Efficacy of serum leucine-rich alpha-2 glycoprotein in predicting findings of Crohn's disease small bowel lesion in capsule endoscopy.

Background/Aims: Small bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE) is an evaluation method for small bowel (SB) lesions in Crohn's disease (CD). However, the relationship between SBCE findings and the serological biomarker leucine-rich alpha-2 glycoprotein (LRG) remains unclear. We aimed to establish appropriate cutoff values of LRG to predict the presence of SB lesions in CD through SBCE. Methods: Patients with CD with SB lesions who had undergone SBCE and LRG measurements 1 month before and after the SBCE were included. The LRG values for ulcers ≥0.5 cm and other inflammatory lesions noted in SBCE were determined using the Youden Index, and the sensitivity and specificity were calculated. Additionally, the correlation between the SBCE scores (CD Activity in Capsule Endoscopy) and LRG values was evaluated. Results: Forty patients without active colorectal lesions were included in the study. When the cutoff value of LRG for SB ulcers ≥ 0.5 cm was set at 14 µg/mL, the sensitivity was 92.3%, specificity was 81.5%, positive predictive value (PPV) was 70.6%, and negative predictive value (NPV) was 95.7%. In contrast, an LRG cutoff value of 12 µg/mL without inflammatory findings had a sensitivity of 91.7%, specificity of 82.1%, PPV of 68.8%, and NPV of 95.8%. CD Activity in Capsule Endoscopy correlated well with LRG values (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient ρ = 0.681, P< 0.001). Conclusions: An LRG cutoff value of 14 µg/mL may be useful in predicting the presence of SB ulcers ≥ 0.5 cm, and an LRG cutoff value of 12 µg/mL may be useful in predicting the absence of SB inflammatory findings.

Comparison of Endoscopic and Artificial Intelligence Diagnoses for Predicting the Histological Healing of Ulcerative Colitis in a Real-World Clinical Setting.

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted colonoscopy systems with contact microscopy capabilities have been reported previously; however, no studies regarding the clinical use of a commercially available system in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) have been reported. In this study, the diagnostic performance of an AI-assisted ultra-magnifying colonoscopy system for histological healing was compared with that of conventional light non-magnifying endoscopic evaluation in patients with UC. Methods: The data of 52 patients with UC were retrospectively analyzed. The Mayo endoscopic score (MES) was determined by 3 endoscopists. Using the AI system, healing of the same spot assessed via MES was defined as a predicted Geboes score (GS) < 3.1. The GS was then determined using pathology specimens from the same site. Results: A total of 191 sites were evaluated, including 159 with a GS < 3.1. The MES diagnosis identified 130 sites as MES0. A total of 120 sites were determined to have healed based on AI. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy of MES0 for the diagnosis of GS < 3.1 were 79.2%, 90.6%, 97.7%, 46.8%, and 81.2%, respectively. The AI system performed similarly to MES for the diagnosis of GS < 3.1: sensitivity, 74.2%; specificity: 93.8%; PPV: 98.3%; NPV: 42.3%; and accuracy: 77.5%. The AI system also significantly identified a GS of < 3.1 in the setting of MES1 (P = .0169). Conclusions: The histological diagnostic yield the MES- and AI-assisted diagnoses was comparable. Healing decisions using AI may avoid the need for histological examinations.

A retrospective study to investigate the efficacy and safety of granulocyte and monocyte adsorptive apheresis in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis with ulcerative colitis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Primary sclerosing cholangitis has a poor prognosis and can be accompanied by ulcerative colitis. Infection control is essential, so immunosuppressive drugs should ideally be preferably. Granulocyte and monocyte adsorptive apheresis does not suppress the immune system and is used to treat ulcerative colitis. Therefore, this study investigated the efficacy and safety of granulocyte and monocyte adsorptive apheresis in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis and ulcerative colitis. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated data from patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis with ulcerative colitis who visited our hospital from April 2000 to December 2022 and underwent granulocyte and monocyte adsorptive apheresis (n = 10, number of treatment cycles = 15). Study endpoints were remission induction rate and safety, assessed as changes in liver functions and adverse events. RESULTS: Seven of the 10 patients were male. The median (min-max) age was 23 (18-77) years. The most common disease type was right-dominant pancolitis. Remission occurred after 86.6% of cycles (13/15). Serum alkaline phosphatase and Aspartate transaminase were significantly lower after treatment (P = .0124, P = .002), and no negative effects on liver function were seen. The only adverse events were headache (n = 1) and decreased blood pressure (n = 1). CONCLUSIONS: Granulocyte and monocyte adsorptive apheresis has high efficacy for intestinal lesions and improves alkaline phosphatase and aspartate transaminase levels (high levels are a poor prognosis factor). It appears to be a treatment option in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis associated with ulcerative colitis.

