The burden and management of anemia in Greek patients with inflammatory bowel disease: a retrospective, multicenter, observational study.

BACKGROUND: Anemia is a common extraintestinal manifestation of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) affecting negatively the patients' quality of life. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and real-life management of anemia in IBD patients in Greece. METHODS: This study was conducted in 17 Greek IBD referral centers. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, IBD and anemia treatment data were collected and analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: A total of 1394 IBD patients [560 ulcerative colitis (UC), 834 Crohn's disease (CD)] were enrolled. Anemia at any time was reported in 687 (49.3%) patients of whom 413 (29.6%) had episodic and 274 (19.7%) had recurrent/persistent anemia. Anemia was diagnosed before IBD in 45 (6.5%), along with IBD in 269 (39.2%) and after IBD in 373 (54.3%) patients. In the multivariate analysis the presence of extraintestinal manifestations (p = 0.0008), IBD duration (p = 0.026), IBD related surgeries and hospitalizations (p = 0.026 and p = 0.004 accordingly) were risk factors of recurrent/persistent anemia. Serum ferritin was measured in 839 (60.2%) IBD patients. Among anemic patients, 535 (77.9%) received treatment. Iron supplementation was administered in 485 (90.6%) patients, oral in 142 (29.3%) and intravenous in 393 (81%). CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of anemia in IBD patients, followed at Greek referral centers, is approximately 50%. Development of recurrent/persistent anemia may be observed in 20% of cases and is independently associated with the presence of extraintestinal manifestations, IBD duration, IBD related surgeries and hospitalizations. Anemia treatment is administered in up to [Formula: see text] of anemia IBD patients with the majority of them receiving iron intravenously.

Receptor-Binding Cancer Antigen Expression in Thyroid Neoplasms: A Retrospective Study.

Background: Receptor-binding cancer antigen (RCAS1) is a membrane protein, regarded as a tumor-associated antigen. Cancer cells evade immune response with RCAS1 up-regulation, inducing apoptosis to tumor infiltrating lymphocytes. Thyroid cancer incidence is rising and its accurate diagnosis in early stage is targeted. The aim of this study is to access RCAS1 expression in benign and malignant thyroid pathology. Methods: This is a retrospective study of 110 patients, who had thyroidectomy in a single tertiary referral centre between January 2008 until December 2014. Immunohistochemistry study for RCAS1 expression was carried out and correlation with clinical and histopathological data is attempted. Results: RCAS1 immunostaining was found positive in 81 out of 110 cases. Notably it was deemed positive in all malignant thyroid tissue samples (p 0.001). In thyroid malignancy, tumor size, thyroid capsule invasion and positive lymph nodes status were positively correlated with moderate and strong expression of RCAS1. For papillary thyroid carcinoma, the vast majority (35/37 cases, 94.6%) were also classified as having moderate or strong RCAS1 expression. Conclusions: RCAS1 expression can aid in differential diagnosis between benign and malignant thyroid pathology, while its strong expression correlates with worse oncological features.

Are radiologic pouchogram and pouchoscopy useful before ileostomy closure in asymptomatic patients operated for ulcerative colitis?

OBJECTIVES: Restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) is the "gold standard" procedure for patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) requiring surgical intervention. A de-functioning ileostomy is usually performed, as a step for the IPAA procedure. The aim of this study is to present the methodology and results of the routine double assessment of IPAA integrity in asymptomatic patients prior to the ileostomy reversal and evaluate its necessity. METHODS: This is a retrospective study of 61 UC patients, who underwent IPAA construction, in 2010-2016. A diverting ileostomy was created after IPAA construction, which was reversed at least 3 months later. A double assessment, with pouchogram and pouchoscopy, of IPAA integrity was performed, before stoma closure. Post-operative symptoms and signs of complications, imaging studies, and endoscopic findings were recorded during follow-up. RESULTS: Prior to the ileostomy reversal, both pouchoscopy and pouchogram identified no patient with evidence of anastomotic leakage. During a mean follow-up of 3.67 years after ileostomy reversal, 11 patients developed complications but only one had signs of leakage, which presented as a pouch-vaginal fistula. The specificity of both the pouchogram and pouchoscopy reached 100% and the negative predictive value ranged between 98.4 and 100%. CONCLUSIONS: The specificity of pouchoscopy and pouchogram prior to ileostomy closure, in asymptomatic patients with IPAA for UC, is very high in recognizing an intact anastomosis, but their combination did not alter the diagnostic accuracy or had any effect in further management. At least, pouchogram could be selectively performed only in patients with high-risk clinical indicators. KEY POINTS: • The double assessment of ileal pouch-anal anastomosis with pouchogram and pouchoscopy, prior to ileostomy closure, specifically in patients with ulcerative colitis has not been evaluated before. • The specificity of pouchoscopy and pouchogram prior to ileostomy closure, in asymptomatic patients with IPAA for UC, is very high in recognizing an intact anastomosis. • However, their combination did not alter the diagnostic accuracy or had any effect in further management, in asymptomatic patients.

