrhage of the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract--survey of emergency endoscopy of the upper gastrointestinal tract at our facility]

INTRODUCTION

Acute upper gastrointestinal tract bleeding is a cause of significant morbidity and mortality and is a reason for urgent endoscopy. Besides an age and associated diseases, prognosis of patients influence also localisation and type of bleeding. The aim of our retrospective analysis was to discover causes of bleeding into upper GI tract and its characteristics over a 4 year period.

METHODOLOGY

A survey of urgent upper GI tract endoscopies in the Clinic of Internal Medicine in Motol in Prague because of an acute GI tract bleeding (hematemesis or melena) was done. Found ulcers were assessed using Forrest classification. Moreover, number and causes of recurrences of bleeding were also assessed.

RESULTS

Within years 1998-2001 an urgent upper GI endoscopy because of bleeding (hematemesis or melena) was done in the Clinic of Internal Medicine in Prague in Motol in 1639 patients of an average age 62.2. 56% were men (average age 59) and 44% were women (average age 65.3). An endoscopy finding without pathology was present in 21.4%. The most frequent sources of bleeding were ulcers in duodenal bulb (20%), stomach ulcers (18.2%), and hemorrhagic gastropathy (16.5%) and varices (10.3%). Results of the Forrest classification in the ulcerative disease of stomach and duodenum were as follows: Forrest Ia 9.5%, Ib 24%, IIa 14.6%, IIb 18.7%, IIc 22.9%, III 10.3%. Recurrent bleeding was identified in 8.4% of patients, thereof bleeding from esophageal varices experienced 2.9% of patients (average age 45.8), bleeding from ulcers in bulbus 2.7% (Forrest Ib, IIa a IIb) of patients of an average age 62.6, and bleeding from ulcers in stomach 2.1% (Forrest Ia, IIa a Ib) of patients of an average age 62.5. Causes of recurrent bleeding were in one case bleeding from Barrett's oesophageal ulcer and in one case bleeding from ulcer in diaphragmatic hernia. Within 48 hours recurrent bleeding appeared in 65% of patients.

CONCLUSION

Urgent endoscopy in gastrointestinal tract bleeding is an essential part of a complex medical care. It is highly reliable in identifying cause of bleeding, it enables to start treatment immediately and to consider prognosis of a patient.

[Endoscopic control of hemorrhage in the upper part of the digestive tract using hemostatic clips]

One of the endoscopy methods to stop upper gastrointestinal tract (GIT) bleeding in the limelight these days is hemostasis using metal clips. This method is indicated especially in patients with bleeding from an eroded artery and in patients where other hemostatic methods proved to be unsuccessful. Goal of our work was to assess successfulness of hemostasis, percentage of early rebleedings, and lethality of patients managed with this method. At the same time we present indications and locations of bleedings in these patients. We have retrospectively evaluated a group of 75 patients indicated for urgent endoscopy for GIT bleeding in a period from August 2000 till the end of February 2002. An average age of these patients was 69.7 years. We haven't managed to stop bleeding in 2 cases. In 12 patients (15.1%) rebleeding appeared within two days following intervention. From all the patients with early rebleeding: 4 patients had an ulcer and an eroded artery in stomach (4 died from bleeding, one of them undergone a surgery), 4 patients had an ulcer in duodenal bulb with artery at base (3 undergone surgery, 1 died), three patients had esophageal bleeding, and one patient had bleeding from the suture in stomach wall (undergone surgery and died). In majority of cases (82.8%) patients were managed with a combined technique (clip + adrenaline injection). With regard to a location of lesions treated with clip application, following locations were treated: esophagus 9.5%, stomach 40.5%, pylori channel 2.7%, duodenal bulb 39.2%, gastroenteroanastomosis 4.1%, D2 4.1%. Bleeding in 76% of patients was from an ulcer and artery (Forrest Ia, IIa). Results confirmed high effectiveness of hemostatic clips in primary hemostasis of GIT bleeding--in our sample more than 95%. An early rebleeding appeared in 15% of patients. Results presented correspond with data presented in world literature.

[Nutritional intervention in patients with cerebrovascular stroke]

The patients with acute cerebral stroke suffer from stress situation which may induce the catabolic state. The aim of our study was to evaluate the influence of the nutrition intervention and follow-up of the nutrition parameters in the patients with acute ischemic cerebral stroke. We have examined 30 patients with acute ischemic cerebral stroke, the average age 71.4 +/- 8.6 years. In all the patients we have measured some antropometric, biochemic and immunologic parameters of the nutrition status on admission. At the same time we have evaluated the size of the neurological deficit with NIH stroke scale and Barthel index. Every day we have monitored in all the patients the nutrition intake. In case the food intake has not reached 30 kcal/kg/day we have started the nutrition intervention by giving polymer enteral nutrition: either like sipping or if necessary through nasogastric tube. The nutrition intervention has been necessary in 18 patients (60%). The measurement of antropometric, biochemical and immunologic parameters have been repeated after 14 days. The evaluation of nutrition parameters have shown no significant changes since admission. The changes of the nutrition parameters in this group of the patients we have compared with the earlier reported group of the patients where no nutrition monitoring and intervention were applied and the nutrition parameters have deteriorated significantly in 2 weeks. By comparing we have confirmed that the careful monitoring of nutrition intake and in the majority of patients also nutrition intervention are necessary, especially because the improvement of the neurological deficit have been noticed more in the group of the monitored and intervened patients. The nutrition intervention can stabilize the followed nutrition parameters which may play the significant role in the speed and efficacy of the rehabilitation.