Pregnancy-Related Beliefs and Concerns of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients Modified After Accessing e-Health Portal.

OBJECTIVE: Poor inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-specific reproductive knowledge is associated with concerns and medication noncompliance. Having shown an educational portal can improve knowledge, we evaluated its effectiveness for addressing IBD patients' reproductive and medication concerns. METHODS: Adult IBD participants (aged 18 to 45 years) were invited to access an e-health portal providing information on heritability, fertility, surgery, pregnancy outcomes, delivery, postpartum, and breastfeeding in the context of IBD and IBD medications. At pre-, post-, and 6+-month postintervention, participants completed a questionnaire on IBD-specific pregnancy concerns, medication concerns from the Beliefs About Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ), and medication adherence via the Medication Adherence Rating Scale (MARS). The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare median differences between scores (95% confidence). RESULTS: Demographics for 78 (70.3%) participants completing postintervention questionnaires: median age 29.3 (interquartile range: 25.6 to 32.9) years; 54 (69.2%) Crohn's disease; 21 (26.9%) ulcerative colitis; 63 (80.3%) females, 5 (7.9%) pregnant; and 19 (30.2%) previously pregnant. Postintervention, the median number of reproductive concerns decreased from 3 to 1, and remained stable 6+ months later (P < 0.001*). The median BMQ score decreased from 28 to 25, and remained stable 6+ months later (P = 0.032*). Participants adherent to medications increased from 82.4% to 87.8% postintervention (P = 0.099). CONCLUSION: Using an e-health portal may potentially reduce IBD-specific reproductive and medications concerns. An e-health portal is feasible as one component of managing IBD patient's reproductive and medication concerns during preconception and pregnancy.

An overview of clinical decision support systems: benefits, risks, and strategies for success.

Computerized clinical decision support systems, or CDSS, represent a paradigm shift in healthcare today. CDSS are used to augment clinicians in their complex decision-making processes. Since their first use in the 1980s, CDSS have seen a rapid evolution. They are now commonly administered through electronic medical records and other computerized clinical workflows, which has been facilitated by increasing global adoption of electronic medical records with advanced capabilities. Despite these advances, there remain unknowns regarding the effect CDSS have on the providers who use them, patient outcomes, and costs. There have been numerous published examples in the past decade(s) of CDSS success stories, but notable setbacks have also shown us that CDSS are not without risks. In this paper, we provide a state-of-the-art overview on the use of clinical decision support systems in medicine, including the different types, current use cases with proven efficacy, common pitfalls, and potential harms. We conclude with evidence-based recommendations for minimizing risk in CDSS design, implementation, evaluation, and maintenance.

Systematic Review: Non-medical Switching of Infliximab to CT-P13 in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Biosimilar approval, such as Inflectra™ (CT-P13) for treating ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD), has reduced direct drug costs. Though clinicians are comfortable with biosimilar use in treatment-naïve patients, there are concerns in some jurisdictions that there are insufficient data from well-controlled trials to support non-medical switching. A systematic review, along with a critical assessment of the study design, was conducted to assess the potential impact of switching stable CD/UC patients from infliximab to CT-P13. METHODS: A literature search using PubMed and abstracts/posters from 3 major gastroenterology conferences from 2014 to 2018 was completed. Two individual reviewers extracted data from each relevant report and compiled it into evidence tables to facilitate descriptive analyses. Key randomized trial and observational study designs were critically assessed to contextualize data relevance. RESULTS: A total of 49 reports (3 randomized controlled trials, 40 observational trials, and 1 case series) were included. Most studies revealed no efficacy, safety, or immunogenicity concerns with non-medical switch. Limitations of supporting data include a small number of randomized controlled trials; predominance of observational studies with varying outcome assessments and lack of appropriate controls; and scarcity of research on biosimilar switch long-term effects. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of studies suggested non-medical switch is safe. However, clinicians and regulatory bodies should be aware of differences and limitations in study designs when making inferences about the risks and benefits of switching stable IBD patients to biosimilars.

