The efficiency of low-dose hepatitis B immunoglobulin plus nucleos(t)ide analogs in preventing posttransplant hepatitis B virus recurrence

Background/aim: In this study, the efficiency of using low-dose hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) plus antiviral treatment according to individual needs has been evaluated in posttransplant hepatitis B virus (HBV) patients. Materials and methods: We retrospectively evaluated 179 patients who were admitted between 2009 and 2014. Five thousand IU intravenous HBIG was given in the anhepatic phase, and 400 IU/day intramuscular (IM) HBIG was given in the posttransplant period. After HBsAg seroconversion, 400 IU IM HBIG was continued as prophylaxis every two weeks. Results: The average follow-up period was 26 (2­65) months. Seventy patients had hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The HBV recurrence was 4.5% in the first year, and 5.8% in the third year. The HBsAg became negative in 11 (2­63) days, and anti-HBs became positive in 9 (1­31) days. HBsAg positivity occurred in 6 patients during the follow-up period. Five of these patients were those who underwent transplantation due to HCC. In 5 of the HCC patients, in whom HBsAg became positive, tumor recurrence was observed after 0.3­9.9 months. HBsAg positivity was more frequently detected in patients with HCC (P = 0.009). Conclusion: The HBV recurrence should be evaluated as a predictor of the HCC recurrence in patients who were transplanted due to HCC.

The efficacy and tolerability of glecaprevir/pibrentasvir treatment in a real-world chronic hepatitis C patients cohort.

Background and Aim: The aims of the present study were to evaluate the real-life efficacy and tolerability of glecaprevir (GLE)/pibrentasvir (PIB) in the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC). Materials and Methods: Between May 2019 and May 2022, 686 patients with CHC, treated with GLE/PIB combination from 21 participating centers in Turkiye, were enrolled in the study. Results: All patients were Caucasian, and their median age was 56 years. At the start of GLE/PIB treatment, the median serum Hepatitis C virus RNA and serum alanine amino transaminase (ALT) levels were 6.74 log10 IU/mL and 47 U/L, respectively. Fifty-three percent of the patients were infected with genotype 1b, followed by genotype 3 (17%). Diabetes was the more common concomitant disease. The sustained virological response (SVR12) was 91.4% with intent-to-treat analysis and 98.5% with per protocol analysis. The SVR12 rates were statistically significant differences between the patients who were i.v. drug users and non-user (88.0% vs. 98.8%, p=0.025). From the baseline to SVR12, the serum ALT levels and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score were significantly improved (p<0.001 and p=0.014, respectively). No severe adverse effect was observed. Conclusion: GLE/PIB is an effective and tolerable treatment in patients with CHC.

Prognostic significance of α-fetoprotein in gastric adenocarcinoma.

Introduction: α-fetoprotein (AFP)-producing gastric carcinoma is a rare type of gastric cancer. Compared with other types, it is more aggressive and prone to liver metastases. Aim: To investigate the prognostic characteristics of AFP in patients with gastric adenocarcinoma. Material and methods: Our study included 391 patients diagnosed with gastric adenocarcinoma, who were admitted between 2006 and 2019. For all patients, demographic characteristics, location of the lesion, levels of AFP, CEA, and CA19-9, pathology diagnosis, results of operation, and survival status were recorded. Results: In our study, 68.3% of the patients were male, and the mean age was 62.76 years. In 66 (16.9%) patients, AFP level (cut-off = 8.2 ng/dl) was higher than normal. A total of 26 cases were with AFP > 100 ng/ml. 92.3% of cases with positive AFP gastric cancer were stage 4, and liver metastasis was detected in 80.8%. No significant difference was found between groups with AFP levels of < 100 ng/ml and ≥ 100 ng/ml in terms of gender, location of the lesion, or stage of the tumour. An AFP value higher than 100 ng/ml was significantly associated with liver metastasis, pathological diagnoses, and metastasis status. There was a significant difference in mortality between AFP > 100 ng/ml and age. Conclusions: Predictors with high predictive value are needed for early diagnosis and screening of gastric cancer. We thought that comprehensive studies on this subject would contribute to the literature and reduce the mortality and economic losses by determining the prognosis of gastric cancer.

Serum Immune-Inflammation Index Assessment in the Patients with Ulcerative Colitis.

