Evaluation of oxidative stress in an experimental model of Crohn's disease treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

INTRODUCTION: Treatments of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) are able to control symptoms in most cases, however, a fraction of patients do not improve or have a loss of response to treatments, making it important to explore new therapeutic strategies. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) may represent one of them. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of HBO therapy in an experimental model of IBD. METHODS: Sixty male BALBc mice were divided into six groups. Group 1 was colitis-induced with trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) + ethanol, group 2 received TNBS + ethanol plus HBO, group 3 received only ethanol, group 4 received ethanol plus HBO, group 5 received saline solution, and group 6 received saline solution plus HBO. HBO was performed for four days, subsequently, the mice were evaluated daily. At the end of the study, samples from the intestine were collected for histological analysis as well as for measurement of antioxidant enzymes and cytokine levels. RESULTS: HBO significantly improved the clinical and histological status of the animals. Treatment with HBO increased the activity of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in all of the groups; moreover, the difference was only significant between the TNBS and TNBS + HBO groups and treatments promoted a reduction in the proinflammatory cytokines IFN-γ, IL-12, IL-17 and TNF-α and increased the anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-4 and IL-10, with no changes in IL-13. CONCLUSION: HBO effectively treats TNBS-induced colitis by increasing the activity of antioxidant enzymes and modulating cytokine profiles.

Active tuberculosis in inflammatory bowel disease patients: a case-control study.

Background/Aims: Anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) drugs have been the mainstay therapy for moderate to severe inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) over the past 25 years. Nevertheless, these drugs are associated with serious opportunistic infections like tuberculosis (TB). Brazil is ranked among the 30 countries with the highest incidence of TB in the world. This study aimed at identifying risk factors for the development of active TB and describing clinical characteristics and outcomes in IBD patients followed at a tertiary referral center in Brazil. Methods: We conducted a retrospective, case-control study between January 2010 and December 2021. Active TB cases in IBD patients were randomly matched 1:3 to controls (IBD patients with no previous history of active TB) according to gender, age, and type of IBD. Design: This was a retrospective, case-control study. Results: A total of 38 (2.2%) cases of TB were identified from 1760 patients under regular follow-up at our outpatient clinics. Of the 152 patients included in the analysis (cases and controls), 96 (63.2%) were male, and 124 (81.6%) had Crohn's disease. Median age at TB diagnosis was 39.5 [interquartile range (IQR) 30.8-56.3]. Half of the active TB cases were disseminated (50%). Overall, 36 patients with TB (94.7%) were being treated with immunosuppressive medications. Of those, 31 (86.1%) were under anti-TNF drugs. Diagnosis of TB occurred at a median of 32 months after the first dose of anti-TNF (IQR 7-84). In multivariate analysis, IBD diagnosis older than 17 years and anti-TNF therapy were significantly associated with the development of TB (p < 0.05). After the TB treatment, 20 (52.7%) patients received anti-TNF therapy, and only one developed 'de novo' TB 10 years after the first infection. Conclusions: TB remains a significant health problem in IBD patients from endemic regions, especially those treated with anti-TNFs. In addition, age at IBD diagnosis (>17 years old) was also a risk factor for active TB. Most cases occur after long-term therapy, suggesting a new infection. The reintroduction of anti-TNFs agents after the anti-TB treatment seems safe. These data highlight the importance of TB screening and monitoring in IBD patients living in endemic areas.

Efficacy of Early Optimization of Infliximab Guided by Therapeutic Drug Monitoring during Induction-A Prospective Trial.

Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) during induction therapy with anti-tumor necrosis factor drugs has emerged as a strategy to optimize response to these biologics and avoid undesired outcomes related to inadequate drug exposure. This study aimed to describe clinical, biological, and endoscopic remission rates at six months in Brazilian inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients following a proactive TDM algorithm guided by IFX trough levels (ITL) and antibodies to IFX (ATI) levels during induction, at week six. A total of 111 IBD patients were prospectively enrolled, excluding those previously exposed to the drug. ITL ≥ 10 µg/mL was considered optimal. Patients with suboptimal ITL (<10 µg/mL) were guided according to ATI levels. Those who presented ATI ≤ 200 ng/mL underwent dose intensification in the maintenance phase, and patients with ATI > 200 ng/mL discontinued IFX. In our study, proactive TDM was associated with persistence in the IFX rate at six months of 82.9%. At that time, rates of clinical, biological, and endoscopic remission in patients under IFX treatment were 80.2%, 73.9%, and 48.1%, respectively. Applying a simplified TDM-guided algorithm during induction seems feasible and can help improve patients' outcomes in clinical practice.