Incidence Rates for Surgery in Crohn's Disease Have Decreased: A Population-based Time-trend Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Many Crohn's disease (CD) patients will undergo surgery over the course of their life. It is thought that with the introduction of disease-modifying agents like anti-TNF therapy, there would be a population-level decrease in the need for surgery. This time-trend study aimed to assess the changes in surgical rates following the induction of anti-TNF therapy. METHODS: Adult CD patients who underwent abdominal surgery (identified by administrative coding) between January of 1996 and December of 2013 at 1 of the 4 Edmonton-area hospitals were included. Patient charts were manually reviewed to confirm diagnosis and gather demographic and disease-related data. Population-adjusted annual incidence rates for IBD surgery were calculated by dividing the number of surgeries by estimates for total population of CD patients in Edmonton. Time-trend analysis was conducted to identify change points, calculate annual percent change (APC), and associated 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: A total of 1410 patients with Crohn's disease underwent surgery for their disease. The surgical rate decreased by 8.4% each year (95% CI, -9.6% to -7.3%). There was a 36.2% increase in the use of anti-TNF therapy per year (95% CI, 31.3% to 41.5%). Changes in modifiable risk factors for surgery were also seen, including the proportion of active smokers decreasing by 2.2% per year (95% CI, -3.7% to -0.6%). CONCLUSIONS: Although anti-TNF therapy seems to play a role, the decrease in surgical trends is likely multifactorial, owing to a decline in smoking trends, earlier diagnosis, earlier treatment, improved patient education, and changes in clinical practice.

Management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients With Clinical Care Pathways Reduces Emergency Department Utilization.

Background: Standardizing care through pathways has the potential to reduce emergency department (ED) utilization. We developed and evaluated inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) care pathways for that purpose. Methods: Over 2014-2016, IBD patients were retrospectively stratified into those managed and not managed by pathways. Patient data were extracted, and negative binomial regression used to predict the annual number of ED visits. Results: There was a difference of 30.7 ED visits/100 patients between managed and nonmanaged at 12 months (P < 0.001). The incidence rate ratio of total ED visits occurring annually was 0.750 (P = 0.008). Conclusions: Management with IBD care pathways reduces ED utilization.

Novel Microbial-Based Immunotherapy Approach for Crohn's Disease.

Background: Current Crohn's disease (CD) therapies focus on suppressing immune function and come with consequent risk, such as infection and cancer. Notwithstanding, most CD patients still experience disease progression. There is a need for new CD treatment strategies that offer better health outcomes for patients. Aims: To assess safety, efficacy, and tolerability of a novel microbial-derived immunotherapy, QBECO, that aims to restore rather than suppress immune function in CD. Methods: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted in 68 patients with moderate-to-severe CD. Primary endpoints: safety and Week 8 clinical improvement. Secondary endpoints: Week 8 clinical response and remission. Week 8 responders continued blinded treatment through Week 16; non-responders received open-label QBECO from Weeks 9-16. Exploratory analyses included immune biomarker and genotype assessments. Results: QBECO was well-tolerated. Mean reduction in Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) score was -68 for QBECO vs. -31 for placebo at Week 8. Improvement with QBECO continued through Week 16 (-130 CDAI reduction). Week 8 QBECO clinical response, improvement and remission rates were 41.2%, 32.4%, 29.4% vs. 26.5%, 23.5%, 23.5% for placebo. TNFα inhibitor-naïve subjects achieved higher response rates at Week 8 with QBECO (64%) vs. placebo (26%). Specific immune biomarkers were identified that linked to QBECO response. Conclusion: This proof-of-concept study supports further investigation for the use of QBECO as a novel immunotherapy approach for CD. Biomarker analyses suggests it may be feasible to personalize CD treatment with QBECO. Larger trials are now needed to confirm clinical improvement and the unique biological findings. Clinical Trial Number: NCT01809275 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01809275).

The Costs of Industry-Sponsored Medical Device Clinical Trials in Alberta.