A Patient with Crohn's Disease Who Gave Birth Despite Sigmoid Volvulus, Venous Thrombosis, Nontraumatic Fracture of the Rib, and Sepsis during Pregnancy.

The patient was a woman in her 40s who was diagnosed with Crohn's disease (CD) of the large and small intestines in 1996. In 2005, she was referred to our hospital for treatment. We treated her for 17 years with corticosteroids, biologics, immunosuppressive agents, 5-aminosalicylic acid, and nutrition care. However, her Crohn's Disease Activity Index remained between 200 and 250, indicating refractory CD. During her medical treatment, the patient also underwent 3 operations. One year ago, the patient became pregnant through in vitro fertilization. Even after pregnancy was confirmed, the patient continued her treatment for refractory CD with ustekinumab, granulocyte apheresis, and budesonide. Nonetheless, her CD was highly active during pregnancy, and she experienced various complications: sigmoid volvulus at gestational week 15, venous thrombosis at gestational week 17, nontraumatic rib fracture due to fetal movement at gestational week 32, and sepsis from central venous catheter infection at gestational week 37. At gestational week 38, the patient gave birth by emergency cesarian delivery. This paper reports details of the case in which delivery was achieved after various complications were overcome and discusses previous relevant reports.

Multiple Small Bowel Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors Associated with Neurofibromatosis Type 1 that Were Not Detected by Endoscopy: A Case Report.

We treated a 39-year-old Japanese man who was admitted for an abdominal mass. He had had neurofibroma-like skin lesions since childhood. Computed tomography and endoscopic ultrasound results were consistent with a tumor in the small intestine. Although the tumor was undetectable by single-balloon endoscopy, the patient's background and imaging results led us to suspect a gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). He also met the diagnostic criteria for neurofibroma type 1 (NF1). We performed a surgical removal of the tumor, and the biopsy results led to a definitive diagnosis of GIST. Small bowel GISTs should be considered in cases of NF1.

Serum Leucine-Rich Alpha-2 Glycoprotein in Quiescent Crohn's Disease as a Potential Surrogate Marker for Small-Bowel Ulceration detected by Capsule Endoscopy.

Background: Small bowel (SB) lesions in quiescent Crohn's disease (CD) are sometimes not identified by clinical activity or existing markers. We investigated the usefulness of a novel biomarker, leucine-rich α2-glycoprotein (LRG), for screening for the presence of SB ulcerative lesions detected by small-bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE). Methods: We examined patients with a Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) value < 150 and a C-reactive protein (CRP) value < 0.5 mg/dL with SB or SB colonic CD. The presence of small-bowel ulcerative lesions (≥0.5 cm) was grouped by SBCE results, and we then compared the groups' LRG value to establish a cutoff value for screening for the presence of lesions. Results: In 40 patients with CD, the LRG values differed significantly between the patients with and without SB ulcerative lesions (Ul + 14.1 (2.1−16.5) µg/mL vs. Ul − 12.3 (9.3−13.5) µg/mL; p = 0.0105). The respective cutoff LRG values for the presence of SB ulcerative lesions was 14 µg/mL (areas under the ROC curve 0.77), with sensitivity 63.6%, specificity 82.8%, positive predictive values 58.3%, negative predictive values 85.7%, and accuracy 78%. Conclusion: These results indicate that LRG may be useful in predicting the presence of SB inflammation associated in patients with CD with CRP < 0.5 mg/dL and CDAI < 150, and in selecting patients for SBCE.