Evaluation of oxidative stress in an experimental model of Crohn's disease treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy

Abstract Introduction: Treatments of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) are able to control symptoms in most cases, however, a fraction of patients do not improve or have a loss of response to treatments, making it important to explore new therapeutic strategies. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) may represent one of them. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of HBO therapy in an experimental model of IBD. Methods: Sixty male BALBc mice were divided into six groups. Group 1 was colitis-induced with trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) + ethanol, group 2 received TNBS + ethanol plus HBO, group 3 received only ethanol, group 4 received ethanol plus HBO, group 5 received saline solution, and group 6 received saline solution plus HBO. HBO was performed for four days, subsequently, the mice were evaluated daily. At the end of the study, samples from the intestine were collected for histological analysis as well as for measurement of antioxidant enzymes and cytokine levels. Results: HBO significantly improved the clinical and histological status of the animals. Treatment with HBO increased the activity of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in all of the groups; moreover, the difference was only significant between the TNBS and TNBS + HBO groups and treatments promoted a reduction in the proinflammatory cytokines IFN-γ, IL-12, IL-17 and TNF-α and increased the anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-4 and IL-10, with no changes in IL-13. Conclusion: HBO effectively treats TNBS-induced colitis by increasing the activity of antioxidant enzymes and modulating cytokine profiles.

Chronic inflammatory diseases, subclinical atherosclerosis, and cardiovascular diseases: Design, objectives, and baseline characteristics of a prospective case-cohort study ‒ ELSA-Brasil.

OBJECTIVES: This analysis describes the protocol of a study with a case-cohort to design to prospectively evaluate the incidence of subclinical atherosclerosis and Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) in Chronic Inflammatory Disease (CID) participants compared to non-diseased ones. METHODS: A high-risk group for CID was defined based on data collected in all visits on self-reported medical diagnosis, use of medicines, and levels of high-sensitivity C-Reactive Protein >10 mg/L. The comparison group is the Aleatory Cohort Sample (ACS): a group with 10% of participants selected at baseline who represent the entire cohort. In both groups, specific biomarkers for DIC, markers of subclinical atherosclerosis, and CVD morbimortality will be tested using weighted Cox. RESULTS: The high-risk group (n = 2,949; aged 53.6 ± 9.2; 65.5% women) and the ACS (n=1543; 52.2±8.8; 54.1% women) were identified. Beyond being older and mostly women, participants in the high-risk group present low average income (29.1% vs. 24.8%, p < 0.0001), higher BMI (Kg/m2) (28.1 vs. 26.9, p < 0.0001), higher waist circumference (cm) (93.3 vs. 91, p < 0.0001), higher frequencies of hypertension (40.2% vs. 34.5%, p < 0.0001), diabetes (20.7% vs. 17%, p = 0.003) depression (5.8% vs. 3.9%, p = 0.007) and higher levels of GlycA a new inflammatory marker (p < 0.0001) compared to the ACS. CONCLUSIONS: The high-risk group selected mostly women, older, lower-income/education, higher BMI, waist circumference, and of hypertension, diabetes, depression, and higher levels of GlycA when compared to the ACS. The strategy chosen to define the high-risk group seems adequate given that multiple sociodemographic and clinical characteristics are compatible with CID.

Metaboloma use in ophthalmology / Uso de metaboloma em oftalmologia: uma revisão narrativa

ABSTRACT It is part of the omic sciences to search for an understanding of how the cellular system of organisms works as well as studying their biological changes. As part of the omic sciences, we can highlight the genomics whose function is the study of genes, the transcriptomics that studies the changes in the transcripts, the proteomics responsible for understanding the changes that occur in proteins, and the metabolomics that studies all the metabolic changes that occur in a certain system when it is submitted to different types of stimuli. Metabolomics is the science that studies the endogenous and exogenous metabolites in biological systems, which aims to provide comparative quantitative or semi-quantitative information about all metabolites in the system. This review aims to describe the main applications of metabolomics science in ophthalmolog. We searched the literature on main applications of metabolomics science in ophthalmology, using the MEDLINE and LILACS databases, with the keywords "metabolomics" and "ophthalmology", from January 1, 2009, to April 5, 2021. We retrieved 216 references, of which 58 were considered eligible for intensive review and critical analysis. The study of the metabolome allows a better understanding of the metabolism of ocular tissues. The results are important to aid diagnosis and as predictors of the progression of many eye and systemic diseases.