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to describe the costs of industry-sponsored clinical trials for medical devices in Northern Alberta, Canada. METHODS: We used centralized data to identify all industry-sponsored medical device clinical trials initiated in Northern Alberta from 2012 to 2016. For each arm of each trial, we calculated the price of devices provided by the sponsor and the cost of clinical and administrative services that were incurred to clinically operationalize the treatment. RESULTS: Our sample consisted of 18 device trials initiated between January 2012 and January 2016. The overall cost (Canadian dollars [$Can], year 2018 values) per enrolee was $Can18,243 for the experimental arm and $Can13,827 for the control arm. Devices were the highest cost component, at $Can13,446 per enrollee in the experimental arm. Clinical costs in the control arms were higher on average ($Can7202 vs. 2504) than those in the experimental arms. CONCLUSION: Data from industry-sponsored clinical trials can provide important information on the full costs of device-related interventions. As device costs rise, and as policy makers require more evidence on device-related treatments, the cost of medical device-driven interventions should be documented along with their effectiveness.

Association of Genetic Variants in NUDT15 With Thiopurine-Induced Myelosuppression in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Importance: Use of thiopurines may be limited by myelosuppression. TPMT pharmacogenetic testing identifies only 25% of at-risk patients of European ancestry. Among patients of East Asian ancestry, NUDT15 variants are associated with thiopurine-induced myelosuppression (TIM). Objective: To identify genetic variants associated with TIM among patients of European ancestry with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Design, Setting, and Participants: Case-control study of 491 patients affected by TIM and 679 thiopurine-tolerant unaffected patients who were recruited from 89 international sites between March 2012 and November 2015. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and exome-wide association studies (EWAS) were conducted in patients of European ancestry. The replication cohort comprised 73 patients affected by TIM and 840 thiopurine-tolerant unaffected patients. Exposures: Genetic variants associated with TIM. Main Outcomes and Measures: Thiopurine-induced myelosuppression, defined as a decline in absolute white blood cell count to 2.5 × 109/L or less or a decline in absolute neutrophil cell count to 1.0 × 109/L or less leading to a dose reduction or drug withdrawal. Results: Among 1077 patients (398 affected and 679 unaffected; median age at IBD diagnosis, 31.0 years [interquartile range, 21.2 to 44.1 years]; 540 [50%] women; 602 [56%] diagnosed as having Crohn disease), 919 (311 affected and 608 unaffected) were included in the GWAS analysis and 961 (328 affected and 633 unaffected) in the EWAS analysis. The GWAS analysis confirmed association of TPMT (chromosome 6, rs11969064) with TIM (30.5% [95/311] affected vs 16.4% [100/608] unaffected patients; odds ratio [OR], 2.3 [95% CI, 1.7 to 3.1], P = 5.2 × 10-9). The EWAS analysis demonstrated an association with an in-frame deletion in NUDT15 (chromosome 13, rs746071566) and TIM (5.8% [19/328] affected vs 0.2% [1/633] unaffected patients; OR, 38.2 [95% CI, 5.1 to 286.1], P = 1.3 × 10-8), which was replicated in a different cohort (2.7% [2/73] affected vs 0.2% [2/840] unaffected patients; OR, 11.8 [95% CI, 1.6 to 85.0], P = .03). Carriage of any of 3 coding NUDT15 variants was associated with an increased risk (OR, 27.3 [95% CI, 9.3 to 116.7], P = 1.1 × 10-7) of TIM, independent of TPMT genotype and thiopurine dose. Conclusions and Relevance: Among patients of European ancestry with IBD, variants in NUDT15 were associated with increased risk of TIM. These findings suggest that NUDT15 genotyping may be considered prior to initiation of thiopurine therapy; however, further study including additional validation in independent cohorts is required.