Iron Deficiency Anemia in Colorectal Cancer Patients: Is Preoperative Intravenous Iron Infusion Indicated? A Narrative Review of the Literature.

Iron deficiency anemia is the most common extraintestinal symptom in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). Inflammation associated with malignancy leads to functional iron deficiency via the hepcidin pathway, whereas chronic blood loss causes absolute iron deficiency and depletion of iron stores. The assessment and treatment of preoperative anemia is of great importance in patients with CRC, since published data have consistently shown that preoperative anemia is associated with increased need for perioperative blood transfusions and more postoperative complications. Recent studies have documented mixed results regarding the preoperative intravenous iron administration in anemic CRC patients in terms of efficacy for anemia correction, cost-effectiveness, need for transfusions and risk for postoperative complications.

The Inflammatory Bowel Disease-Disk Tool for Assessing Disability in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients: Validation of the Greek Version.

BACKGROUND: The Inflammatory Bowel Disease-Disk (IBD-Disk) is a physician-administered tool that evaluates the functional status of patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). The aim of our study was to validate the content of the IBD-Disk in a Greek cohort of IBD patients. METHODS: Two questionnaires [the IBD Disk and the IBD-Disability Index (IBD-DI)] were translated into Greek and administered to IBD patients at baseline visit, after 4 weeks and 6 months. Validation of the IBD Disk included measuring of concurrent validity, reproducibility, and internal consistency. RESULTS: A total of 300 patients were included at baseline and 269 at follow-up. There was a good correlation between the total scores of the IBD-Disk and IBD-DI at baseline (Pearson correlation 0.87, p < 0.001). Reproducibility of the total IBD-Disk score was very good [intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC), 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.89 (0.86-0.91)]. Cronbach's coefficient alpha for all items achieved 0.90 (95%CI 0.88-0.92), demonstrating a very good homogeneity of the IBD-Disk items. Female gender and extraintestinal manifestations were significantly associated with a higher IBD-Disk total score. CONCLUSIONS: The Greek version of the IBD-Disk proved to be a reliable and valid tool in detecting and assessing IBD-related disability in a Greek cohort of IBD patients.

Specific Neuropeptide Expression in Crohn's Disease Ileocolonic Resection Specimens Is Not Associated with Plexitis at the Ileal Margin or Postoperative Recurrence.

BACKGROUND: Myenteric plexitis is considered a risk factor for postoperative recurrence (POR) in Crohn's disease (CD). The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between neuropeptide Y (NPY), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), and substance P (SP) expression and plexitis at the proximal resection margin. The secondary aim was to identify risk factors for POR. METHODS: A retrospective, single-center study on CD patients who underwent ileocolonic resection (ICR) between January 2010 and December 2016 was conducted. The presence and severity of plexitis were evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin stain. Mast cells were highlighted by Giemsa stain. Immunohistochemistry was used to identify T lymphocytes and NPY-, VIP-, and SP-ergic neurons. Neuropeptide expression was quantified using image analysis. RESULTS: Seventy-nine patients were included. No association was detected between NPY, VIP, and SP expression and plexitis. Similarly, the number of involved inflammatory cells, T lymphocytes or mast cells was not correlated with neuropeptide expression. Smoking (hazard ratio [HR] 4.07; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.08-7.94; p < 0.001), moderate (HR 3.68; 95%CI 1.06-12.73; p = 0.040), and severe myenteric plexitis (HR 7.36; 95%CI 1.12-48.30; p = 0.037) were independent risk factors for endoscopic POR, whereas smoking (HR 2.78; 95%CI 1.01-7.67; p = 0.049), severe myenteric plexitis (HR 20.03; 95%CI 1.09-368.28; p = 0.044), and involved ileal margin (HR 3.45; 95%CI 1.33-8.96; p = 0.011) for clinical POR. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking, moderate or severe myenteric plexitis, and involved ileal margin negatively affect POR in CD patients undergoing ICR. Submucosal and myenteric plexitis at the proximal resection margin is not related to the expression of specific neuropeptides.