Radiologic and endoscopic diagnostic methods are used to determine disease activity in ulcerative colitis (UC). In order for endoscopic procedures to be invasive and to prevent radiation exposure, especially in young people, studies have been carried out frequently to determine a simple, fast, and reliable activity marker with laboratory methods. Our aim in this study is to determine the usefulness of serum immune-inflammatory index as a noninvasive marker of activation in patients with ulcerative colitis. A total of 82 consecutive patients treated with a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis were included in the study. The disease activation was assessed using the Mayo endoscopic subscore. The site of involvement was grouped into two as left colitis and extensive colitis. Patients were divided into two groups as those who had active disease based on clinical and endoscopic findings and those who were in remission. C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, platelets, neutrophils, and lymphocytes were recorded in all participants. The systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) and CRP values were compared between UC patients with active disease or remission. The correlations between CRP, SII, and Mayo endoscopic subscores were analyzed. In addition, ROC curve analysis for SII was performed to determine the cut-off value, sensitivity, and specificity in determining ulcerative colitis activity. The value of SII was significantly higher in the active group than the remission group (respectively, 1497 ± 1300 and 495 ± 224, p < 0.001). In the correlation analysis, a significant correlation was found between SII and Mayo subscore. In ROC curve analysis, SII was found to be significantly effective in determining activity in ulcerative colitis patients. For 0.860 area under the curve, the sensitivity was 68.1% and the specificity was 91.2% at a cut-off value of 781.5. SII is significantly higher in patients with active ulcerative colitis than those in remission. It shows promise for use as a noninvasive marker of active ulcerative colitis.

Characteristics of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: A multicenter study.

Background and Aim: The aim of the present study was to examine the etiology of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by underlying cause and determine the characteristics and clinical features of patients with HCC. Materials and Methods: The study comprised 1802 HCC patients diagnosed and followed up by Liver Diseases Outpatient Clinics in 14 tertiary centers in Turkey between 2001 and 2020. Results: The mean age was 62.3±10.7 years, and 78% of them were males. Of the patients, 82% had cirrhosis. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection was the most common etiology (54%), followed by hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection (19%) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) (10%). Of the patients, 56% had a single lesion. Macrovascular invasion and extrahepatic spread were present in 15% and 12% of the patients, respectively. The median serum alpha-fetoprotein level was 25.4 ng/mL. In total, 39% of the patients fulfilled the Milan Criteria. When we compared the characteristics of patients diagnosed before and after January 2016, the proportion of NAFLD-related HCC cases increased after 2016, from 6.6% to 13.4%. Conclusion: Chronic HBV and HCV infections remain the main causes of HCC in Turkey. The importance of NAFLD as a cause of HCC is increasing.

Ineffective esophageal motility assessment in patients with and without pathological esophageal acid reflux.

ABSTRACT: Ineffective esophageal motility (IEM), defined as minor esophageal motility disorder, is also the most common esophageal motility disorder. The relationship between gastro-esophageal reflux disease is still controversial. Our aim in this study is to evaluate whether there are differences in terms of demographic, endoscopic, or motility findings between IEM patients with pathological esophageal acid reflux and physiological reflux.Patients diagnosed with IEM according to the Chicago classification v3 with high-resolution manometry (HRM) before acid monitoring constituted the study group of our investigation. The patients were divided into 2 groups as patients with pathological esophageal reflux and patients with physiological reflux according to 24-hour acid monitoring. Demographic data, endoscopic findings, and HRM findings were compared between 2 groups.A total of 62 patients who were diagnosed with IEM according to the Chicago classification v3 were included in the study. Patients in the physiological reflux group were 7 years younger on average than the pathological reflux group. Esophagitis rates were significantly higher in the pathological reflux group (P = .033). Lower esophageal sphincter resting pressure, integrated relaxation pressure, and the presence of hernia were found to be similar in the 2 groups (P = 392, P = 182, P = 657, respectively). The rate of severe IEM was also similar between the 2 groups (P = .143).The fact that the physiological reflux patient group is younger may suggest that the IEM develops in the early period and then reflux accompanies the picture with advancing age.

