[Modern endoscopy in inflammatory bowel disease].

INTRODUCTION: Endoscopic examinations play a very important role in the diagnosis, progress assessment, and therapy of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). This includes not only esophagogastroduodenoscopy, sigmoidoscopy, and ileo-colonoscopy, but also assessment of the small intestine. The work-up of the small intestine is primarily carried out using non-invasive techniques (intestinal ultrasound, magnetic resonance enterography (MRE)). However, if the diagnosis remains unclear, a histological proof is necessary or an endoscopic intervention is required, capsule endoscopy and balloon-assisted enteroscopy are used. Furthermore, endoscopic ultrasound is available to assess perianal fistulizing Crohn's disease, and ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography) is used in certain patients with IBD-associated primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). Given the high resolution of modern endoscopes and the availability of chromoendoscopy, dysplastic lesions are detected earlier and can often be resected endoscopically. In addition, short strictures/stenoses can be treated using balloon dilatations.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound can guide the therapeutic strategy by improving the detection of colorectal liver metastases.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: CT may miss up to 30% of cases of colorectal liver metastases (CRLMs). We assessed the impact of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) on the detection of CRLMs and on changes to the therapeutic strategy; additionally, we assessed the accuracy of CEUS in differentiating unclear focal liver lesions (FLLs) compared to staging-CT. METHODS: We prospectively analyzed all patients with newly diagnosed and histologically confirmed colorectal cancer (CRC) at our tertiary gastroenterological center between December 2015 and May 2019. CEUS was performed in a total of 296 patients without CRLMs after staging-CT using the contrast agent (SonoVue®). Standard of reference was obtained by MRI or histology to diagnose CRLMs missed by CT. Benign FLLs were confirmed by MRI or follow-up CT (mean follow-up interval: 18 months). RESULTS: Eight additional CRLMs were detected by CEUS (overall 2.7%; sensitivity 88.9%, specificity 99.0%, positive predictive value 100%, negative predictive value 99.6%). All patients with CRLMs detected only by CEUS were in tumor stage T3/T4 (4.0% additionally detected CRLMs). The number needed to screen to detect 1 additional CRLM by CEUS was 37 in all patients and 24.5 in T3/T4-patients. When results were reviewed by a board-certified radiologist and oncologist, the therapeutic strategy changed in 6 of these 8 patients. Among the 62 patients (20.9%) with unclear FLLs after staging-CT, CEUS determined the dignity (malignant vs. benign) of 98.4% of the FLLs. CONCLUSION: Overall, CEUS detected 2.7% additional CRLMs (including 4.0% in tumor stage T3/T4) with a significant impact on the oncological therapeutic strategy for 75% of these patients. Patients with tumor stage T3/T4 would particularly benefit from CEUS. We propose CEUS as the first imaging modality for CT-detected lesions of unknown dignity. LAY SUMMARY: In patients with newly diagnosed colorectal cancer, contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) detected additional liver metastases after computed tomography (CT). In the majority of these patients, the oncological therapy was changed after obtaining the CEUS results. After staging-CT, 21% of hepatic lesions remained unclear. In these cases, CEUS was accurate to either reveal or exclude liver metastasis in nearly all patients and could reduce costs (e.g., number of MRI scans).

[Symptoms, diagnostic and therapy of perianal disease in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases]. / Klinik, Diagnostik und Therapie proktologischer Beschwerden bei Patienten mit chronisch entzündlichen Darmerkrankungen.