The Influence of Obesity on Small Bowel Capsule Endoscopy.

Objective: Intestinal motility may be different in obese and nonobese patients, but this has not been determined. Here, we sought to evaluate the effect of obesity on small bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE). Patients and Methods. We retrospectively analyzed the cases of the 340 patients who underwent SBCE for small intestinal disease (excluding cases of unobservable total small bowel, small bowel stenosis, and bowel resection) at our hospital during the period January 2014 to December 2020 to extract patient background factors and the bowel transit times of SBCE according to the presence/absence of obesity (defined as a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m2). Results: The obese group was 54 patients (nonobese, n = 286). The small bowel transit time (SBTT) was significantly shorter in the obese patients compared to the nonobese patients (p = 0.0026), and when we divided the patients by their short/long SBTTs using 216.5 min as the cutoff, we observed significant between-group differences in the patients' age (≥60 years) and in the patients' hospitalization status at the time of the SBCE examination. A multivariate analysis revealed that hospitalized status at the examination is a factor contributing significantly to a long SBTT (OR 0.25, 95% CI: 0.15-0.42, p < 0.0001). An analysis using the outpatient/inpatient conditions showed that obesity was an independent factor in the inpatient status at the SBCE examination with a significant short SBTT (OR 2.91, 95% CI: 1.06-7.97, p = 0.0380). Constipation at the examination was also a factor contributing to a long SBTT (OR 0.26, 95% CI: 0.07-0.99, p = 0.0493). Conclusion: The SBTT of the SBCE was significantly shorter in the obese patients. This tendency was especially evident in the hospitalized state.

Granulocyte and monocyte apheresis therapy for patients with active ulcerative colitis associated with COVID-19: a case report.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is now a pandemic. Although several treatment guidelines have been proposed for patients who have both inflammatory bowel disease and COVID-19, immunosuppressive therapy is essentially not recommended, and the treatment options are limited. Even in the COVID-19 pandemic, adjuvant adsorptive granulocyte and monocyte apheresis may safely bring ulcerative colitis (UC) into remission by removing activated myeloid cells without the use of immunosuppressive therapy. Our patient was a 25-year-old Japanese male with UC and COVID-19. This is the first case report of the induction of UC remission with granulocyte and monocyte apheresis treatment for active UC associated with COVID-19.

Clinical Characterization of Ulcerative Colitis in Patients with Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis.

OBJECTIVES: The clinical/colonoscopic features of ulcerative colitis (UC) associated with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), the prognostic impact of UC, and the utility of UC screening in PSC patients are unknown. We characterized UC associated with PSC and assessed UC's impact on the prognosis of PSC and the importance of colonoscopic UC screening in PSC patients. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the cases of 77 patients treated for PSC at a single center (April 2000-July 2019). We reviewed the clinical/colonoscopic profiles of the concurrent UC patients and compared the clinical profiles, survival, and primary causes of death between the patients with/without UC (n = 35/n = 42). The details of all patients' colonoscopies were reviewed. RESULTS: The concurrent UC group: 17 men, 18 women, diagnosed with PSC at the mean (SD) age of 36 (17) years; 21 patients (60%) had no UC symptoms. Colonoscopy revealed pancolitis in all patients, predominantly affecting the right-sided colon in 30 patients (86%). Lesions were scattered. Backwash ileitis (n = 13, 37%) and rectal sparing (n = 18, 51%) were observed. Most patients had mild UC; some had moderate or more severe UC (median Ulcerative Colitis Endoscopic Index of Severity (UCEIS) score 2; range, 1-5). Ludwig's stage determined by liver biopsy did not correlate with the Mayo endoscopic score for UC. The patients with UC were diagnosed with PSC at a significantly younger age than those without UC (mean (SD), 36 [17] years vs. 55 [19] years, p < 0.0001) and had a significantly higher 5-year survival rate (97.1% vs. 70.5%, p = 0.0028). UC was detected in 19 of 34 asymptomatic patients (56%) who underwent colonoscopy screening. CONCLUSIONS: Our cohort's clinical/colonoscopic features of UC associated with PSC are more moderate or severe UC than previous cases. The coexistence of UC might affect the prognosis of PSC. In this regard, colonoscopy in PSC patients is an important examination for determining prognosis. There is also asymptomatic UC in patients with PSC. In this regard, screening for colonoscopy in PSC patients is essential. When a diagnosis of PSC is made, immediate colonoscopy is a priority with UC complications in mind.