RESUMO Faz parte das ciências ômicas buscar entender como funciona o sistema celular dos organismos e estudar suas alterações biológicas. Como parte das ciências ômicas, destacam-se a genômica, cuja função é o estudo dos genes; a transcriptômica, que estuda as mudanças nos transcritos; a proteômica, responsável por entender as mudanças que ocorrem nas proteínas, e a metabolômica, que estuda todo o metabolismo das alterações que ocorrem em um determinado sistema quando ele é submetido a diferentes tipos de estímulos. A metabolômica é a ciência que estuda os metabólitos endógenos e exógenos em sistemas biológicos, visando fornecer informações comparativas quantitativas ou semiquantitativas sobre todos os metabólitos do sistema. Esta revisão teve como objetivo descrever as principais aplicações da ciência metabolômica na oftalmologia. Trata-se de revisão narrativa desenvolvida por um grupo de pesquisa da Universidade Federal de São Paulo, em São Paulo (SP). Buscaram-se, na literatura, as principais aplicações da ciência metabolômica em oftalmologia, utilizando as bases de dados Medline® e Lilacs, com as palavras-chave "metabolomics" e "oftalmologia", de 1º de janeiro de 2009 a 5 de abril de 2021. Foram recuperadas 216 referências, das quais 58 foram consideradas elegíveis para revisão intensiva e análise crítica. O estudo do metaboloma permite um melhor entendimento do metabolismo dos tecidos oculares. Os resultados são importantes para auxiliar no diagnóstico e como preditores da progressão de muitas doenças oculares e sistêmicas.

Chronic inflammatory diseases, subclinical atherosclerosis, and cardiovascular diseases: Design, objectives, and baseline characteristics of a prospective case-cohort study ‒ ELSA-Brasil

Abstract Objectives This analysis describes the protocol of a study with a case-cohort to design to prospectively evaluate the incidence of subclinical atherosclerosis and Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) in Chronic Inflammatory Disease (CID) participants compared to non-diseased ones. Methods A high-risk group for CID was defined based on data collected in all visits on self-reported medical diagnosis, use of medicines, and levels of high-sensitivity C-Reactive Protein >10 mg/L. The comparison group is the Aleatory Cohort Sample (ACS): a group with 10% of participants selected at baseline who represent the entire cohort. In both groups, specific biomarkers for DIC, markers of subclinical atherosclerosis, and CVD morbimortality will be tested using weighted Cox. Results The high-risk group (n = 2,949; aged 53.6 ± 9.2; 65.5% women) and the ACS (n=1543; 52.2±8.8; 54.1% women) were identified. Beyond being older and mostly women, participants in the high-risk group present low average income (29.1% vs. 24.8%, p < 0.0001), higher BMI (Kg/m2) (28.1 vs. 26.9, p < 0.0001), higher waist circumference (cm) (93.3 vs. 91, p < 0.0001), higher frequencies of hypertension (40.2% vs. 34.5%, p < 0.0001), diabetes (20.7% vs. 17%, p = 0.003) depression (5.8% vs. 3.9%, p = 0.007) and higher levels of GlycA a new inflammatory marker (p < 0.0001) compared to the ACS. Conclusions The high-risk group selected mostly women, older, lower-income/education, higher BMI, waist circumference, and of hypertension, diabetes, depression, and higher levels of GlycA when compared to the ACS. The strategy chosen to define the high-risk group seems adequate given that multiple sociodemographic and clinical characteristics are compatible with CID.

Nutritional Global Status and Its Impact in Crohn's Disease.

BACKGROUND: Malnutrition among inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) subjects is well documented in literature and may emerge from factors including inadequate dietary intake, malabsorption and disease activity. The aim of this study was to complete a comprehensive nutrition assessment and explore what possibilities may help bring a better quality of life for IBD subjects. METHODS: Nutritional status based on biochemical tests, body composition and body mass index (BMI). Food intake was assessed by an alternate 3-day food record and the adequacy of intake was evaluated according to national and international references. Clinical disease activity was evaluated by the Harvey-Bradshaw index and CRP levels. RESULTS: The study included 217 patients and 65 controls, where 54.4% of these patients were classified as normal weight with a mean BMI lower than controls (23.8 ± 4.9 versus 26.9 ± 4.8 kg/m2, P = 0.02). Patients with disease activity showed more overweight and obesity than patients with controlled disease. Vitamin B12 deficiency was present in 19% of Crohn's disease (CD), mainly in patients with ileal commitment and small bowel resections. Anemia was present in 21.7% of patients, being more common in patients with active disease (25%) and bowel resection (23%). Regarding calorie intake (EI), CD group ingested more than controls (1986.3 ± 595.9 kcal versus 1701.8 ± 478.9 kcal; P = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: CD patients presented micronutrient deficiency when compared with controls, explained for other reasons than intake restrictions. Also, fat excess might have contributed to disease burden as continuously reported in the literature.