Risk factors for postoperative complications after elective ileocolic resection for Crohn's disease: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of postoperative complications (POC) in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) who undergo intestinal resection is high. The literature provides conflicting data about the risk factors for POC, especially regarding preoperative immunosuppressive medications. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) agents on the postoperative course and identify other predictors for POC after ileocolic resection (ICR). METHODS: This was a single-center retrospective study that included 153 CD patients who underwent elective ICR in a Greek tertiary center between January 2010 and December 2018. Risk factors for overall POC and intra-abdominal septic complications (IASC) were assessed with univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Overall POC and IASC occurred in 35 (22.9%) and 19 (12.4%) patients, respectively. In multivariate analysis, anti-TNF agents (n=61), as either monotherapy or combination treatment, were not associated with an increased risk for overall POC (21.3% vs. 23.9%, P=0.71) or IASC (13.1% vs. 12.0%, P=0.83). Similarly, no combined immunosuppressive regimen significantly correlated with POC. Patients with perianal disease, disease duration >10 years, or previous intestinal resections had significantly higher rates of both overall POC and IASC. In multivariate analysis, previous resection was the only independent risk factor for overall POC (odds ratio [OR] 3.90, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.38-11.06; P=0.010) and IASC (OR 4.56, 95%CI 1.51-13.77; P=0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative administration of anti-TNF agents or other immunosuppressive regimens was not a risk factor for total POC or IASC. A history of previous resection independently correlated with both overall POC and IASC.

Comparison of the laparoscopic versus open surgery in patients aged over 75 years old with colorectal cancer. Short- and Mid-term outcomes.

PURPOSE: The benefit of minimally invasive surgery in colorectal cancer patients has been established, however it is not clear whether these advantages apply to older patients as well. The aim of this study was to review short- and mid-term outcomes in elderly patients, over the age of 75 years, with colorectal cancer. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of selected patients over the age of 75 who underwent laparoscopic and open surgery for colorectal cancer between February 2013 and January 2018 in a tertiary referral center. All patients were categorized in two groups: Group 1 included patients who had open procedure (OP) and Group 2 those who underwent laparoscopic procedure (LP). Demographic, clinical, short- and midterm postoperative data were collected and analyzed between the two study groups. RESULTS: A total of 78 patients were included in our cohort; 39 (50%) were operated with LP. The LP was equally safe in comparison with the OP, considering the similar postoperative complications [9 patients (34.6%) in LP and 5 patients (18.5%) in OP (p=0.224)], including anastomotic leakage in 2 patients (7.7%) in LP and 1 patient (3.7%) in OP group (p=0.61). The median postoperative hospital stay favored the laparoscopic approach (6 days in LP group and 8 days in OP group; p=0.001). The number of harvested lymph nodes were without statistically significant differences [LP group retrieved 20.0 nodes in comparison with 20.5 nodes in OP group (p= 0.816)]. The overall survival analysis showed no difference between the two approaches in 12 and 24 postoperative months (p=0.098 and 0.387, respectively).

Multiple Small Bowel Diverticula Were an Unexpected Finding During Laparoscopic Enterectomy for Crohn's Disease.

INTRODUCTION: Small bowel diverticulosis (SBD) is a rare entity. Although it is usually an asymptomatic condition, clinical manifestations may vary from non-specific clinical signs to severe and complicated disease. The coexistence of SBD and Crohn's disease (CD) is rarely reported in the current literature. AIM: We present a rare case of concomitant Crohn's disease (CD) and SBD in a male patient, where multiple jejunal diverticula were an incidental intraoperative finding. Preoperative evaluation with magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) failed to recognize the coexistence of these two entities. Surgeons should be aware of the possibility of this rare situation. CASE REPORT: A 52-year-old Caucasian male diagnosed with CD was referred to our department for surgical intervention due to an ileal stricture. The patient reported no past medical history, except for a few episodes of bloody diarrhoea during a three-year period. The index colonoscopy revealed luminal narrowing in the ileum at approximately 70 cm proximal to the ileocaecal valve, and biopsies revealed findings compatible with CD. Clinical examination and laboratory tests were unremarkable one day before surgery. The patient underwent laparoscopic segmental resection of the affected part of the ileum. Intraoperatively, multiple non-inflamed diverticula along the jejunum extending from the Treitz ligament to the proximal ileum were recognized. Our patient had an uncomplicated post-operative course and was discharged on the fifth post-operative day. Pathological examination revealed features compatible with CD in the active phase. The patient was referred to his gastroenterological team for further consultation regarding the appropriate post-operative management. CONCLUSION: Concomitant CD and SBD is a rare condition, and the differential diagnosis may be challenging due to overlapping symptoms.

