Incidence, risk factors, and complications of cholelithiasis in patients with home parenteral nutrition.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies showed high prevalence rates of cholelithiasis in patients with home parenteral nutrition (HPN). Our aim was to determine, in an HPN population, the incidence and risk factors for gallstones and sludge and their complications. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective chart review was conducted in a tertiary care center. One hundred fifty-three consecutive patients who received HPN for longer than 2 months (range 2 to 204 months; median 15 months) between 1985 and 1997 were followed with ultrasonography. Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank tests were calculated to assess risk factors for gallbladder lithiasis and complications. RESULTS: Thirty-four patients (22%) underwent cholecystectomy before HPN. Of the 119 remaining patients with gallbladder in situ, cholelithiasis appeared during HPN in 45 (38%). The probability of cholelithiasis developing during HPN was estimated to be 6.2%, 21.2%, and 38.7% at 6, 12, and 24 months, respectively. Biliary complications developed in eight patients (7%) during followup. Therapy consisted of endoscopic sphincterotomy (three patients) or operation (five patients) with uncomplicated outcomes except for one patient; no death was observed. Incidence rates of biliary complication during HPN were estimated to be 0.0%, 4.7%, and 10.1% at 6, 12, and 24 months, respectively. Nil or negligible ingesta was the only factor notably associated with incidence of cholelithiasis (p < 0.01) or biliary complications (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: This first incidence study shows a high rate of cholelithiasis and a low rate of complications during HPN. Both events were notably related to nil or negligible ingesta.

Epstein-Barr virus viral load in Crohn's disease: effect of immunosuppressive therapy.

BACKGROUND: More than 80% of non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs) occurring in transplant recipients on immunosuppressive therapy are associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. EBV viral load (EBV-VL) is predictive of NHL occurrence in this setting. The aim of this work was to determine EBV-VL in patients with Crohn's disease (CD), both according to disease activity and use of immunosuppressive therapy, including infliximab. METHODS: Between December 1999 and July 2001, EBV-VL was determined 212 times by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay in 138 patients with CD and in 24 EBV-seropositive controls free of CD. RESULTS: EBV-VL did not differ significantly between the controls and the patients with CD and was not influenced by CD activity or by immunosuppressive therapy, including recent infliximab infusion. High EBV-VL values were observed in two patients with severe uncontrolled CD, but returned to normal once the flare-up had been controlled (by immunosuppressive drugs in one case and by surgery in the other case). CONCLUSIONS: EBV viral load is on the whole similar in patients with Crohn's disease and in EBV-seropositive controls. Infliximab infusion does not seem to increase significantly EBV-VL in the short-term. However, some patients with Crohn's disease have transient, very high EBV-VL values that are compatible with an increased risk of NHL in the transplant setting. The long-term clinical outcome of these patients must be determined.

[Undiagnosed celiac disease in childhood]. / Maladie coeliaque méconnue dans l'enfance.

AIMS: This study was designed to assess the proportion of adult patients with celiac disease who had had undiagnosed symptoms during childhood and to determine the consequences of such diagnostic delay. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred eighty-four patients with celiac disease (56 males, 128 females, age range 17-88 years) were classified according to diagnosis and symptoms of celiac disease during childhood. Prevalence of short stature, low fertility, clinical osteoporosis, cancer, and autoimmune disease were assessed in each celiac group and compared with a control group matched for gender and age. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, patients with celiac disease were shorter (men 171.4 +/- 9.0 cm vs 176.4 +/- 6.9 cm, P<0.01; women 159.7 + 7.3 cm vs 162.7 +/- 6.2 cm, P<0.01) and had a higher prevalence of symptomatic osteoporosis (5%) cancer (10%), and autoimmune disease (25%). Compared with matched controls and with patients whose celiac disease had been diagnosed during childhood (n=36), or who had remained symptom-free (n=95), patients who had undiagnosed symptomatic celiac disease during childhood exhibited higher prevalence of short stature (26%), low female fertility or low birth weight (36%). Multivariate analysis showed that short stature and low fertility correlated with duration of symptoms before diagnosis; osteoporosis and cancer correlated with age. The prevalence of autoimmune disease was unrelated to early onset of symptoms or delay to diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Missing the diagnosis of celiac disease in a symptomatic child may lead to short stature and low female fertility.