Long-Term Efficacy and Safety of Cyclosporine in a Cohort of Steroid-Refractory Acute Severe Ulcerative Colitis Patients from the ENEIDA Registry (1989-2013): A Nationwide Multicenter Study.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the efficacy and safety of cyclosporine (CyA) in a large national registry-based population of patients with steroid-refractory (SR) acute severe ulcerative colitis (ASUC) and to establish predictors of efficacy and adverse events. METHODS: Multicenter study of SR-ASUC treated with CyA, based on data from the ENEIDA registry. SR-ASUC patients treated with infliximab (IFX) or sequential rescue therapy (CyA-IFX or IFX-CyA) were used as comparators. RESULTS: Of 740 SR-ASUC patients, 377 received CyA, 131 IFX and 63 sequential rescue therapy. The cumulative colectomy rate was higher in the CyA (24.1%) and sequential therapy (32.7%) than in the IFX group (14.5%; P=0.01) at 3 months and 5 years. There were no differences in early and late colectomy between CyA and IFX in patients treated after 2005. 62% of patients receiving CyA remained colectomy-free in the long term (median 71 months). There were no differences in mortality between CyA (2.4%), IFX (1.5%) and sequential therapy (0%; P=0.771). The proportion of patients with serious adverse events (SAEs) was lower in CyA (15.4%) than in IFX treated patients (26.5%) or sequential therapy (33.4%; P<0.001). This difference in favor of CyA was maintained when only patients treated after 2005 were analyzed. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with CyA showed a lower rate of SAE and a similar efficacy to that of IFX thereby supporting the use of either CyA or IFX in SR-ASUC. In addition, the risk-benefit of sequential CyA-IFX for CyA non-responders is acceptable.

Disease severity in familial cases of IBD.

BACKGROUND: Phenotypic traits of familial IBD relative to sporadic cases are controversial, probably related to limited statistical power of published evidence. AIM: To know if there are phenotype differences between familial and sporadic IBD, evaluating the prospective Spanish registry (ENEIDA) with 11,983 cases. METHODS: 5783 patients (48.3%) had ulcerative colitis (UC) and 6200 (51.7%) Crohn's disease (CD). Cases with one or more 1st, 2nd or 3rd degree relatives affected by UC/CD were defined as familial case. RESULTS: In UC and CD, familial cases compared with sporadic cases had an earlier disease onset (UC: 33 years [IQR 25-44] vs 37 years [IQR 27-49]; p<0.0001); (CD: 27 years [IQR 21-35] vs 29 years [IQR 22-40]; p<0.0001), higher prevalence of extraintestinal immune-related manifestations (EIMs) (UC: 17.2% vs 14%; p=0.04); (CD: 30.1% vs 23.6%; p<0.0001). Familial CD had higher percentage of ileocolic location (42.7% vs 51.8%; p=0.0001), penetrating behavior (21% vs 17.6%; p=0.01) and perianal disease (32% vs 27.1%; p=0.003). Differences are not influenced by degree of consanguinity. CONCLUSION: When a sufficiently powered cohort is evaluated, familial aggregation in IBD is associated to an earlier disease onset, more EIMs and more severe phenotype in CD. This feature should be taken into account at establishing predictors of disease course.

Smoking does influence disease behaviour and impacts the need for therapy in Crohn's disease in the biologic era.

BACKGROUND: Recently, the notion that smoking may adversely affect Crohn's disease (CD) outcomes has been challenged by the suggestion that the widespread use of immunosuppressants and anti-TNF drugs might offset the adverse effects of tobacco. AIM: To reassess the influence of tobacco smoking on disease phenotype and complications on a time-dependent analysis, taking into account the different therapeutic interventions. METHODS: We designed a retrospective cohort study of 3224 patients with Crohn's disease. The data were collected from the Spanish national inflammatory bowel disease registry (ENEIDA), including information regarding demographics, clinical characteristics, disease complications, therapeutic interventions and smoking status. Patients were classified as nonsmokers, smokers and former smokers, according to their present and past smoking habits. RESULTS: In the univariate analysis, smokers had more strictures (22.6% vs. 19.3%, P < 0.05) and less colonic involvement (7.2% vs. 10.9%, P < 0.05), and were more frequently under treatment with steroids (91.6% vs. 85.8%, P < 0.05), immunosuppressants (73.5% vs. 63.6% P < 0.05) or anti-TNF drugs (31.4% vs. 25.1%, P < 0.05) than nonsmokers. In the time-dependent multivariate analysis, smokers were found to have a significantly decreased survival free of stricturing disease (HR: 1.5, CI 95% 1.18-1.90) or perianal complications (HR: 1.50, CI 95% 1.01-1.46), and had a higher risk for requiring thiopurine therapy (HR: 1.20, CI 95% 1.05-1.30). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that, despite the widespread use of immunosuppressants and anti-TNF drugs, smokers with Crohn's disease still have a more severe disease course, with increased therapeutic requirements when compared with nonsmokers.