Anti-Integrin αvß6 Autoantibodies Are a Novel Biomarker That Antedate Ulcerative Colitis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Better biomarkers for prediction of ulcerative colitis (UC) development and prognostication are needed. Anti-integrin αvß6 (anti-αvß6) autoantibodies have been described in patients with UC. We tested for the presence of anti-αvß6 antibodies in the preclinical phase of UC and studied their association with disease-related outcomes after diagnosis. METHODS: Anti-αvß6 autoantibodies were measured in 4 longitudinal serum samples collected from 82 subjects who later developed UC and 82 matched controls from a Department of Defense preclinical cohort (PREDICTS [Proteomic Evaluation and Discovery in an IBD Cohort of Tri-service Subjects]). In a distinct, external validation cohort (Crohn's and Colitis Canada Genetic Environmental Microbial project cohort), we tested 12 pre-UC subjects and 49 matched controls. Furthermore, anti-αvß6 autoantibodies were measured in 2 incident UC cohorts (COMPASS [Comprehensive Care for the Recently Diagnosed IBD Patients], n = 55 and OSCCAR [Ocean State Crohn's and Colitis Area Registry], n = 104) and associations between anti-αvß6 autoantibodies and UC-related outcomes were defined using Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: Anti-αvß6 autoantibodies were significantly higher among individuals who developed UC compared with controls up to 10 years before diagnosis in PREDICTS. The anti-αvß6 autoantibody seropositivity was 12.2% 10 years before diagnosis and increased to 52.4% at the time of diagnosis in subjects who developed UC compared with 2.7% in controls across the 4 time points. Anti-αvß6 autoantibodies predicted UC development with an area under the curve of at least 0.8 up to 10 years before diagnosis. The presence of anti-αvß6 autoantibodies in preclinical UC samples was validated in the GEM cohort. Finally, high anti-αvß6 autoantibodies was associated with a composite of adverse UC outcomes, including hospitalization, disease extension, colectomy, systemic steroid use, and/or escalation to biologic therapy in recently diagnosed UC. CONCLUSIONS: Anti-integrin αvß6 autoantibodies precede the clinical diagnosis of UC by up to 10 years and are associated with adverse UC-related outcomes.

Per- and Poly-Fluoroalkyl Substances Exposure is Associated With Later Occurrence Of Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an immune-mediated inflammatory disease of the intestinal tract of elusive etiology. Environmental chemical exposures are increasingly acknowledged as a potential IBD risk factor. Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), a large class of persistent fluorinated organic chemicals used in industrial applications and consumer products such as paints, food packaging, and nonstick cookware, for over 6 decades, may be implicated in IBD etiology. Yet, epidemiological evidence has so far been scarce. Exposures to a few legacy PFASs, including perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorodecanoic (PFDA), and perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), have been associated with immunotoxicity and increased risk of other immune-mediated diseases,1 but data for their potential association with IBD are conflicting.2,3 Further, the impact of more recently emerging PFAS chemicals on IBD risk has not been studied.

Celiac Disease on the Rise in the US Military Population: A 22 Year Retrospective Epidemiologic Study.

INTRODUCTION: We describe celiac disease epidemiology in the US military population. METHODS: This is a population-based study from data collected between 2000 and 2021. Incidence and prevalence rates and descriptive statistics for demographics are presented. RESULTS: Overall, 2248 incident cases of celiac disease were identified. The incidence rate increased from 1.2 to 14.0 per 100,000 person-years and the overall lifetime prevalence increased from 3.1 to 57.4 per 100,000 service members. In gastroenterology clinics, the incidence rate increased from 1.4 to 8.2 per 100,000 person-years, while prevalence increased from 3.3 to 33.4 per 100,000 service members. DISCUSSION: In this study, celiac disease incidence and prevalence increased significantly.

Diospyrobezoar Formation in Patient With Sleeve Gastrectomy.

The ingestion of Asian persimmons, Diospyros kaki, is a known cause of gastric bezoars. Patients with a history of gastric operations are at high risk for formation. Different forms of bariatric surgery have been implicated, but literature for bezoar following a sleeve gastrectomy is scarce. This case report describes the pathogenesis, clinical course, and definitive management of gastric diospyrobezoar following a sleeve gastrectomy. With the rising incidence of bariatric procedures being performed, providers should include bezoar in the differential diagnosis in patients with suspected gastric outlet obstruction and should be aware of treatment options for this patient population.

Hemato-CHEESE-ia: A Case of Red Stools Caused by a Spicy Cheesy Snack.

A 22-year-old male presented to the ED following an episode of acute-onset abdominal pain and passage of red stools. On a detailed review of his dietary history, the patient reported eating a whole large bag of Flamin' Hot Cheetos the day prior to the episode. We describe a case of food dye mimicking hematochezia and explore the effects of capsaicin on the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.

Sevelamer-Induced Gastrointestinal Injury Presenting as Gastroenteritis.

End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is a common disease encountered in clinical practice and is associated with increasing metabolic derangements through disease progression. Phosphate retention is one of the most common derangements and is associated with increased mortality. Hyperphosphatemia becomes increasingly prevalent as glomerular filtration rate decreases. Non-calcium phosphate-binding resins and dietary phosphate restriction are the mainstays for managing hyperphosphatemia in patients with ESRD. Sevelamer carbonate is the most frequently used non-calcium phosphate binder in the US due to ease of administration and an excellent safety profile. However, there is increasing recognition of gastrointestinal injury associated with medication use. Here we report a case of an 81-year-old male with biopsy-proven gastrointestinal mucosal injury secondary to sevelamer carbonate administration.

Paradoxical Bronchoconstriction with Short-Acting Beta Agonist.

BACKGROUND Asthma is a common disease in the U.S. POPULATION: Initial therapy in the stepwise approach for asthma management is short-acting ß2-agonist (SABA) therapy as needed for symptom control. However, a significant adverse event that can occur with administration is bronchospasm. Here, we report a case of paradoxical bronchospasm with administration of SABAs during multiple pulmonary function tests (PFTs). CASE REPORT A 25-year-old, non-smoking, African American male with a history of moderate asthma and allergic rhinitis treated with fluticasone/salmeterol diskus, albuterol hydrofluoroalkane (HFA) inhaler, and montelukast presented to our clinic complaining of recurrent episodes of acute shortness of breath immediately following each administration of albuterol for 4 weeks. PFTs were performed with levalbuterol (Xopenex) and albuterol (ProAir), yielding significant decrease in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC). Nebulized albuterol and ipratropium bromide also improved FEV1 and FVC. He was successfully transitioned to an ipratropium rescue inhaler for asthma exacerbations. CONCLUSIONS Paradoxical bronchoconstriction is the unexpected constriction of smooth muscle walls of the bronchi that occurs in the setting of an expected bronchodilatory response. This phenomenon has been observed with ß2-agonist-containing inhaler formulations and is an under-recognized adverse event. Theories suggest that the formulation excipients can trigger airway hyperresponsiveness in patients with allergically inflamed airways. Removal of excipients or use of anticholinergic inhalers improved respiratory function. Clinicians should be aware of paradoxical bronchospasm as an adverse effect with common inhaler formulations containing ß2-agonists and counsel patients accordingly in the appropriate clinical setting.