Real-world efficacy and safety of Ledipasvir + Sofosbuvir and Ombitasvir/Paritaprevir/Ritonavir ± Dasabuvir combination therapies for chronic hepatitis C: A Turkish experience.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study aimed to evaluate the real-life efficacy and tolerability of direct-acting antiviral treatments for patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) with/without cirrhosis in the Turkish population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 4,352 patients with CHC from 36 different institutions in Turkey were enrolled. They received ledipasvir (LDV) and sofosbuvir (SOF)±ribavirin (RBV) orombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir±dasabuvir (PrOD)±RBV for 12 or 24 weeks. Sustained virologic response (SVR) rates, factors affecting SVR, safety profile, and hepatocellular cancer (HCC) occurrence were analyzed. RESULTS: SVR12 was achieved in 92.8% of the patients (4,040/4,352) according to intention-to-treat and in 98.3% of the patients (4,040/4,108) according to per-protocol analysis. The SVR12 rates were similar between the treatment regimens (97.2%-100%) and genotypes (95.6%-100%). Patients achieving SVR showed a significant decrease in the mean serum alanine transaminase (ALT) levels (50.90±54.60 U/L to 17.00±14.50 U/L) and model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) scores (7.51±4.54 to 7.32±3.40) (p<0.05). Of the patients, 2 were diagnosed with HCC during the treatment and 14 were diagnosed with HCC 37.0±16.0 weeks post-treatment. Higher initial MELD score (odds ratio [OR]: 1.92, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.22-2.38; p=0.023]), higher hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA levels (OR: 1.44, 95% CI: 1.31-2.28; p=0.038), and higher serum ALT levels (OR: 1.38, 95% CI: 1.21-1.83; p=0.042) were associated with poor SVR12. The most common adverse events were fatigue (12.6%), pruritis (7.3%), increased serum ALT (4.7%) and bilirubin (3.8%) levels, and anemia (3.1%). CONCLUSION: LDV/SOF or PrOD±RBV were effective and tolerable treatments for patients with CHC and with or without advanced liver disease before and after liver transplantation. Although HCV eradication improves the liver function, there is a risk of developing HCC.

Hepatitis B and hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence after living donor liver transplantation: The role of the Milan criteria.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the Milan criteria on the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence in patients who underwent living donor liver transplantation due to HBV-induced cirrhosis and HCC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We evaluated a total of 142 patients, 88 who underwent transplantation due to HBV-induced cirrhosis and 54 due to HCC, between 2009 and 2014. In the posttranplant period, after the HBsAg seroconversion, 400 IU of hepatitis B immunoglobulin were applied intramuscularly every 2 weeks, and daily nucleos(t)ide analogs were continued as prophylaxis. The HBV recurrence was defined as the presence of HBsAg in serum. Patients were screened for alpha-fetoprotein levels and imaging for evaluation of HCC recurrence. RESULTS: The average follow-up period was 26 (2-65) months. Fifty-four patients had HCC. The HCC recurrence was observed in 12 patients during the follow-up period. The HBV recurrence was observed in four patients. Three of the patients who developed HBV recurrence had liver transplantation due to HCC. Tumor recurrence was observed 1.4-12 months following the HBV recurrence. The HCC recurrence within the Milan criteria and beyond the Milan criteria was 0% vs. 28.4 % in the first year and 3.4% vs. 47.5% in the third year. The cumulative incidence of the HBV recurrence was 2.8% and 3.7% for the first year and 3.7% for the third year. The HBV recurrence was more frequently detected in patients with HCC (p=0.048), especially with HCC beyond the Milan criteria (p=0.044). CONCLUSION: The HBV recurrence should be evaluated as a predictor of the HCC recurrence in patients who underwent liver transplantation due to HCC with exceeding Milan criteria.

Evaluation of hepatitis A, B, and C serology in patients with cirrhosis and intensive alcohol consumption.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the serology of hepatitis A, B, and C in patients with cirrhosis and intensive alcohol consumption. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the viral serology results of 817 patients with cirrhosis and intensive alcohol consumption who presented to the Gastroenterology Clinic of Atatürk Training and Research Hospital of Izmir Katip Çelebi University between April 2008 and December 2017. The diagnosis of cirrhosis was based on clinical and biochemical evaluations and imaging results. Patients consuming absolute alcohol 40 g/day for >10 years were included and those who quit drinking ≥15 years ago were excluded. RESULTS: Of all the patients, 806 (98.7%) were positive for anti-HAV IgG, 159 (19.5%) for HBsAg, and 32 (3.9%) for anti-HCV. Genotyping was performed in 13 patients. Genotype 1 was detected in 10 patients (1a, one patient; 1b, nine patients) and genotype 3 in three patients. Of the patients with HBV, 10.0% had HBeAg and 7.6% had anti-delta. One-hundred and two (12.5%) patients had HCC, and of these, six (5.9%) were HCV-positive and 53 (52.0%) were HBsAg-positive. CONCLUSION: Patients with cirrhosis and intensive alcohol consumption have an increased hepatitis B and C prevalence. Patients with chronic viral hepatitis with alcohol habit are at a higher risk for HCC. Therefore, patients with cirrhosis and intensive alcohol consumption should be screened for hepatitis B and C.

