Yield and Predictors of Surveillance Colonoscopies in Older Adults With Long-standing Ulcerative Colitis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Although colonoscopies for dysplasia surveillance are standard of care in patients with long-standing ulcerative colitis (UC), there is a paucity of data on the yield of surveillance colonoscopies in those older than 75 years of age. METHODS: We conducted a multicenter retrospective cohort study including patients with UC who underwent ≥1 colonoscopy at age ≥75 years. The primary outcome was diagnosis of dysplasia (visible or random) and colorectal cancer. Multivariable regression adjusted for relevant confounders examined the predictors of polypoid or non-polypoid dysplasia or colorectal cancer. RESULTS: The primary cohort included 211 patients with UC who underwent 635 colonoscopies after age ≥75 years. A total of 83 patients (39.3%) patients had dysplasia or cancer detected. Among colonoscopies, 123 (19.4%) identified visible dysplasia, 23 (3.6%) had random dysplasia (1 high-grade dysplasia found in each group, respectively), and 5 (0.8%) had colon cancer. In multivariable analysis, prior adenoma or colon cancer below age 75 tears (odds ratio [OR], 2.06; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07-3.96), flat dysplasia before 75 years (OR, 2.78; 95% CI, 1.05-7.44), and older age (80-84 years (OR, 2.29; 95% CI, 1.20-4.38), ≥85 years (OR, 3.54; 95% CI, 1.27-9.82) were associated with detection of dysplasia or cancer. Only 1 patient was noted to have a procedure-related complication. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with long-standing UC without prior dysplasia may have a low yield on continued endoscopic surveillance at age ≥75 years. A targeted approach to surveillance may be appropriate in older individuals with UC.

High Anti-Infliximab Antibody Titers Do Not Impact Response to Subsequent Adalimumab Treatment in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.

BACKGROUND: While the role of anti-drug antibodies in mediating loss of response to infliximab (IFX) is known, it is possible that there are different clinical implications for high compared to low titers of antibodies to infliximab (ATI). The impact of ATI titer on efficacy of subsequent anti-TNF treatment has not been established previously. METHODS: This is a multicenter retrospective cohort study of individuals with IBD who discontinued infliximab due to development of ATI and were subsequently switched to adalimumab therapy. IFX anti-drug antibody titer level was measured using Mayo or Esoterix assays. We examined clinical and endoscopic response to adalimumab at 3 months, 12 months, and 2 years. RESULTS: Our study included 90 patients (69 CD, 17 UC, 4 CD of the ileoanal pouch) with IBD. The median antibody titer levels for the Esoterix (208 u/mL) or Mayo clinic laboratory (236 u/mL) were similar (p > 0. 50). Patients with high ATI titers (median 824 u/ml, IQR 405-1250 u/ml) were as likely to respond to adalimumab as those with low titers (median 76u/ml, IQR 41-129 u/ml). At 3 months and 12 months, the rates of clinical response/remission to adalimumab therapy were 78% and 77%, respectively, among those with high ATI titers and 81% and 84% among those with low ATI titers (p = 0.81 and 0.62, respectively). In patients who initiated a different therapeutic mechanism after adalimumab, the response rates were similar to that observed with adalimumab. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of high titers of anti-drug antibodies to IFX is not predictive of treatment failure with adalimumab.

Diet in Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.

There has been an alarming increase in the incidence of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) worldwide over the past several decades. The pathogenesis of IBD involves genetic and environmental factors. Diet is a potentially modifiable environmental risk factor for IBD onset and severity. Diet can promote intestinal inflammation by dysregulating the immune system, altering intestinal permeability and the mucous layer, contributing to microbial dysbiosis, and other mechanisms. Dietary changes therefore might be incorporated into therapeutic strategies for IBD. Enteral nutrition is effective in the treatment of pediatric patients with luminal Crohn's disease, but there have been few studies of the effects of dietary interventions with whole foods-most of these have been studies of exclusion diets in patients with Crohn's disease. We review findings from studies of the effects of dietary patterns, single micronutrients, and food additives in inducing and maintaining remission in patients with IBD. We discuss future directions for research and propose a framework for studies of dietary interventions in the treatment of IBD.

Fecal Calprotectin Is a Predictor of Need for Rescue Therapy in Hospitalized Severe Colitis.

