Concurrent immunomodulator therapy is associated with higher adalimumab trough levels during scheduled maintenance therapy.

INTRODUCTION: Combination therapy with infliximab and immunomodulators is superior to monotherapy, resulting in better outcomes and higher trough levels of infliximab. The role of concurrent immunomodulatory therapy on adalimumab trough levels has not been adequately investigated. We evaluated the impact of concomitant immunomodulation on adalimumab trough levels in patients on scheduled maintenance therapy. METHOD: We conducted a prospective observational, cross-sectional study of all inflammatory bowel disease patients on maintenance therapy who had adalimumab trough levels measured between January 2013 and January 2016. Drug level and anti-drug antibody measurements were performed on sera using a solid phase assay. Pairwise comparison of means was used to compare trough levels in patients with and without concomitant immune modulator therapy. RESULTS: In total, 79 patients were included. Twenty-three patients (29.1%) were on weekly dosing whereas 56 (70.9%) were on alternate weeks. Median adalimumab trough levels were comparable in patients with and without clinical remission (6.8 µg/ml (IQR 5.6-8.1) versus 6.7 µg/ml (IQR 3.9-8.1), respectively. Patients with an elevated faecal calprotectin >250 µg/g had lower adalimumab trough levels (median 6.7, IQR 3.9-8) compared to patients with faecal calprotectin <250 µg/g (median 7.7, IQR 6.1-8.1) though this did not achieve statistical significance (p = .062). Median adalimumab trough levels among patients on concurrent immunomodulators was 7.2 µg/ml (IQR 5.7-8.1) compared to those not on concurrent immunomodulator, 6.1 µg/ml (IQR 2.7-7.7, p = .0297). CONCLUSION: Adalimumab trough levels were significantly higher in patients on concurrent immunomodulators during maintenance therapy. There was a trend towards a lower adalimumab trough level in patients with elevated calprotectin.

New-Generation High-Definition Colonoscopes Increase Adenoma Detection when Screening a Moderate-Risk Population for Colorectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Adenoma detection rate (ADR) is the most important quality indicator for screening colonoscopy, due to its association with colorectal cancer outcomes. As a result, a number of techniques and technologies have been proposed that have the potential to improve ADR. The aim of this study was to assess the potential impact of new-generation high-definition (HD) colonoscopy on ADR within the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme (BCSP). METHOD: This was a retrospective single-center observational study in patients undergoing an index screening colonoscopy. The examination was performed with either standard-definition colonoscopes (Olympus Q240/Q260 series) or HD colonoscopes (Olympus HQ290 EVIS LUCERA ELITE system) with the primary outcome measures of ADR and mean adenoma per procedure (MAP) between the 2 groups. RESULTS: A total of 395 patients (60.5% male, mean age 66.8 years) underwent screening colonoscopy with 45% performed with HD colonoscopes. The cecal intubation rate was 97.5% on an intention-to-treat basis and ADR was 68.6%. ADR with standard-definition was 63.13%, compared with 75.71% with HD (P = .007). The MAP in the HD group was 2.1 (± 2.0), whereas in the standard-definition group it was 1.6 (± 1.8) (P = .01). There was no significant difference in withdrawal time between the 2 groups. In the multivariate regression model, only HD scopes (P = .03) and male sex (P = .04) independently influenced ADR. CONCLUSION: Olympus H290 LUCERA ELITE HD colonoscopes improved adenoma detection within the moderate-risk population. A 12% improvement in ADR might be expected to increase significantly the protection afforded by colonoscopy against subsequent colorectal cancer mortality.