Evaluation of Laboratory Findings and Mortality in Elderly Patients with Acute Biliary Pancreatitis.

OBJECTIVES: Gallstones are the most common cause of acute biliary pancreatitis. Laboratory and imaging findings as well as age are important predictors for mortality. Hospitalization rate is also higher in elderly patients. In this study, we investigated clinical parameters and total mortality in patients with acute pancreatitis aged >65 years. METHODS: In this study, 852 patients who entered the Gastroenterology Clinic for acute biliary pancreatitis between April 2006 and October 2013 were included. Data were retrospectively collected from the electronic record system. The patients with elevated aspartate aminotransferase levels (i.e. three times higher than normal value), cholelithiasis, cholecystectomy history, or choledocholithiasis were accepted as the patients with acute biliary pancreatitis. Patients were divided into two groups based on their age, i.e., >65 and <65 years. RESULTS: In the group with patients aged <65 years, serum alanine aminotransferase, albumin, hematocrit, and amylase, and in the group with patients aged >65 years, urea, leukocyte, and C-reactive protein levels were significantly different. Median hospital stay was similar in both the groups. The rate of detection of choledocholithiasis was significantly higher in elderly patients (p<0.001). Mortality rate was significantly higher in elderly patients for 28 day (0.21% and 2.95%, p<0.001) and 90 day (1.25% and 5.63%, p<0.001). In logistic regression multivariate analysis, age (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.54-1.36; p=0.006), elevated urea levels (OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.05-1.19; p=0.001), elevated hematocrit levels (OR 1.42, 95% CI 1.13-1.77; p=0.002), and decreased albumin levels (OR 0.05, 95% CI 0.004-0.652; p=0.022) were found predictors for 90-day mortality. CONCLUSION: Laboratory findings in elderly patients with acute pancreatitis may differ from those in younger patients. Although radiological findings are similar in both the groups, mortality is higher in the group with patients aged >65 years.

The association of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease with genetic polymorphisms: a multicenter study.

INTRODUCTION: Growing evidence suggests that multiple factors, such as insulin resistance, nutritional factors, gut microbiota, and hormones released from the adipose tissue, act together on genetically predisposed individuals. We aimed to investigate whether various single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) play a role in the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and severity of liver damage in the Anatolian population. METHODS: Two hundred and sixteen patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD and 150 control participants, aged 18-70 years, were consecutively enrolled in this multicenter study. Blood samples were genotyped for the PNPLA3 (rs738409), IL28B (rs12979860, rs12980275, rs8099917), PPAR-α 227 ALA, PPAR-γ pro 12 ALA, SOD2 C47T, and LOX-1 IVS4-14 polymorphisms using the custom-made LightSNiP assays on a LightCycler 480 II instrument. RESULTS: Genotypic distributions of PNPLA3 rs738409 SNPs were different between NAFLD and control participants, but not for other SNPs. The PNPLA3 rs738409 GG polymorphism was associated with a 27-fold increased risk of development of NAFLD (odds ratio=27.8, 95% confidence interval: 3.5-218.4; P=0.002). Patients with the PNPLA3 GG genotype had higher nonalcoholic fatty liver disease activity score levels compared with patients with the PNPLA3 CC genotype (P<0.005). NAFLD patients without fibrosis had a higher frequency of IL28B rs12979860 TT and rs12980275 GG genotypes compared with NAFLD patients with fibrosis (P<0.005). CONCLUSION: The present study proposes that polymorphisms in the PNPLA3 gene have highly predictive value in the development of NAFLD and are independently associated with the severity of liver histology in patients with NAFLD. The results of this study suggest that IL28B rs12979860 TT or rs12980275 GG may play an important protective role against the development of advanced fibrosis and even cirrhosis.

DNA methylation profiling identifies novel markers of progression in hepatitis B-related chronic liver disease.