BACKGROUND: Up to one-third of patients hospitalized for acute severe colitis secondary to inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) do not adequately respond to intravenous steroids. There is an unmet need to identify a useful predictor for rescue treatment in this cohort of patients. AIMS: The aim of this study was to assess the predictive efficacy of fecal calprotectin in identifying the need for medical or surgical therapy in patients with acute severe colitis. METHODS: We conducted a multicenter retrospective cohort study including patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) who were hospitalized for severe exacerbation of colitis. The primary outcome was the need for in-hospital medical or surgical rescue therapy. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify predictors of rescue therapy. RESULTS: Our study included 147 patients with UC. One-third (33%) required rescue therapy, and 13% underwent colectomy. Patients requiring rescue therapy had significantly higher fecal calprotectin (mean 1748 mcg/g vs 1353 mcg/g, P = .02) compared with those who did not. A fecal calprotectin >800 mcg/g independently predicted the need for inpatient medical rescue therapy (odds ratio, 2.61; 95% CI, 1.12-6.12). An admission calprotectin >800 mcg/g independently predicted surgery within 3 months (odds ratio, 2.88; 95% CI, 1.01-8.17). CONCLUSIONS: Fecal calprotectin levels may serve as a useful noninvasive predictor of medical and surgical risk in individuals with UC presenting with acute severe colitis. This approach can facilitate earlier therapeutic interventions and improve outcomes.

Lifestyle, behaviour, and environmental modification for the management of patients with inflammatory bowel diseases: an International Organization for Study of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases consensus.

Environmental and lifestyle factors play an important role in the natural history of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. A group of international experts from the International Organization for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases voted on a series of consensus statements to inform the management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The recommendations include avoiding traditional cigarette smoking in patients with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, screening for symptoms of depression, anxiety, and psychosocial stressors at diagnosis and during flares (with referral to mental health professionals when appropriate), and encouraging regular physical activity as tolerated. Patients using dietary approaches for treatment of their IBD should be encouraged to adopt diets that are best supported by evidence and involve monitoring for the objective resolution of inflammation. We recommend formal assessment for obesity and nutritional deficiencies, and patients should be encouraged to maintain a normal body-mass index. A shared decision-making approach to contraception should include the consideration of IBD-related factors, and risk factors for venous thromboembolism. Long-term or frequent use of high-dose non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs should be avoided. For primary prevention of disease in the offspring of patients with IBD, we recommend avoiding passive exposure to tobacco, using antibiotics judiciously, and considering breastfeeding when able.

Nutrition in the Management of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.

With the increasing global prevalence of inflammatory bowel diseases, research in this field is expanding to better understand the multifactorial etiologies of this complex disease. Nutrition and diet, as modifiable risk factors, have been shown to play an important role in disease activity and prognosis. This article reviews the role of nutrition in inflammatory bowel disease, including appropriate nutrition screening in this at-risk population, and associated micronutrient deficiencies. We provide recommendations on dosing supplementation. We briefly review diet as a risk factor for inflammatory bowel disease and the currently proposed published dietary intervention studies.

The role of precision nutrition in the modulation of microbial composition and function in people with inflammatory bowel disease.

Inflammatory bowel diseases, principally Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, are multifactorial chronic conditions. Alterations in gut microbial patterns partly affect disease onset and severity. Moreover, the evolution of dietary patterns, and their effect on gut microbial behaviour, have been shown to play a crucial role in disease processes. This Viewpoint reviews the role of dietary patterns, their influence on the structure and function of the gut microbiome, and their effects on inflammation and immunity in individuals with inflammatory bowel disease. We also discuss innovative dietary intervention strategies, summarise findings that have been used to develop recommendations for clinical practice, and provide suggestions for the design of future studies for development of precision nutrition in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Renal hyperfiltration related to diabetes mellitus and obesity in human disease.

High intraglomerular pressure is associated with renal hyperfiltration, leading to the initiation and progression of kidney disease in experimental models of diabetes mellitus (DM). In humans, hyperfiltration is observed in patients with type 1 and type 2 DM, and is also seen in patients with pre-diabetic conditions, such as the metabolic syndrome. From a mechanistic perspective, both vascular and tubular factors likely contribute to the pathogenesis of hyperfiltration. Until now, human studies have primarily focused on the use of medications that inhibit the renin angiotensin system to reduce efferent vasoconstriction and thereby improve hyperfiltration. More recent advances in the development of investigational adenosine antagonists and inhibitors of sodium glucose co-transport may help to elucidate tubular factors that contribute to afferent vasodilatation. In this review, we summarize available data from experimental and human studies of type 1 and type 2 DM and obesity to provide an overview of factors that contribute to the hyperfiltration state. We have focused on the renin angiotensin system, cyclooxygenase-2 system, nitric oxide, protein kinase C and endothelin as vascular determinants of hyperfiltration. We also discuss relevant tubular factors, since experimental models have suggested that inhibition of sodium-glucose cotransport may be renoprotective.