Early Initiation of Tumor Necrosis Factor Antagonist-Based Therapy for Patients With Crohn's Disease Reduces Costs Compared With Late Initiation.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Antagonists of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) are effective for induction and maintenance of remission of Crohn's disease (CD) and are generally prescribed when patients do not respond to conventional, less-costly medical therapies. Early initiation of anti-TNF therapy reduced rates of surgery and dose escalation due to loss of response. However, these drugs are expensive, so studies are needed on the cost effectiveness of early initiation. We aimed to determine the cost effectiveness of initiating treatment early in the disease course (within 2 years of CD diagnosis) vs later in the disease course (more than 2 years after diagnosis). METHODS: We constructed a Markov model of a hypothetical cohort of patients with CD in Canada to simulate disease progression after initiation of infliximab or adalimumab therapy. We used published loss-of-response rates to compare the lifetime cost effectiveness of early vs late initiation of anti-TNF therapies. Transition probabilities and utilities were obtained through a literature search, and costs were obtained from the Alberta Ministry of Health. Sensitivity analysis was used to characterize uncertainty. RESULTS: Early initiation of infliximab yielded an additional 0.72 quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and saved $50,418 compared with late initiation. Early initiation of adalimumab yielded an additional 0.54 QALYs and saved $43,969. At a willingness-to-pay threshold of $50,000, early initiations of infliximab or adalimumab therapy had a 74% chance of being cost effective compared with late initiation. CONCLUSIONS: In a Markov model analysis, we found initiation of either infliximab or adalimumab within 2 years of CD diagnosis to provide significant cost savings and QALYs compared with later initiation (more than 2 years after diagnosis).

IBDoc Canadian User Performance Evaluation.

BACKGROUND: Fecal calprotectin (FC) is a stool biomarker that has been shown to be sensitive and specific for mucosal inflammation in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The test is limited by the requirement for patients to collect and return stool samples. A home-based FC test may improve test adherence. The aim of this study is to evaluate the usability of the IBDoc, a home-based FC measuring test, and to determine the accuracy of results compared with traditional lab-based ELISA values. METHODS: Patients were prospectively enrolled from 3 tertiary sites across Canada between May and August 2017. Patients completed a questionnaire establishing ease-of-use of the IBDoc. Patients completed a FC measurement using the IBDoc, and results were compared with an ELISA-determined FC measurement on the same stool sample. RESULTS: Sixty-one participants were enrolled in the study (29 CD, 32 UC). Seventy-nine percent of patients (48 of 61) agreed that the IBDoc was easy to use, with 85% (52 of 61) of patients strongly agreeing that they were willing use the home kit in the future. The IBDoc and ELISA measurement comparison showed an 88% agreement across all values. There were no false positives or negatives using qualitative comparison. CONCLUSIONS: The home-based IBDoc FC measuring test is acceptable to patients and correlates extremely well with the standard ELISA-determined FC value. The IBDoc enables clinicians to more easily adopt a treat-to-target approach, improve long-term outcomes, and patients' quality of life with IBD. This study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT03408249.

Immune Stimulation Using a Gut Microbe-Based Immunotherapy Reduces Disease Pathology and Improves Barrier Function in Ulcerative Colitis.

Background: Current ulcerative colitis (UC) treatments are focused on symptom management primarily via immune suppression. Despite the current arsenal of immunosuppressant treatments, the majority of patients with UC still experience disease progression. Importantly, aggressive long-term inhibition of immune function comes with consequent risk, such as serious infections and malignancy. There is thus a recognized need for new, safe and effective treatment strategies for people living with UC that work upstream of managing the symptoms of the disease. The objective of this study was to evaluate a microbial-based treatment, QBECO, that functions to productively activate rather than suppress mucosal immune function as a novel approach to treat UC. Methods: Two established models of experimental colitis, namely chemically-induced DSS colitis and the spontaneous colitis that develops in Muc2 deficient mice, were used to assess whether QBECO treatment could ameliorate gastrointestinal disease. A small exploratory 16-week QBECO open-label trial was subsequently conducted to test the safety and tolerability of this approach and also to determine whether similar improvements in clinical disease and histopathology could be demonstrated in patients with moderate-to-severe UC. Results: QBECO treatment successfully reduced inflammation and promoted mucosal and histological healing in both experimental models and in UC patients. The preclinical models of colitis showed that QBECO ameliorated mucosal pathology, in part by reducing inflammatory cell infiltration, primarily that induced by neutrophils and inflammatory T cells. The most rapid and noticeable change observed in QBECO treated UC patients was a marked reduction in rectal bleeding. Conclusion: Collectively, this work demonstrates for the first time that strategically activating immune function rather than suppressing it, not only does not worsen colitis induced-damage, but may lead to an objective reduction in UC disease pathology.