The Efficacy of Medium- to Long-term Anti-TNF-α Antibody-based Maintenance Therapy in Behçet's Disease Patients with Intestinal Lesions.

Objective Anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α antibody-based regimens are effective in Behçet's disease (BD) with intestinal lesions. We therefore evaluated the efficacy of medium- to long-term anti-TNF-α antibody-based maintenance therapy of BD intestinal and non-intestinal lesions. Methods In this retrospective study, the response to the treatment was assessed endoscopically and clinically. Treatment responders were transferred to maintenance therapy. We evaluated the sustain rate of maintenance therapy, reductions in the dose of prednisolone (PSL), and the presence of non-intestinal BD involvement before and after the start of anti-TNF-α antibody-based the maintenance therapy. Patients We assessed 20 BD patients with intestinal lesions who underwent anti-TNF-α antibody-based therapy. Results Treatment was discontinued in 3 patients (18%). Loss of response was noted in 1 (5.9%) patient. Maintenance therapy was continued in 13 (76%) patients. The cumulative sustain rates to maintenance therapy after 2, 4, and 6 years were 94%, 87%, and 72%, respectively. In the 13 patients with remission of intestinal lesions, the mean PSL dose decreased from 13.4±2.16 mg/day before treatment to 0.92±0.47 after treatment (p<0.0001). PSL was discontinued in 9 (69%) patients. Five of the 13 (38%) patients developed clinical features of non-intestinal BD during the remission-maintenance treatment. Conclusion Our results demonstrated the efficacy of medium- to long-term anti-TNF-α antibody-based maintenance treatment against BD intestinal lesions. Nevertheless, some cases with well-controlled intestinal lesions developed active non-intestinal BD symptoms. The results highlight the importance of a carefully planned treatment strategy for BD patients with intestinal involvement.

A Novel Capsule Endoscopic Score for Crohn's Disease.

Background and Aims: The Lewis Score (LS) and Capsule Endoscopy Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CECDAI) are the two currently used small bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE) scoring systems for Crohn's disease (CD). The present study describes a new scoring system for evaluation of small bowel CD, especially mucosal inflammation. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 108 CD patients underwent 196 SBCEs. The small bowel lesions were scored using our new Crohn's Disease Activity in Capsule Endoscopy (CDACE). CDACE is the sum of scores for location of inflammation, range of inflammation, and stenosis, with a value ranging from 0 to 1643. We analyzed the relation between CDACE and LS, CECDAI, CDAI, and CRP values and evaluated the inter-rater reliability of CDACE using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) (2.1). Results: The mean (±SD) values of LS, CECDAI, and CDACE were 501 ± 1177, 5.8 ± 5.4 and 431 ± 356, respectively. CDACE correlated significantly with LS and CECDAI (ρ = 0.737, P < 0.0001 for LS and ρ = 0.915, P < 0.0001 for CECDAI). CDACE also correlated significantly with CDAI (ρ = 0.36) and CRP (ρ = 0.23). The ICC (2.1) was 0.829, indicating strong agreement among readers. Conclusions: CDACE is a potentially useful SBCE scoring system for small bowel CD, as it represents the extent and spread of small bowel mucosal inflammation and stenosis.