BACKGROUND: Chronic hepatitis B infection is characterized by hepatic immune and inflammatory response with considerable variation in the rates of progression to cirrhosis. Genetic variants and environmental cues influence predisposition to the development of chronic liver disease; however, it remains unknown if aberrant DNA methylation is associated with fibrosis progression in chronic hepatitis B. RESULTS: To identify epigenetic marks associated with inflammatory and fibrotic processes of the hepatitis B-induced chronic liver disease, we carried out hepatic genome-wide methylation profiling using Illumina Infinium BeadArrays comparing mild and severe fibrotic disease in a discovery cohort of 29 patients. We obtained 310 differentially methylated regions and selected four loci comprising three genes from the top differentially methylated regions: hypermethylation of HOXA2 and HDAC4 along with hypomethylation of PPP1R18 were significantly linked to severe fibrosis. We replicated the prominent methylation marks in an independent cohort of 102 patients by bisulfite modification and pyrosequencing. The timing and causal relationship of epigenetic modifications with disease severity was further investigated using a cohort of patients with serial biopsies. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest a linkage of widespread epigenetic dysregulation with disease progression in chronic hepatitis B infection. CpG methylation at novel genes sheds light on new molecular pathways, which can be potentially exploited as a biomarker or targeted to attenuate inflammation and fibrosis.

Severe exudative ascites as an initial presentation of Crohn's disease.

Ascites in the course of Crohn's diseases is rarely seen and usually is a result of a concomitant malignancy, infection or thrombosis of portal or hepatic veins. In this article, a 55-year-old female patient suffering from severe ascites and finally diagnosed as Crohn's disease is presented. Further investigations revealed no malignancy, peritoneal infection or vein thrombosis. Treatment of Crohn's disease with steroids and 5-aminosalicylic acid also resulted in the disappearance of the ascites.

Genetic polymorphisms of ADH1B, ADH1C and ALDH2 in Turkish alcoholics: lack of association with alcoholism and alcoholic cirrhosis.

No data exists regarding the alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) gene polymorphisms in Turkish alcoholic cirrhotics. We studied the polymorphisms of ADH1B, ADH1C and ALDH2 genes in alcoholic cirrhotics and compared the results with non-cirrhotic alcoholics and healthy volunteers. Overall, 237 subjects were included for the study: 156 alcoholic patients (78 cirrhotics, 78 non-cirrhotic alcoholics) and 81 healthy volunteers. Three different single-nucleotide-polymorphism genotyping methods were used. ADH1C genotyping was performed using a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. The identified ADH1C genotypes were named according to the presence or absence of the enzyme restriction sites. ADH1B (Arg47Hys) genotyping was performed using the allele specific primer extension method, and ALDH2 (Glu487Lys) genotyping was performed by a multiplex polymerase chain reaction using two allele-specific primer pairs. For ADH1B, the frequency of allele *1 in the cirrhotics, non-cirrhotic alcoholics and healthy volunteers was 97.4%, 94.9% and 99.4%, respectively. For ADH1C, the frequency of allele *1 in the cirrhotics, non-cirrhotic alcoholics and healthy volunteers was 47%, 36.3% and 45%, respectively. There was no statistical difference between the groups for ADH1B and ADH1C (p>0.05). All alcoholic and non-alcoholic subjects (100%) had the allele *1 for ALDH2. The obtained results for ADH1B, ADH1C, and ALDH gene polymorphisms in the present study are similar to the results of Caucasian studies. ADH1B and ADH1C genetic variations are not related to the development of alcoholism or susceptibility to alcoholic cirrhosis. ALDH2 gene has no genetic variation in the Turkish population.

Gastric polyps and polypoid lesions: Retrospective analysis of 36650 endoscopic procedures in 29940 patients.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The frequency of gastric polyps increases with the widespread use of endoscopy for diagnosis and treatment. As gastric polyps can be malignant or premalignant, histopathological evaluation is needed. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and characteristics of gastric polyps in patients undergoing endoscopy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study consisted of a retrospective analysis of 36650 consecutive endoscopy and associated pathology reports of 29940 patients between December 2005 and February 2012 in a tertiary-referral center. RESULTS: Gastric polypoid lesions were detected in 666 (2.22%) patients. Hyperplastic polyps were the most common type of polyps (36.2%), followed by fundic gland polyps (8.3%), inflammatory fibroid polyps (2.4%) and adenomatous polyps (1.9%). Foveolar hyperplasia, neuroendocrine tumor, xanthoma, gastrointestinal stromal tumor, adenocarcinoma and lymphoma were less commonly seen. Malignant transformation was seen in 0.42% of hyperplastic polyps and in 23.1% of adenomatous polyps. CONCLUSION: Endoscopic appearance of gastric polyps can be variable, distinguishing macroscopically can be misleading. Because of their malignant potential histopathological evaluation is mandatory and polypectomy should be performed whenever possible.