Liver metastasectomy-cytoreductive surgery- hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy and ileal pouch-anal anastomosis: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) with hyperthermal intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) are established treatments for peritoneal carcinomatosis that prolong survival in carefully selected patients. At the time of diagnosis, 4-7% of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) have metastasis to the peritoneum. There is a lack of evidence in the literature if J-pouch can be applied simultaneously with HIPEC to improve quality of life in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis syndrome (FAP) and peritoneal carcinomatosis. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe a case of a 41-year-old Caucasian male with Familial Adenomatous Polyposis which was diagnosed as metastatic colorectal cancer in the liver and peritoneum. He was treated with systemic chemotherapy followed by total proctocolectomy with a J-shaped IPAA, liver metastasectomy, right hemidiaphragm resection, CRS and HIPEC. DISCUSSION: CRS and HIPEC have been implicated with high morbidity and mortality rates. A major independent risk factor correlated with high morbidity is anastomotic failure. J-Pouch formation although considered a technique with high complication rates, improves the quality of life of patients after total proctocolectomy and is related to high patient satisfaction. There are inconclusive data on whether anastomotic failure rates are higher when performing J-Pouch and HIPEC together. CONCLUSIONS: J-Pouch after CRS and HIPEC can be offered as a treatment as long as the patient is carefully selected, in high volume centers with experienced surgeons.

Sexual function after proctectomy in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: A prospective study.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) show a multifactorial impact on patients' quality of life, including sexual function (SF). The need for surgical intervention remains high, whereas proctectomy is frequently required in these patients. We tried to evaluate the impact of pelvic dissection during proctectomy in IBD patients' SF. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a prospective study, examining the pre- and postoperative (at 6 months) SF of 57 IBD patients that underwent proctectomy in our surgical department, in the period between 2010 and 2016. The 5-item International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) and the Female Sexual Function Index were our research tools for men and women, respectively. We tried to evaluate the impact of gender, age, type of the disease, and surgical procedure on postoperative outcome. RESULTS: Ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) was offered to 45 patients, whereas 12 patients underwent total proctocolectomy with permanent end ileostomy (TPC). Men showed a non-significant improvement in median IIEF-5 score after proctectomy (22.0 vs 23.0, p=0.152). The majority of men had no erectile dysfunction either before (56.4%) or after (51.3%) surgery (p=0.599). Changes remained insignificant for subgroup analysis according to age, disease and surgical procedure. Female patients had also a non-significant improvement in overall median score (23.0 vs 24.1, p=0.856). Women's score remained below the cut-off value of 26.5 for almost every subgroup analyzed. CONCLUSIONS: Proctectomy did not affect SF of IBD patents six months after surgery. Female patients seem to face more frequently a poor SF compared to men.

Quality of life of ulcerative colitis patients treated surgically with proctocolectomy and J-pouch formation: a comparative study before surgery and after closure of the defunctioning ileostomy.

BACKGROUND: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a lifelong disease with a relapse-remission pattern that affects patients' social and psychological wellbeing. Restorative proctocolectomy and J-pouch formation is the gold-standard surgical procedure in cases where symptoms are refractory to currently available medical treatment. The aim of this study was to assess patients' quality of life (QoL) in order to evaluate the efficiency of surgery and patients' symptomatology. METHODS: We performed a prospective comparative study of the QoL of 47 patients with UC, treated surgically. As research tools, we used the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (IBDQ) and the Cleveland Global Quality of Life (CGQL) questionnaire. Parametric and non-parametric tests were used in order to correlate areas of QoL and other selected factors, such as marital status, sex, age, and education. RESULTS: The mean scores before and after closure of the ileostomy were 153.29 and 178 for the IBDQ (P=0.0025), and 17.4 and 23.42 for the CGQL (P<0.001), suggesting an overall improvement in QoL. The research showed that there was no specific QoL factor, such as intestinal, systemic, emotional or social life symptoms, that improved significantly more than the others (P=0.99). The IBDQ showed that patients aged less than 20 years (P<0.001), female patients (P=0.03) and patients with secondary education (P<0.001) reported the greatest improvement. CONCLUSIONS: The QoL in UC patients treated surgically improved following closure of the de-functioning ileostomy. QoL studies are encouraged to optimize and maintain high standards of surgical care, and they could potentially be used for assessment of therapeutic efficacy.

