Prevalence and Risk Factors of Substance Use Disorder in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

BACKGROUND: Substance use disorders (SUDs) impose a substantial individual and societal burden; however, the prevalence and associated factors in persons with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are largely unknown. We evaluated the prevalence and risk factors of SUD in an IBD cohort. METHODS: Inflammatory bowel disease participants (n = 247) were recruited via hospital- and community-based gastroenterology clinics, a population-based IBD research registry, and primary care providers as part of a larger cohort study of psychiatric comorbidity in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. The Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV was administered to participants to identify lifetime SUD, anxiety disorder, and major depressive disorder. Additional questionnaires regarding participants' sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were also completed. We examined demographic and clinical factors associated with lifetime SUD using unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression modeling. RESULTS: Forty-one (16.6%) IBD participants met the criteria for a lifetime diagnosis of an SUD. Factors associated with elevated odds of SUD were ever smoking (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.96; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.17-7.50), male sex (aOR, 2.44; 95% CI, 1.11-5.36), lifetime anxiety disorder (aOR, 2.41; 95% CI, 1.08-5.37), and higher pain impact (aOR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.01-1.16). CONCLUSIONS: One in six persons with IBD experienced an SUD, suggesting that clinicians should maintain high index of suspicion regarding possible SUD, and inquiries about substance use should be a part of care for IBD patients, particularly for men, smokers, and patients with anxiety disorders and pain.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Substance Use Disorder in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to determine the lifetime prevalence of substance use disorder (SUD) in a Canadian rheumatoid arthritis (RA) cohort and factors associated with SUD in RA. METHODS: Participants with RA (N = 154) were recruited via rheumatology clinics as part of a larger cohort study of psychiatric comorbidity in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. SUD is defined as the uncontrolled use of a substance despite the harmful consequences of its use. To identify lifetime SUD, the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition was administered to participants. Participants' sociodemographic and RA clinical characteristics were also assessed. We examined factors associated with lifetime SUD using unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression modeling. RESULTS: Twenty-three (14.9%) of 154 participants with RA met the criteria for a lifetime diagnosis of SUD. The majority of the participants were women, were White, had postsecondary education, and were on a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug. Factors associated with increased odds of SUD were male sex (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 3.63, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03-12.73), younger age (aOR: 0.94, 95% CI: 0.90-0.98), and ever smoking (aOR: 6.44, 95% CI: 1.53-27.07). CONCLUSION: We found that approximately 1 in 7 individuals with RA had a lifetime diagnosis of SUD, highlighting the importance of identifying and treating SUD in those with RA. In particular, the following factors were associated with higher odds of SUD: male sex, younger age, and smoking behaviors.

Collecting duct carcinoma arising in association with BK nephropathy post-transplantation in a pediatric patient. A case report with immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization study.

The development of malignancy in a renal transplant graft is an uncommon phenomenon. A renal neoplasm developing in the adult donor kidney of a pediatric transplant recipient has only rarely been reported. We report a case of collecting duct carcinoma arising in association with BK virus nephropathy in an adult living-related donor renal allograft to a pediatric recipient. Our case is the second report of neoplasia occurring in association with BK virus nephropathy post-transplantation, suggesting that BK virus may play a role in oncogenesis. It has been proposed that the T-Ag protein encoded by the polyomavirus family of viruses disrupts chromosomal integrity, creating oncogenes, and inactivating tumor suppressor genes. In our study, immunohistochemical staining with antibody directed against BK virus large T antigen showed nuclear staining within urothelium, tubular epithelium, tubular intraepithelial neoplasia, and invasive carcinoma. In situ hybridization did not identify BK virus DNA within neoplastic cells. T-Ag protein expression has been shown to be tumor-specific in bladder, gastric, and colorectal cancers. The finding of T-Ag protein expression in both intraepithelial and invasive neoplastic tissues in our case raises the possibility of BK virus as a causative agent in oncogenesis.

Management of cancer-associated thrombotic microangiopathy: what is the right approach?

A 49-year-old Caucasian woman presented with features suggestive of thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA). She did not respond to treatment with repeated plasma exchange and corticosteroids. A bone marrow biopsy revealed presence of metastatic carcinoma. A limited autopsy revealed presence of breast cancer with rib metastases. Though severe deficiency of von Willebrand factor-cleaving protease was initially proposed as a key pathogenetic factor for thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, subsequent studies involving patients with cancer-associated TMA did not find as severe a deficiency of von Willebrand factor-cleaving protease as is seen in idiopathic cases of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. Here we address one approach of management of these patients with cancer-associated TMA.