Symptoms, diagnostic and therapy of perianal disease in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases Abstract. Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) frequently affect the perianal region. Due to the great functional importance of the anorectum, this frequently results in a significant burden of disease for the patient. For assessment of perianal IBD symptoms, the clinical history is of great importance. Often, anorectal symptoms are not reported spontaneously by patients, and a respectful direct conversation remains crucial. More than 30 % of patients with Crohn's disease (CD) will develop perianal fistulas. Perianal fistulas can be further characterized by endoscopic ultrasound, MRI, and investigation under anesthesia. These investigations provide complementary information. Fistula therapy is based on symptoms; the short-term goal is improvement of pain and secretion; the long-term goal of treatment remains fistula closure. However, preservation of the anal sphincter is of utmost importance and incontinence needs to be avoided. Antibiotics and/ or seton drainage are the mainstay for acute fistula treatment. The anti-tumor necrosis factor antibody infliximab can improve fistula symptoms, as demonstrated in a randomized controlled study. Surgical fistula closure is only possible in a clinically stable situation without rectal inflammation or other symptoms of active CD. Several surgical strategies exist including 1) fistulotomy, 2) disconnection of the fistula, 3) filling of the fistula tract and 4) fistula ablation. The optimal strategy needs to be decided on an individual basis. Intraoperative application of mesenchymal donor stem cells into the fistula tract and surrounding tissue is possibly the most effective fistula therapy. Due to the significant logistic effort, this therapy is only available in a few selected centers. Currently, stem cell therapy for CD fistulas is limited to patients with no more than two external fistula openings. The therapy of fissures and hemorrhoids in IBD patients is similar to patients without intestinal inflammation; however, due to a high rate of complications, surgery should be avoided whenever possible in CD patients. Incontinence is a frequent problem in IBD patients leading to highly relevant restrictions in daily life. Therapy is directed against intestinal inflammation but also comprises measures for normalization of stool consistency and intestinal motility. However, there are no IBD-specific concepts for the treatment of incontinence. Functional intestinal diseases are frequent in IBD patients and can contribute to urge and incontinence. Some IBD patients might benefit from anorectal physiotherapy. IBD patients have an increased risk for colorectal carcinoma, fistula carcinoma and possibly also anal carcinoma. Therefore, malignancy needs to be excluded at reasonable intervals.

[Municipal Finance in the Corona Crisis - Cuts, but not a Turnaround]. / Kommunalfinanzierung in der Corona-Krise ­ Einschnitte, aber keine Zeitenwende.

Over the last few years, the role of municipal loans for financing investment in Germany has been quite stable. Major changes have not been observed on either the demand or the supply side. The economic consequences of the Coronavirus pandemic could now create unexpected stress for both sides of the market. Even if the consequences of the crisis cannot yet be fully assessed, debt sustainability of municipalities has improved in the pre-crisis period creating financial leeway. Thus, municipal loans are likely to continue to play an important role in the financing of municipal investments in the years to come.

Protective mucosal immunity mediated by epithelial CD1d and IL-10.

The mechanisms by which mucosal homeostasis is maintained are of central importance to inflammatory bowel disease. Critical to these processes is the intestinal epithelial cell (IEC), which regulates immune responses at the interface between the commensal microbiota and the host. CD1d presents self and microbial lipid antigens to natural killer T (NKT) cells, which are involved in the pathogenesis of colitis in animal models and human inflammatory bowel disease. As CD1d crosslinking on model IECs results in the production of the important regulatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-10 (ref. 9), decreased epithelial CD1d expression--as observed in inflammatory bowel disease--may contribute substantially to intestinal inflammation. Here we show in mice that whereas bone-marrow-derived CD1d signals contribute to NKT-cell-mediated intestinal inflammation, engagement of epithelial CD1d elicits protective effects through the activation of STAT3 and STAT3-dependent transcription of IL-10, heat shock protein 110 (HSP110; also known as HSP105), and CD1d itself. All of these epithelial elements are critically involved in controlling CD1d-mediated intestinal inflammation. This is demonstrated by severe NKT-cell-mediated colitis upon IEC-specific deletion of IL-10, CD1d, and its critical regulator microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP), as well as deletion of HSP110 in the radioresistant compartment. Our studies thus uncover a novel pathway of IEC-dependent regulation of mucosal homeostasis and highlight a critical role of IL-10 in the intestinal epithelium, with broad implications for diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease.

Emerging Treatment Options in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Janus Kinases, Stem Cells, and More.