Endospore forming bacteria may be associated with maintenance of surgically-induced remission in Crohn's disease.

Crohn's disease (CD) patients who undergo ileocolonic resection (ICR) typically have disease recurrence at the anastomosis which has been linked with a gut dysbiosis. The aims of this study were to define the mucosa-associated microbiota at the time of ICR and to determine if microbial community structure at the time of surgery was predictive of future disease relapse. Ileal biopsies were obtained at surgery and after 6 months from CD subjects undergoing ICR. Composition and function of mucosal-associated microbiota was assessed by 16S rRNA sequencing and PICRUSt analysis. Endoscopic recurrence was assessed using the Rutgeerts score. Analysis of mucosal biopsies taken at the time of surgery showed that decreased Clostridiales together with increased Enterobacteriales predicted disease recurrence. An increase in the endospore-forming Lachnospiraceae from surgery to 6 months post-ICR was associated with remission. A ratio of 3:1 between anaerobic endospore-forming bacterial families and aerobic families within the Firmicutes phylum was predictive of maintenance of remission. Gut recolonization following ICR is facilitated by microbes which are capable of either aerobic respiration or endospore formation. The relative proportions of these species at the time of surgery may be predictive of subsequent microbial community restoration and disease recurrence.

A Distinctive Urinary Metabolomic Fingerprint Is Linked With Endoscopic Postoperative Disease Recurrence in Crohn's Disease Patients.

Background: Crohn's disease (CD) patients who undergo ileocolonic resection frequently have disease recurrence. The aim of this preliminary study was to identify urinary metabolomic profiles associated with disease recurrence in order to identify underlying mechanisms of recurrence and possible disease biomarkers. Methods: Biopsies from the neoterminal ileum were collected from CD patients (n = 38) after ileocolonic resection in order to assess mucosa-associated microbiota using 16S rRNA multitag pyrosequencing. Urine samples were collected, and metabolomic profiling was done using high-resolution nuclear magnetic resolution spectroscopy and a combined direct infusion liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. The Rutgeerts scoring system was used to assess endoscopic postoperative recurrence of CD. Results: There were 28 (73.7%) patients with endoscopic CD recurrence. CD patients who were in endoscopic remission had a higher abundance of Bacteroidetes and lower abundance of Fusobacteria and Proteobacteria in comparison with CD patients who had endoscopic recurrence. In addition, metabolomic profiling could also discriminate between these 2 groups of patients. Endoscopic recurrence was associated with increased concentration of urinary levoglucosan. Rutgeerts score was positively correlated with levoglucosan and propylene glycol levels. Conclusions: CD patients who present with endoscopic disease recurrence after surgery have a unique urinary metabolomic fingerprint that can differentiate them from CD patients who are in endoscopic remission after ileocolonic resection. In addition, mucosal-associated microbiota in CD patients with or without disease recurrence after surgery differs and correlates with some urinary metabolites.

