Immunization Coverage in Children with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Patients suffering from inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are at increased risk of infections, mainly due to immunosuppressive treatment. Moreover, infections may cause flares of IBD. Vaccination is the most effective way of preventing many infections. The aim of this study was to evaluate the vaccination status of Polish children with IBD. Individual immunization cards of children with IBD and healthy controls were reviewed. Demographic data such as age, sex, and IBD history, including therapy type, were collected. We enrolled 267 children into the study, including 214 children with IBD and 53 controls. None of the children had completed the full up-to-date routine childhood immunization schedule recommended in Poland. Controls were more than 4 times more likely to be vaccinated than the IBD patients, with the vaccines that enjoy the insurance reimbursed (OR 4.1, 95% CI 2.2-7.9). In conclusion, the study demonstrates a poor vaccination status in children suffering from IBD.

Solitary Rectal Ulcer Syndrome in Children: A Case Series Study.

Information on solitary rectal ulcer syndrome (SRUS) in children is limited and based on case reports only. This study was undertaken with the objective of describing the clinical history, symptoms, diagnostic work-up, and treatment of a large case series of pediatric patients with SRUS. The study was multi-center and retrospective. All pediatric endoscopists in Poland were invited to participate in the study and were asked to look through their endoscopic databases to identify SRUS cases from the last 10 years. The charts of SRUS patients were reviewed with respect to demographic data, and endoscopic and histological findings. Additionally, treatment methods and outcomes were assessed. In total, 31 patients (18 males, mean age of 13 years, range 5-18 years) were included in the study. All patients reported rectal bleeding. Other common symptoms included: abdominal pain (64.5%), perianal pain (54.8%), and passage of mucus (51.6%). The diagnostic work-up lasted from 1 to 48 months. Colonoscopic findings revealed rectal ulceration in 96.8% of patients. Therapeutic approaches included: high fiber diet (64.5%), laxatives (54.8%), topical corticosteroids (63.3%), 5-aminosalicylates administered orally and topically (29.1% and 96.8%, respectively), sucralfate (9.7%), and a biofeedback training (6.6%). Endoscopic argon plasma coagulation was performed in 2 patients and surgical intervention was necessary in 4 of them. Treatment was unsuccessful in 36% of patients. The findings of this study indicate that SRUS is rare in pediatric population, its diagnosis may be considerably delayed, and the treatment applied is often ineffective.

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease in Children with Interstitial Lung Disease.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease is common in adult patients with interstitial lung disease. However, no data currently exist regarding the prevalence and characteristics of the disease in pediatric patients with interstitial lung disease. The aim of the present study was to prospectively assess the incidence of gastroesophageal reflux disease and characterize its features in children with interstitial lung disease. Gastroesophageal reflux disease was established based on 24 h pH-impedance monitoring (MII-pH). Gastroesophageal reflux episodes (GERs) were classified according to widely recognized criteria as acid, weakly acid, weakly alkaline, or proximal. Eighteen consecutive patients (15 boys, aged 0.2-11.6 years) were enrolled in the study. Gastroesophageal reflux disease was diagnosed in a half (9/18) of children. A thousand GERs were detected by MII-pH (median 53.5; IQR 39.0-75.5). Of these, 585 (58.5 %) episodes were acidic, 407 (40.7 %) were weakly acidic, and eight (0.8 %) were weakly alkaline. There were 637 (63.7 %) proximal GERs. The patients in whom gastroesophageal reflux disease was diagnosed had a significantly higher number of proximal and total GERs. We conclude that the prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease in children with interstitial lung disease is high; thus, the disease should be considered regardless of presenting clinical symptoms. A high frequency of non-acid and proximal GERs makes the MII-pH method a preferable choice for the detection of reflux episodes in this patient population.

Rapid test for fecal calprotectin levels in children with Crohn disease.

Assessment of fecal calprotectin, a surrogate marker of mucosal inflammation, is a promising means to monitor therapeutic response in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease, especially if the result is readily available. We tested the performance of a novel calprotectin rapid test, Quantum Blue, versus the conventional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 134 stool samples from 56 pediatric patients with Crohn disease. The intraclass correlation coefficient analysis reflected good agreement (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.97 [95% confidence interval 0.95-0.98]) but agreement was better in lower values, where dilutions were not required. Using a cutoff of 100 µg/g for normal values, the percentage agreement between the 2 tests was 87%. The optimal cutoff values to guide clinical decisions in the therapy of inflammatory bowel disease have yet to be determined.