BACKGROUND: Treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) has tremendously improved during the last 20 years; however, a substantial fraction of patients does not respond to available therapies or lose response, and new strategies are needed. SUMMARY: Two pharmacological principles have been successfully used for IBD treatment: inhibition of cellular signaling and interference with leukocyte trafficking. Besides tumor necrosis factor, interleukin (IL)-23 is a promising drug target, and antibodies for the combined inhibition of IL-23 and IL-12 (ustekinumab and briakinumab) or selective IL-23 inhibition (brazikumab, risankizumab, and mirikizumab) seem to be effective in Crohn's disease (CD) with emerging evidence also for ulcerative colitis (UC). Janus kinase (JAK) mediates intracellular signaling of a large number of cytokines. Tofacitinib is the first JAK inhibitor approved for UC, and the JAK inhibitors filgotinib and upadacitinib showed potential in CD. Leukocyte trafficking can be inhibited by interference with lymphocyte integrin-α4ß7 or endothelial MadCAM-1. The α4ß7 integrin inhibitor vedolizumab is an established treatment in IBD, and long-term data of pivotal studies are now available. Additional molecules with therapeutic potential are α4ß7-specific abrilumab, ß7-specific etrolizumab, and the α4-specific small molecule AJM300. PF-00547659, an antibody against endothelial MadCAM-1, also showed therapeutic potential in UC. Modulation of sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor (S1PR) activity is necessary for the egress of lymphocytes into the circulation, and S1PR modulation results in lymphocyte trapping in lymphatic organs. Ozanimod, an S1PR1 and S1PR5 inhibitor, has been successfully tested in initial studies in UC. Mesenchymal stem cell therapy has been approved for the treatment of complex, active CD fistula, and mesenchymal stem cell therapy might be a paradigm shift for this condition. Autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) has been successfully used in CD case series; however, in a randomized trial, a highly stringent endpoint was not met. However, considering positive effects in secondary endpoints, ASCT might be a future treatment of last resort in severe, refractory CD cases, provided that safer protocols can be provided. Key messages: New IBD treatments are successful for a significant fraction of patients. However, new strategies for patient selection, treatment combinations, and/or additional therapies must be developed to serve the need of all IBD patients.

TNF-Alpha Blockers in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: Practical Recommendations and a User's Guide: An Update.

BACKGROUND: Anti-tumour necrosis factor-alpha (anti-TNF) antagonists have been the mainstay in the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) for over 20 years. SUMMARY: This review article aimed to provide an update on recent advances in TNF antagonist therapy for IBDs. Key Messages: Their position in the treatment algorithm has evolved to "rapid step-up therapy" or "top-down therapy" according to disease severity and patients' characteristics. Limitations of anti-TNF antagonists include loss of response in up to 30-50% of patients with or without the development of antibodies. Therapeutic drug monitoring should provide a tailored, personalized approach to this scenario. Recently, biosimilar agents have been approved for IBDs and are considered equivalent in efficacy to the originator.

Endoscopic Treatment of Early Barrett's Adenocarcinoma and Dysplasia: Focus on Submucosal Cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Eradication of early Barrett's neoplasia by endoscopic resection and radiofrequency ablation is safe and effective. In T1b adenocarcinoma, standard of care remains controversial. We investigated the therapeutic outcome between high-grade dysplasia (HGD)/mucosal adenocarcinoma and submucosal adenocarcinoma in Barrett's patients. We hypothesised similar outcome in low-risk (LR) T1b compared to T1a/HGD. METHODS: Patients with endoscopically treated Barrett's esophagus were included in a Swiss tertiary center cohort study. Primary outcome parameter was complete eradication of early neoplasia. Secondary outcome parameters were recurrence-free survival and safety of endoscopic treatment. RESULTS: Forty-eight patients (1 female) with median Barrett's length C4M6 and mean age of 66 years were included. Complete endoscopic eradication of HGD/T1a was achieved in 33 out of 35 and in 11 out of 13 T1b adenocarcinoma. During a median follow-up of 41 (interquartile range 28-63) months no systemic recurrence was observed in endoscopically treated HGD/T1a and LR -T1b and one in a high-risk T1b adenocarcinoma after surgery. Local recurrences were amenable to surgical or endoscopic re-treatment. No lymphnode metastasis was detected in initial staging with esophageal endosonography/positron emission tomography-CT. CONCLUSION: Comparable endoscopic eradication and recurrence rate were observed in HGD/T1a and LR T1b adenocarcinoma. Carefully selected LR T1b cancer may receive endoscopic treatment in an expert center without any negative impact on recurrence.