Heterogeneity in Definitions of Efficacy and Safety Endpoints for Clinical Trials of Crohn's Disease: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Endpoints in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of Crohn's disease (CD) are changing. We performed a systematic review of efficacy and safety outcomes reported in placebo-controlled RCTs of patients with CD. METHODS: We searched the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library through March 1, 2017 for placebo-controlled RCTs of adult patients with CD treated with aminosalicylates, immunomodulators, corticosteroids, biologics, and oral small molecules. Efficacy and safety outcomes, definitions, and measurement tools were collected and stratified by decade of publication. RESULTS: Our final analysis included 116 RCTs (81 induction, 44 maintenance, 7 postoperative prevention trials, comprising 27,263 patients). Clinical efficacy endpoints were reported in all trials; the most common endpoint was CD activity index score. We identified 38 unique definitions of clinical response or remission and 32 definitions of loss of response. Definitions of endoscopic response, remission, and endoscopic healing were also heterogeneous, evaluated using the CD endoscopic index of severity, the simple endoscopic score for CD, ulcer resolution, and Rutgeerts' Score for postoperative endoscopic appearance. Histologic outcomes were reported in 11.1% of induction trials, 2.3% of maintenance trials, and 14.3% of postoperative prevention trials. Biomarker outcomes were reported in 81.5% induction trials, 68.2% of maintenance trials, and 42.9% of postoperative prevention trials. Safety outcomes were reported in 93.8% of induction trials, 97.7% of maintenance trials, and 85.7% of postoperative prevention trials. CONCLUSIONS: In this systematic review, we demonstrate heterogeneity in definitions of response and remission, and changes in outcomes reported in RCTs of CD. It is a priority to select a core set of outcomes to standardize efficacy and safety evaluation in trials of patients with CD.

A BACH2 Gene Variant Is Associated with Postoperative Recurrence of Crohn's Disease.

BACKGROUND: Crohn's disease often requires intestinal resection, which is not considered curative. Repeat surgical intervention is necessary in more than half of patients after their initial operation. Although many genetic loci are implicated in Crohn's disease, few have been associated with post-resection recurrence. STUDY DESIGN: A cohort of patients with Crohn's disease who underwent intestinal resection was analyzed to determine genetic and clinical factors associated with post-resection recurrence. Genotype was assessed at 8 loci associated with adaptive immunity (SMAD3, IL10RB, IL15RA, BACH2, IL12B, IL18RAP, IFNGR2, and JAK2). Univariate and multivariable survival analyses were performed using a log-rank test and Cox-proportional hazard model, respectively. RESULTS: One hundred and ninety-one patients with Crohn's disease and 11.2 years mean postoperative follow-up were included. Forty-six percent experienced a surgical recurrence. Factors associated with increased incidence of recurrence included male sex (p = 0.05) and shortened time to first intestinal operation (5.0 vs 7.3 years; p = 0.03); inflammatory disease behavior was associated with a lower chance of repeat operation (p < 0.01). Of the loci assessed on multivariable analysis, homozygosity for a risk allele at BACH2 (rs1847472) was significantly associated with disease recurrence (hazard ratio 1.54; 95% CI 1.00 to 2.36; p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: We identify BACH2 as a susceptibility locus for postoperative recurrence of Crohn's disease in our cohort. BACH2 is critical in the differentiation and function of T cells, as a regulator of B-cell activity, and is associated with several dysregulated immunologic phenomena. Its identification as a risk locus in postoperative Crohn's disease recurrence suggests a potential role for regulatory T cells, effector T cells, humoral immunity, and immunologic memory in the development of this disease process.