Holt-Oram Syndrome in a Patient with Crohn's Disease: a Rare Case Report and Literature Review.

INTRODUCTION: Holt-Oram syndrome (HOS) is an uncommon autosomal dominant disorder defined by congenital cardiac defects, some anatomical deformities in the upper limb and conduction abnormalities. Sequence alteration of TBX5 gene located on chromosome 12 has associated with HOS. CASE REPORT: We present the case of a 26-year-old female with known upper limb alteration and ventricular septal defect who later in life developed Crohn's disease. CONCLUSION: To the best of our knowledge association of Holt-Oram syndrome with Crohn's disease has not been reported in literature before. Therefore, a possible genetic connection between Holt-Oram syndrome and Crohn's disease remains to be determined.

Risk factors for postoperative recurrence of Crohn's disease with emphasis on surgical predictors.

Intestinal resection for Crohn's disease is not curative and postoperative recurrence rates remain high. Early detection of indices associated with recurrence and risk stratification are fundamental for the postoperative management of patients. Early endoscopy at 6-12 months is the "gold standard" procedure, whereas other modalities such as fecal calprotectin and imaging techniques can contribute to the diagnosis of recurrence. The purpose of this review is to summarize current data regarding risk factors correlated with postoperative relapse. Smoking is a well-established, modifiable risk factor. There are sufficient data that correlate penetrating disease, perianal involvement, extensive resections, prior surgery, histological features (plexitis and granulomas), and improper management after resection with high rates for recurrence. The literature provides conflicting data for other possible predictors, such as age, sex, family history of inflammatory bowel disease, location of disease, strictureplasties, blood transfusions, and postoperative complications, necessitating further evidence. On the other hand, surgical factors such as anastomotic configuration, open or laparoscopic approach, and microscopic disease at specimen margins when macroscopic disease is resected, seem not to be related with an increased risk of recurrence. Further recognition of histological features as well as gene-related factors are promising fields for research.

Association of miR-146 rs2910164, miR-196a rs11614913, miR-221 rs113054794 and miR-224 rs188519172 polymorphisms with anti-TNF treatment response in a Greek population with Crohn's disease.

AIM: To investigate the correlation between rs2910164, rs11 614913, rs113054794, and rs188519172 polymorphisms and response to anti-TNF treatment in patients with Crohn's disease (CD). METHODS: One hundred seven patients with CD based on standard clinical, endoscopic, radiological, and pathological criteria were included in the study. They all received infliximab or adalimumab intravenously or subcutaneously at standard induction doses as per international guidelines. Clinical and biochemical response was assessed using the Harvey-Bradshaw index and CRP levels respectively. Endoscopic response was evaluated by ileocolonoscopy at week 12-20 of therapy. The changes in endoscopic appearance compared to baseline were classified into four categories, and patients were classified as responders and non-responders. Whole peripheral blood was extracted and genotyping was performed by PCR. RESULTS: One hundred and seven patients were included in the study. Seventy two (67.3%) patients were classified as complete responders, 22 (20.5%) as partial while 13 (12.1%) were primary non-responders. No correlation was detected between response to anti-TNF agents and patients' characteristics such as gender, age and disease duration while clinical and biochemical indexes used were associated with endoscopic response. Concerning prevalence of rs2910164, rs11614913, and rs188519172 polymorphisms of miR-146, miR-196a and miR-224 respectively no statistically important difference was found between complete, partial, and non-responders to anti-TNF treatment. Actually CC genotype of rs2910164 was not detected in any patient. Regarding rs113054794 of miR-221, normal CC genotype was the only one detected in all studied patients, suggesting this polymorphism is highly rare in the studied population. CONCLUSION: No correlation is detected between studied polymorphisms and patients' response to anti-TNF treatment. Polymorphism rs113054794 is not detected in our population.