Genome-wide comparative analysis of atopic dermatitis and psoriasis gives insight into opposing genetic mechanisms.

Atopic dermatitis and psoriasis are the two most common immune-mediated inflammatory disorders affecting the skin. Genome-wide studies demonstrate a high degree of genetic overlap, but these diseases have mutually exclusive clinical phenotypes and opposing immune mechanisms. Despite their prevalence, atopic dermatitis and psoriasis very rarely co-occur within one individual. By utilizing genome-wide association study and ImmunoChip data from >19,000 individuals and methodologies developed from meta-analysis, we have identified opposing risk alleles at shared loci as well as independent disease-specific loci within the epidermal differentiation complex (chromosome 1q21.3), the Th2 locus control region (chromosome 5q31.1), and the major histocompatibility complex (chromosome 6p21-22). We further identified previously unreported pleiotropic alleles with opposing effects on atopic dermatitis and psoriasis risk in PRKRA and ANXA6/TNIP1. In contrast, there was no evidence for shared loci with effects operating in the same direction on both diseases. Our results show that atopic dermatitis and psoriasis have distinct genetic mechanisms with opposing effects in shared pathways influencing epidermal differentiation and immune response. The statistical analysis methods developed in the conduct of this study have produced additional insight from previously published data sets. The approach is likely to be applicable to the investigation of the genetic basis of other complex traits with overlapping and distinct clinical features.

Host-microbe interactions have shaped the genetic architecture of inflammatory bowel disease.

Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, the two common forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), affect over 2.5 million people of European ancestry, with rising prevalence in other populations. Genome-wide association studies and subsequent meta-analyses of these two diseases as separate phenotypes have implicated previously unsuspected mechanisms, such as autophagy, in their pathogenesis and showed that some IBD loci are shared with other inflammatory diseases. Here we expand on the knowledge of relevant pathways by undertaking a meta-analysis of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis genome-wide association scans, followed by extensive validation of significant findings, with a combined total of more than 75,000 cases and controls. We identify 71 new associations, for a total of 163 IBD loci, that meet genome-wide significance thresholds. Most loci contribute to both phenotypes, and both directional (consistently favouring one allele over the course of human history) and balancing (favouring the retention of both alleles within populations) selection effects are evident. Many IBD loci are also implicated in other immune-mediated disorders, most notably with ankylosing spondylitis and psoriasis. We also observe considerable overlap between susceptibility loci for IBD and mycobacterial infection. Gene co-expression network analysis emphasizes this relationship, with pathways shared between host responses to mycobacteria and those predisposing to IBD.

Inherited determinants of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis phenotypes: a genetic association study.