Heterogeneity in Definitions of Endpoints for Clinical Trials of Ulcerative Colitis: A Systematic Review for Development of a Core Outcome Set.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Advances in development of therapeutic agents for ulcerative colitis (UC) have been paralleled by innovations in trial design. It would be useful to identify a core outcome set, to standardize outcome definitions for efficacy and safety in clinical trials. We performed a systematic review of efficacy and safety outcomes reported in placebo-controlled randomized controlled trials of patients with UC. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library from inception through March 1, 2017, for placebo-controlled randomized controlled trials of adult patients with UC treated with aminosalicylates, immunosuppressants, corticosteroids, biologics, and oral small molecules. We collected information on efficacy and safety outcomes, definitions, and measurement tools, stratified by decade of publication. RESULTS: We analyzed data from 83 randomized controlled trials (68 induction and 15 maintenance) comprising 17,737 patients. Clinical or composite-clinical efficacy outcomes were reported in all trials; the UC Disease Activity Index and Mayo Clinic Score were frequently used to determine clinical response or remission. We found substantial variation in definitions of clinical or composite-clinical endpoints, with more than 50 definitions of response or remission. Endoscopic factors, histologic features, and fecal or serum biomarkers were used to determine outcomes in 83.1% (69 of 83), 24.1% (20 of 83), and 24.1% (20 of 83) of trials, respectively. A greater proportion of trials published after 2007 reported objective outcomes (96.5% endoscopic, 26.3% histologic, and 36.8% biomarker outcomes), but no standardized definitions of histologic or biomarker endpoints were found. Patient-reported efficacy and quality-of-life outcomes were described in 25 trials (30.1%) and safety outcomes were reported in 77 trials (92.8%). CONCLUSION: In a systematic review, we found that despite recent advances in clinical trials methods, there is a great deal of variation in definitions of endpoints, including response and remission, in randomized controlled trials of patients with UC. Researchers should identify a core set of outcomes to standardize efficacy and safety reporting in UC clinical trials.

Within-Stool and Within-Day Sample Variability of Fecal Calprotectin in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Prospective Observational Study.

BACKGROUND AND GOALS: The use of fecal calprotectin (FC) as a stool biomarker for differentiating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) from IBS has been well validated, and there is a strong correlation between FC and the presence of endoscopic inflammatory lesions. However, recent studies have demonstrated intraindividual sample variability in patients with IBD, possibly limiting the reliability of using a single sample for monitoring disease activity. Our aim was to assess the within-stool and within-day sample variability of FC concentrations in patients with IBD. STUDY: We examined a cross-sectional cohort of 50 adult IBD patients. Eligible patients were instructed to collect 3 samples from different parts of the stool from their first bowel movement of the day and 3 samples from each of up to 2 additional bowel movements within 24 hours. FC concentrations were measured by a rapid, quantitative point-of-care test using lateral flow technology (Quantum Blue). Descriptive statistics were used to assess FC variability within a single bowel movement and between different movements at different FC positivity cutoffs. RESULTS: Within a single bowel movement, there was clinically significant sample variability ranging from 8% to 23% depending on the time of the day or on the FC positivity cutoff value. Between bowel movements, there was clinically significant sample variability ranging from 13% to 26% depending on the FC positivity cutoff. CONCLUSIONS: Considering a single FC sample, the first sample of the day with an FC positivity cutoff of 250 µg/g provided the most reliable indication of disease activity.

Preoperative Ustekinumab Treatment Is Not Associated With Increased Postoperative Complications in Crohn's Disease: A Canadian Multi-Centre Observational Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Ustekinumab (UST), an anti-IL12/23 inhibitor is indicated for moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease (CD). However, it is unclear if patients treated with UST are at increased risk for postoperative complications. AIM: To evaluate the postoperative safety outcomes in UST-treated CD patients. METHODS: A multicentre cohort study of UST-treated CD patients at two tertiary care centres (University of Calgary, University of Alberta, Canada) undergoing abdominal surgery between 2009 and 2016 was performed. Postoperative outcomes were compared against a control cohort of anti-TNF-treated patients over the same time-period. The primary outcome was occurrence of postoperative complications up to six months postoperatively, stratified by timing (early <30 days vs. late complications ≥30 days). RESULTS: Twenty UST-treated patients and 40 anti-TNF-treated patients were included with a median preoperative treatment exposure of 6.5 months and 18 months, respectively (p=0.01). Bowel obstruction was the most common surgical indication in both cohorts. UST-treated patients were more likely to require an ostomy (70.0% vs. 12.5%, p<0.001) and be on combination therapy with either systemic corticosteroids or concurrent immunomodulators (azathioprine or methotrexate) (25.0% vs. 2.5%, p=0.01). Despite the increased concomitant use of immunosuppression in the UST-treated cohort, there were no significant differences in early or late postoperative wound infections (1/20 in UST-cohort, 2/40 in anti-TNF cohort, p=1.00), anastomotic leak (0/20 in UST-cohort, 3/40 in anti-TNF cohort, p=0.54), or postoperative ileus/obstruction (3/20 in UST-cohort, 4/40 in anti-TNF cohort, p=0.67). CONCLUSIONS: CD patients receiving preoperative UST did not experience an increase in postoperative complications, despite increased use of concurrent immunosuppression.