An Evaluation of the Correlation between Hepcidin Serum Levels and Disease Activity in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Aim. While there are many well-defined serological markers for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), there is limited evidence that they positively affect clinical outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between hepcidin serum levels and disease activity in IBD. Materials and Methods. Eighty-five consecutive IBD patients were enrolled in the study. Hepcidin serum levels were assessed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and were compared with disease activity as well as the interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. Results. The mean hepcidin serum levels in Crohn's disease (CD) patients in remission and in the active phase were 3837 ± 1436 and 3752 ± 1274 pg/mL, respectively (P = 0.613). The mean hepcidin serum levels in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients in remission and in the active phase were 4285 ± 8623 and 3727 ± 1176 pg/mL, respectively (P = 0.241). Correlation analysis between inflammatory markers and hepcidin serum levels indicated that there was no correlation between hepcidin levels and IL-6 (P = 0.582) or CRP (P = 0.783). Conclusion. As an acute-phase protein, hepcidin seems to have a lower efficacy than other parameters in the detection of activation in IBD.

Can red cell distribution width be a marker of disease activity in ulcerative colitis?

AIM: The current study aimed to investigate the association between disease activity and red cell distribution width (RDW) levels in ulcerative colitis and to determine whether RDW can be used as a marker of disease activity in non-anemic ulcerative colitis. METHODS: The RDW levels of 310 ulcerative colitis patients who underwent colonoscopy were analyzed retrospectively. The patients were divided into two groups (active disease and remission) according to the endoscopic activity index. In addition, the accuracy of RDW in determining disease activity in non-anemic patients was assessed. The efficacy of RDW in determining disease activity was compared to that of white blood cell count, platelet count, C-reactive protein, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate. RESULTS: Two hundred and six (66.5%) patients had active disease, and 104 (33.5%) were in remission. The mean RDW levels in patients with active ulcerative colitis and in those in remission were 16.8±2.9 and 15.5±1.4, respectively (P<0.001). Ninety-six (46.6%) patients in the active disease group and 89 (85.6%) in the remission group were non-anemic, and their respective RDW levels were 15.4±1.2 and 15.3±1.1 (P=0.267). The sensitivity and specificity of RDW in determining inflammation were 41% and 91%, respectively (AUC 0.65, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that RDW can be used as a marker for disease activity in ulcerative colitis, but it did not have the same efficacy in the non-anemic group.

Evaluation of factors associated with response to hepatitis B vaccination in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

It is recommended to investigate the serology of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and vaccinate seronegative patients at the time of diagnosis in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of HBV vaccine and factors affecting the response.In this retrospective, observational study, HBV-seronegative IBD patients were administered 3 doses (at months 0, 1, and 6) recombinant 20  µg HbsAg. Patients' demographics, IBD attributes, and treatment methods were investigated as the factors with potential impacts on vaccination outcomes.One hundred twenty-five patients with IBD were evaluated. The number of patients with Anti-HBs >10  IU/L was 71 (56.8%), and the number of patients with anti-HBs >100  IU/L was 50 (40%). Age, disease activity, Crohn disease subtype, and immunosuppressive treatment (IST) were found to have significant effects on immune response (P = 0.011, P < 0.001, P = 0.003, and P < 0.001, respectively). With multivariate analysis, age < 45 years (OR 3.1, 95% CI 1.2-8.3, P = 0.020), vaccination during remission (OR 5.6, 95% CI 2.3-14, P < 0.001), and non-IST (OR 11.1, 95% CI 2.9-43.2, P = 0.001) had favorable effects on the occurrence of adequate vaccine response.The likelihood of achieving adequate immune response with standard HBV vaccination protocol in IBD is low. Selecting vaccination protocols with more potent immunogenicity is a better approach to achieve effective vaccine response in patients with multiple unfavorable factors.