BACKGROUND: Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are the two major forms of inflammatory bowel disease; treatment strategies have historically been determined by this binary categorisation. Genetic studies have identified 163 susceptibility loci for inflammatory bowel disease, mostly shared between Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. We undertook the largest genotype association study, to date, in widely used clinical subphenotypes of inflammatory bowel disease with the goal of further understanding the biological relations between diseases. METHODS: This study included patients from 49 centres in 16 countries in Europe, North America, and Australasia. We applied the Montreal classification system of inflammatory bowel disease subphenotypes to 34,819 patients (19,713 with Crohn's disease, 14,683 with ulcerative colitis) genotyped on the Immunochip array. We tested for genotype-phenotype associations across 156,154 genetic variants. We generated genetic risk scores by combining information from all known inflammatory bowel disease associations to summarise the total load of genetic risk for a particular phenotype. We used these risk scores to test the hypothesis that colonic Crohn's disease, ileal Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis are all genetically distinct from each other, and to attempt to identify patients with a mismatch between clinical diagnosis and genetic risk profile. FINDINGS: After quality control, the primary analysis included 29,838 patients (16,902 with Crohn's disease, 12,597 with ulcerative colitis). Three loci (NOD2, MHC, and MST1 3p21) were associated with subphenotypes of inflammatory bowel disease, mainly disease location (essentially fixed over time; median follow-up of 10·5 years). Little or no genetic association with disease behaviour (which changed dramatically over time) remained after conditioning on disease location and age at onset. The genetic risk score representing all known risk alleles for inflammatory bowel disease showed strong association with disease subphenotype (p=1·65 × 10(-78)), even after exclusion of NOD2, MHC, and 3p21 (p=9·23 × 10(-18)). Predictive models based on the genetic risk score strongly distinguished colonic from ileal Crohn's disease. Our genetic risk score could also identify a small number of patients with discrepant genetic risk profiles who were significantly more likely to have a revised diagnosis after follow-up (p=6·8 × 10(-4)). INTERPRETATION: Our data support a continuum of disorders within inflammatory bowel disease, much better explained by three groups (ileal Crohn's disease, colonic Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis) than by Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis as currently defined. Disease location is an intrinsic aspect of a patient's disease, in part genetically determined, and the major driver to changes in disease behaviour over time. FUNDING: International Inflammatory Bowel Disease Genetics Consortium members funding sources (see Acknowledgments for full list).

A Pleiotropic Missense Variant in SLC39A8 Is Associated With Crohn's Disease and Human Gut Microbiome Composition.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Genome-wide association studies have identified 200 inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) loci, but the genetic architecture of Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis remain incompletely defined. Here, we aimed to identify novel associations between IBD and functional genetic variants using the Illumina ExomeChip (San Diego, CA). METHODS: Genotyping was performed in 10,523 IBD cases and 5726 non-IBD controls. There were 91,713 functional single-nucleotide polymorphism loci in coding regions analyzed. A novel identified association was replicated further in 2 independent cohorts. We further examined the association of the identified single-nucleotide polymorphism with microbiota from 338 mucosal lavage samples in the Mucosal Luminal Interface cohort measured using 16S sequencing. RESULTS: We identified an association between CD and a missense variant encoding alanine or threonine at position 391 in the zinc transporter solute carrier family 39, member 8 protein (SLC39A8 alanine 391 threonine, rs13107325) and replicated the association with CD in 2 replication cohorts (combined meta-analysis P = 5.55 × 10(-13)). This variant has been associated previously with distinct phenotypes including obesity, lipid levels, blood pressure, and schizophrenia. We subsequently determined that the CD risk allele was associated with altered colonic mucosal microbiome composition in both healthy controls (P = .009) and CD cases (P = .0009). Moreover, microbes depleted in healthy carriers strongly overlap with those reduced in CD patients (P = 9.24 × 10(-16)) and overweight individuals (P = 6.73 × 10(-16)). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that an SLC39A8-dependent shift in the gut microbiome could explain its pleiotropic effects on multiple complex diseases including CD.

Transcriptome-Wide High-Density Microarray Analysis Reveals Differential Gene Transcription in Periprosthetic Tissue From Hips With Chronic Periprosthetic Joint Infection vs Aseptic Loosening.

BACKGROUND: Differentiating between periprosthetic hip infection and aseptic hip prosthesis loosening can be challenging, especially in patients with chronic infections. This study used whole-genome microarray analysis to investigate the transcriptomes of periprosthetic hip tissues to identify genes that are differentially transcripted between chronic periprosthetic hip infection and aseptic hip prosthesis loosening. METHODS: In this pilot study, a total of 24 patients with either chronic periprosthetic hip infection (n = 12) or aseptic hip prosthesis loosening (n = 12) were analyzed. Periprosthetic hip infection was diagnosed based on modified criteria of the Musculoskeletal Infection Society. To evaluate differences in gene transcription, whole-genome microarray analysis was performed on the mRNA of periprosthetic tissue. RESULTS: Microarray analysis revealed differential gene transcription in periprosthetic hip tissue affected by chronic hip infection vs aseptic hip prosthesis loosening. A total of 39 genes had area under the curve values greater than 0.9 for diagnosing chronic periprosthetic hip infection; 5 genes had annotations relevant to infection and metabolism. The 39 genes also included 7 genes that were differentially transcribed but that have no apparent connection to immune response processes plus 27 genes with unknown function. CONCLUSION: Differences in gene transcription profiles might represent novel diagnostic targets that can be used to differentiate between chronic periprosthetic hip infections and aseptic hip prosthesis loosening. Secondary metabolites of differentially transcripted genes might serve as easily accessible markers for detecting chronic periprosthetic joint infection in future.