Prebiotic Supplementation Following Ileocecal Resection in a Murine Model is Associated With a Loss of Microbial Diversity and Increased Inflammation.

Background: Individuals with Crohn's disease frequently require ileocecal resection (ICR), and inflammation often recurs in the neoterminal ileum following surgery. Fructooligosaccharide (FOS) is a fermentable prebiotic that stimulates the growth of bifidobacteria and may promote anti-inflammatory activity. The aim of this study was to determine if supplementation of a postICR diet with FOS in a mouse model would be effective in stimulating the growth of bifidobacteria and reducing systemic and local inflammation. Methods: ICR was performed in IL10-/- mice (129S1/SvlmJ) with colitis. Following surgery, nonICR control and ICR mice were fed a chow diet ± 10% FOS for 28 days. Serum, colon, and terminal ileum (TI) were analyzed for cytokine expression by MesoScale discovery platform. DNA extracted from stool was analyzed using 16s rRNA sequencing and qPCR. Expression of occludin and ZO1 was assessed using qPCR. Short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentrations were assessed using gas chromatography. Results: ICR led to increased systemic inflammation (P < 0.05) and a significant decline in fecal microbial diversity (P < 0.05). Mice on the FOS diet had a greater reduction in microbial diversity and also had worsened inflammation as evidenced by increased serum IL-6 (P < 0.05) and colonic IFNγ and TNFα (P < 0.05). Expression of occludin and ZO1 were significantly reduced in FOS-supplemented mice. There was a correlation between loss of diversity and the bifidogenic effectiveness of FOS (r = -0.61, P < 0.05). Conclusions: FOS-supplementation of a postICR diet resulted in a decrease in fecal bacterial diversity, reduction in barrier function, and increased gut inflammation.

Ileocolic resection is associated with increased susceptibility to injury in a murine model of colitis.

Ileocolic resection (ICR) is the most common intestinal resection performed for Crohn's disease, with recurrences commonly occurring at the site of the anastomosis. This study used an animal model of ICR in wild-type mice to examine immunologic changes that developed around the surgical anastomosis and how these changes impacted gut responses to minor acute injury. ICR was performed in adult 129S1/SvlmJ mice and results compared with mice receiving sham or no surgery. Dextran sodium sulfate was given either on post-operative day 9 or day 24 to evaluate immune responses in the intestine both immediately following surgery and after a period of healing. Fecal occult blood measurements and animal weights were taken daily. Cytokine levels were measured in ileal and colonic tissue. Bacterial load in the neo-terminal ileum was measured using qPCR. Immune cell populations in the intestinal tissue, mesenteric lymph nodes, and spleen were assessed using flow cytometry. Cytokine secretion in response to microbial products was measured in isolated mesenteric lymph nodes and spleen cells. ICR resulted in an initial elevation of inflammatory markers in the terminal ileum and colon followed by enhanced levels of bacterial growth in the neo-terminal ileum. Intestinal surgical resection resulted in the recruitment of innate immune cells into the colon that exhibited a non-responsiveness to microbial stimuli. DSS colitis phenotype was more severe in the ileocolic resection groups and this was associated with local and systemic immunosuppression as evidenced by a reduced cytokine responses to microbial stimuli. This study reveals the development of an immune non-responsiveness to microbial products following ileocolic resection that is associated with enhanced levels of bacterial growth in the neo-terminal ileum. These surgical-induced altered immune-microbial interactions in the intestine may contribute to disease recurrence at the surgical anastomosis site following ileocolic resections in patients with Crohn's disease.