Comparison of Lewis Score and Capsule Endoscopy Crohn's Disease Activity Index in Patients with Crohn's Disease.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Small bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE) is used to visualize mucosal inflammatory changes in the small intestine of patients with Crohn's disease (CD). The Lewis score (LS) and Capsule Endoscopy Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CECDAI) are used to evaluate the visualized images. We determined the score disagreement between LS and CECDAI in patients with CD. METHODS: We evaluated 184 SBCE procedures in 102 CD patients with small bowel lesions. Patients were classified according to the Montreal classification. LS and CECDAI were calculated, and cases with disagreement between the two scores were identified. We investigated the characteristics of disagreement, and analyzed the relationships with the Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) and C-reactive protein. RESULTS: LS (504 ± 1160) correlated strongly with CECDAI (6 ± 5.4) (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient ρ = 0.81, p < 0.0001). LS values of 135 and 790 were equivalent to CECDAI values of 4.9 and 6.9, respectively. The inflammatory changes by LS were significantly observed in several tertiles in the CECDAI discrepancy group (LS < 135, CECDAI ≥ 4.9) compared with the normal agreement group (LS < 135, CECDAI < 4.9) (p < 0.0001). In both groups, CDAI was also significantly different between Montreal L1 and L3 groups (p = 0.0232, p = 0.0196, respectively). LS inflammation score was 0 in six cases in the LS discrepancy group (LS ≥ 135, CECDAI ≤ 4.9, n = 10); the high LS scores were in patients with high stricture scores. CONCLUSIONS: Discrepancies between the LS and CECDAI scores were observed in some patients. Cases with high CECDAI alone exhibited extensive inflammation and high disease activity (clinical symptoms and biomarker levels). CECDAI seems to better reflect active intestinal inflammation than LS.

Evaluation of Intestinal Patency with the Patency Capsule: The Twenty-Four Hour Assessment Method.

INTRODUCTION: Confirmation of intestinal patency using the patency capsule (PC) in 30-33 h may result in a complex testing schedule. The aim of this study was to perform and evaluate a 24-h PC procedure for potential use as a simple and easy-to-apply intestinal patency assessment method. SUBJECT AND METHODS: The study included 342 patients who were assessed 24 h after ingesting a PC for assessment of intestinal patency. The PC elimination rate and the distribution of elimination time were evaluated. RESULTS: Assessment of intestinal patency was conducted in 308 (90%) patients. Self-confirmed PC elimination within 24 h was possible in 104 (30.4%) patients. The PC was considered to have been already eliminated in 38 (11.1%) patients. Thus, the extracorporeal elimination rate was 41.5%. Among 200 patients with non-extracorporeal elimination, the PC reached the large intestine in 166 patients (48.5% of the total patients). Small-bowel capsule endoscopy (CE) was performed in all 308 patients, and the entire small bowel could be observed in 98.4%. Capsule retention was not observed in any of the patients. CONCLUSION: The 24-h assessment method, in which the PC can be ingested using the same procedure as that for CE capsule, can be handled more easily and is more useful clinically.

Does the PillCam SB3 capsule endoscopy system improve image reading efficiency irrespective of experience? A pilot study.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: The aim of this study was tp compare the diagnostic efficiency of the PillCam SB3 capsule endoscopy (CE) system with the older system, PillCam SB2, taking into consideration the experience of the image reader. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Small intestinal CE was conducted on 64 patients around May 2014 when the SB3 was introduced in our hospital. Data obtained from 20 patients (SB2: 10 and SB3: 10) based on transit time were assessed by junior (experience: 20 images), intermediate (> 50), and expert readers (> 600). RESULTS: Reading time with the CE down to the end of the small intestine was shorter in the SB3 group for each reader (SB2 vs. SB3: junior, 40.2 ±â€Š10.1 vs. 23.7 ±â€Š6.7 [ P  = 0.0009]; intermediate, 21.4 ±â€Š4.9 vs. 10.3 ±â€Š2.9 [ P  = 0.0003]; expert, 23.2 ±â€Š5.6 vs. 11.1 ±â€Š2.9 min [ P  = 0.0002]). Interpretation agreement rates between the findings by junior and intermediate readers and those by the expert reader were 84.6 % and 92.3 %, respectively. For the junior reader, rates of agreement using the SB2 and SB3 systems with those by the expert reader were 85.7 % and 83.3 %, respectively; no significant difference was noted between the two systems. Similarly, for the intermediate reader, the respective agreement rates using the SB2 and SB3 systems were 85.7 % and 100 %, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The PillCam SB3 reduces the time burden on readers irrespective of their experience.