Identification of Immune-Relevant Factors Conferring Sarcoidosis Genetic Risk.

RATIONALE: Genetic variation plays a significant role in the etiology of sarcoidosis. However, only a small fraction of its heritability has been explained so far. OBJECTIVES: To define further genetic risk loci for sarcoidosis, we used the Immunochip for a candidate gene association study of immune-associated loci. METHODS: Altogether the study population comprised over 19,000 individuals. In a two-stage design, 1,726 German sarcoidosis cases and 5,482 control subjects were genotyped for 128,705 single-nucleotide polymorphisms using the Illumina Immunochip for the screening step. The remaining 3,955 cases, 7,514 control subjects, and 684 parents of affected offspring were used for validation and replication of 44 candidate and two established risk single-nucleotide polymorphisms. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Four novel susceptibility loci were identified with genome-wide significance in the European case-control populations, located on chromosomes 12q24.12 (rs653178; ATXN2/SH2B3), 5q33.3 (rs4921492; IL12B), 4q24 (rs223498; MANBA/NFKB1), and 2q33.2 (rs6748088; FAM117B). We further defined three independent association signals in the HLA region with genome-wide significance, peaking in the BTNL2 promoter region (rs5007259), at HLA-B (rs4143332/HLA-B*0801) and at HLA-DPB1 (rs9277542), and found another novel independent signal near IL23R (rs12069782) on chromosome 1p31.3. CONCLUSIONS: Functional predictions and protein network analyses suggest a prominent role of the drug-targetable IL23/Th17 signaling pathway in the genetic etiology of sarcoidosis. Our findings reveal a substantial genetic overlap of sarcoidosis with diverse immune-mediated inflammatory disorders, which could be of relevance for the clinical application of modern therapeutics.

Anti-TNF antibody-induced psoriasiform skin lesions in patients with inflammatory bowel disease are characterised by interferon-γ-expressing Th1 cells and IL-17A/IL-22-expressing Th17 cells and respond to anti-IL-12/IL-23 antibody treatment.

BACKGROUND: We analysed incidence, predictors, histological features and specific treatment options of anti-tumour necrosis factor α (TNF-α) antibody-induced psoriasiform skin lesions in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). DESIGN: Patients with IBD were prospectively screened for anti-TNF-induced psoriasiform skin lesions. Patients were genotyped for IL23R and IL12B variants. Skin lesions were examined for infiltrating Th1 and Th17 cells. Patients with severe lesions were treated with the anti-interleukin (IL)-12/IL-23 p40 antibody ustekinumab. RESULTS: Among 434 anti-TNF-treated patients with IBD, 21 (4.8%) developed psoriasiform skin lesions. Multiple logistic regression revealed smoking (p=0.007; OR 4.24, 95% CI 1.55 to 13.60) and an increased body mass index (p=0.029; OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.24) as main predictors for these lesions. Nine patients with Crohn's disease and with severe psoriasiform lesions and/or anti-TNF antibody-induced alopecia were successfully treated with the anti-p40-IL-12/IL-23 antibody ustekinumab (response rate 100%). Skin lesions were histologically characterised by infiltrates of IL-17A/IL-22-secreting T helper 17 (Th17) cells and interferon (IFN)-γ-secreting Th1 cells and IFN-α-expressing cells. IL-17A expression was significantly stronger in patients requiring ustekinumab than in patients responding to topical therapy (p=0.001). IL23R genotyping suggests disease-modifying effects of rs11209026 (p.Arg381Gln) and rs7530511 (p.Leu310Pro) in patients requiring ustekinumab. CONCLUSIONS: New onset psoriasiform skin lesions develop in nearly 5% of anti-TNF-treated patients with IBD. We identified smoking as a main risk factor for developing these lesions. Anti-TNF-induced psoriasiform skin lesions are characterised by Th17 and Th1 cell infiltrates. The number of IL-17A-expressing T cells correlates with the severity of skin lesions. Anti-IL-12/IL-23 antibody therapy is a highly effective therapy for these lesions.

Association between variants of PRDM1 and NDP52 and Crohn's disease, based on exome sequencing and functional studies.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified 140 Crohn's disease (CD) susceptibility loci. For most loci, the variants that cause disease are not known and the genes affected by these variants have not been identified. We aimed to identify variants that cause CD through detailed sequencing, genetic association, expression, and functional studies. METHODS: We sequenced whole exomes of 42 unrelated subjects with CD and 5 healthy subjects (controls) and then filtered single nucleotide variants by incorporating association results from meta-analyses of CD GWAS and in silico mutation effect prediction algorithms. We then genotyped 9348 subjects with CD, 2868 subjects with ulcerative colitis, and 14,567 control subjects and associated variants analyzed in functional studies using materials from subjects and controls and in vitro model systems. RESULTS: We identified rare missense mutations in PR domain-containing 1 (PRDM1) and associated these with CD. These mutations increased proliferation of T cells and secretion of cytokines on activation and increased expression of the adhesion molecule L-selectin. A common CD risk allele, identified in GWAS, correlated with reduced expression of PRDM1 in ileal biopsy specimens and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (combined P = 1.6 × 10(-8)). We identified an association between CD and a common missense variant, Val248Ala, in nuclear domain 10 protein 52 (NDP52) (P = 4.83 × 10(-9)). We found that this variant impairs the regulatory functions of NDP52 to inhibit nuclear factor κB activation of genes that regulate inflammation and affect the stability of proteins in Toll-like receptor pathways. CONCLUSIONS: We have extended the results of GWAS and provide evidence that variants in PRDM1 and NDP52 determine susceptibility to CD. PRDM1 maps adjacent to a CD interval identified in GWAS and encodes a transcription factor expressed by T and B cells. NDP52 is an adaptor protein that functions in selective autophagy of intracellular bacteria and signaling molecules, supporting the role of autophagy in the pathogenesis of CD.

Risk of malignancies in patients with inflammatory bowel disease treated with thiopurines or anti-TNF alpha antibodies.

PURPOSE: We aimed to analyse malignancy rates and predictors for the development of malignancies in a large German inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) cohort treated with thiopurines and/or anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF) antibodies. METHODS: De novo malignancies in 666 thiopurine-treated and/or anti-TNF-treated IBD patients were analysed. Patients (n = 262) were treated with thiopurines alone and never exposed to anti-TNF antibodies (TP group). In addition, patients (n = 404) were exposed to anti-TNF antibodies (TNF+ group) with no (7.4%), discontinued (80.4%) or continued (12.1%) thiopurine therapy. RESULTS: In the TP group, 20 malignancies were observed in 18 patients compared with 8 malignancies in 7 patients in the TNF+ group (hazard ratio 4.15; 95% CI 1.82-9.44; p = 0.0007; univariate Cox regression). Moreover, 18.2% of all patients in the TP group ≥50 years of age developed a malignancy, compared with 3.8% of all patients <50 years of age (p = 0.0008). In the TNF+ group, 6.5% of all patients ≥50 years of age developed malignancies compared with 0.3% of all patients <50 years of age (p = 0.0007). In both groups combined, thiopurine treatment duration ≥4 years was associated with the risk for skin cancer (p = 0.0024) and lymphoma (p = 0.0005). CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrate an increased risk for the development of malignancies in IBD patients treated with thiopurines in comparison with patients treated with anti-TNF antibodies with or without thiopurines.

Incidence of posttraumatic stress disorder after traffic accidents in Germany.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is possibly an overlooked diagnosis of victims suffering from traffic accidents sustaining serious to severe injuries. This paper investigates the incidence of PTSD after traffic accidents in Germany. Data from an accident research unit were analyzed in regard to collision details, and preclinical and clinical data. Preclinical data included details on crash circumstances and estimated injury severity as well as data on victims' conditions (e.g. heart rate, blood pressure, consciousness, breath rate). Clinical data included initial assessment in the emergency department, radiographic diagnoses, and basic life parameters comparable to the preclinical data as well as follow-up data on the daily ward. Data were collected in the German-In-Depth Accident Research study, and included gender, type of accident (e.g. type of vehicle, road conditions, rural or urban area), mental disorder, and AIS (Abbreviated Injury Scale) head score. AIS represent a scoring system to measure the injury severity of traffic accident victims. A total 258 out of 32807 data sets were included in this analysis. Data on accident and victims was collected on scene by specialized teams following established algorithms. Besides higher AIS Head scores for male motorcyclists compared to all other subgroups, no significant correlation was found between the mean maximum AIS score and the occurrence of PTSD. Furthermore, there was no correlation between higher AIS head scores, gender, or involvement in road traffic accidents and PTSD. In our study the overall incidence of PTSD after road traffic accidents was very low (0.78% in a total of 32.807 collected data sets) when compared to other published studies. The reason for this very low incidence of PTSD in our patient sample could be seen in an underestimation of the psychophysiological impact of traffic accidents on patients. Patients suffering from direct experiences of traumatic events such as a traffic accident and presenting with signs of clinically significant distress or impairment in social interactions should be treated in a team approach including not only trauma surgeons and surgical skilled staff but also psychophysiological experienced physicians.

Combining Endoscopic Submucosa Dissection and Endoscopic Full-Thickness Resection for Resection of a Gastric Schwannoma Mimicking Gastrointestinal Stroma Tumor.

Subepithelial gastric tumors are a diagnostic challenge. Endoscopic ultrasound allows differentiation. Lesions originating from the submucosal layer can be resected using endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). Surgery or endoscopic full-thickness resection (EFTR) techniques are alternatives. We present a patient with an 11 × 8 mm submucosal tumor in the gastric antrum suggestive of a gastrointestinal stromal tumor, originating from the muscularis propria. Eventually endoscopic resection was performed, combining ESD and EFTR (hybrid ESD-EFTR). Contrary to expectations, histology revealed a gastric schwannoma. This case illustrates an efficient and safe endoscopic hybrid technique for the removal of submucosal gastric lesions.

Systemic and Mucosal Immunogenicity of Monovalent XBB.1.5-Adapted COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Recently updated COVID-19 mRNA vaccines encode the spike protein of the omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 and are recommended for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) on immunosuppressive treatment. Nonetheless, their immunogenicity in patients with IBD against rapidly expanding virus variants remains unknown. This prospective multicenter cohort study is the first study to investigate the immunogenicity of XBB.1.5-adapted vaccines in patients with IBD. Systemic and mucosal antibodies targeting the receptor-binding domains (RBDs) of the omicron subvariants XBB.1.5, EG.5.1, and BA.2.86, as well as their neutralization were quantified before and two to four weeks after vaccination with monovalent XBB.1.5-adapted mRNA vaccines. Vaccination increased levels of serum anti-RBD IgG targeting XBB.1.5, EG.5.1, and BA.2.86 (1.9-fold, 1.8-fold, and 2.6-fold, respectively) and enhanced corresponding neutralization responses (2.3-fold, 3.1-fold, and 3.5-fold, respectively). Following vaccination, anti-TNF-treated patients had reduced virus neutralization compared to patients on treatments with other cellular targets. 11.1% and 16.7% of patients lacked EG.5.1 and BA.2.86 neutralization, respectively; all these patients received anti-TNF treatment. At mucosal sites, vaccination induced variant-specific anti-RBD IgG but failed to induce RBD-targeting IgA. Our findings provide a basis for future vaccine recommendations while highlighting the importance of frequent booster vaccine adaptation and the need for mucosal vaccination strategies in patients with IBD.