Eye disorders in patients with celiac disease and inflammatory bowel disease: A study using clinical data warehouse.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: To analyze the prevalence of ophthalmic manifestations in patients with celiac disease, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis in Munich/Germany. METHODS: A total of 272,873 patients of Ludwig Maximilians Universitat Ophthalmological Hospital with eye disease were evaluated between 2003 and 2019. The International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10) of celiac disease Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and all medical records which had the diagnosis of these diseases were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 272,873 patients were analyzed, with a mean age of 53 years, with approximately 48% female patients, and 51% male patients. We selected 72 patients with celiac disease (68% women and 32% men), with a minimum age of 8 years, maximum of 103 years, and an average of 52 years. The most common diagnoses were dry eye (32%) and cataract (12%). The mean intraocular pressure of patients with celiac disease was 15 mmHg. During the same study period, 103 patients with Crohn's disease were analyzed, with an average intraocular pressure of 14 mmHg.The minimum age of the patients was 12 years and a maximum of 93 years with an average age of 55 years, with 57% of females and 43% of males. The most common diagnoses were cataract (22%) and dry eye (19%). During the same study period, 99 patients with ulcerative colitis were analyzed, with an average intraocular pressure of 14 mmHg.The minimum age of the patients was 6 years and a maximum of 96 years, with an average age of 61 years, with 36% of females and 64% of males. The most common diagnoses were cataract (29.2%) and dry eye (12%). CONCLUSIONS: The main ophthalmological manifestations of patients requiring eye follow-up were dry eye and cataract for all the diseases analyzed, which can be considered as coincident complications. None of the three diseases had increased intraocular pressure. Thus, celiac disease presented a profile of ophthalmological manifestation similar to the other intestinal inflammatory diseases studied.

Recovery from COVID-19 Pneumonia in a Patient with Acute Severe Colitis.

INTRODUCTION: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has increased concern regarding SARS-CoV-2 infection in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients, especially those on immunosuppressive therapies or with active disease. There are limited reports describing the clinical features of COVID-19 in an IBD population, and the impact of immunosuppression on the severity of the infection remains unclear. CASE REPORT: A 33-year-old female patient with a long history of ulcerative colitis, poorly controlled, was admitted with COVID-19 a few days after being discharged from the hospital for treatment of acute severe ulcerative colitis. High-risk factors for COVID-19 complications, i.e., high-dose steroids (40 mg prednisone) and severe active disease, were present at admission. Despite the development of extensive pulmonary involvement, the patient had a favorable outcome. DISCUSSION: Management of IBD patients during the COVID-19 pandemic has been challenging. Measures to minimize the potential risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, including strict social distancing and self-isolation, in the IBD population have been recommended, especially for high-risk patients. Although steroid tapering and persistence of biologics are advised by professional groups, the best treatment strategy for IBD patients presenting a flare during the outbreak has yet to be defined.

Management of inflammatory bowel disease patients in the COVID-19 pandemic era: a Brazilian tertiary referral center guidance.

The world is fighting the COVID-19 outbreak and health workers, including inflammatory bowel diseases specialists, have been challenged to address the specific clinical issues of their patients. We hereby summarize the current literature in the management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients during the COVID-19 pandemic era that support the rearrangement of our IBD unit and the clinical advice provided to our patients.

Management of inflammatory bowel disease patients in the COVID-19 pandemic era: a Brazilian tertiary referral center guidance

The world is fighting the COVID-19 outbreak and health workers, including inflammatory bowel diseases specialists, have been challenged to address the specific clinical issues of their patients. We hereby summarize the current literature in the management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients during the COVID-19 pandemic era that support the rearrangement of our IBD unit and the clinical advice provided to our patients

Endoscopic activity, tissue factor and Crohn's disease: findings in clinical remission patients.

BACKGROUND: As Crohn's disease (CD) is associated with a high risk of thromboembolic events (TE), including patients with subclinical inflammation, we aim to evaluate the correlation between the impact of endoscopic activity (EA) in the coagulation profiling of CD patients while in clinical remission. METHODS: From 164 consecutive CD patients included in clinical remission [Crohn's disease activity index (CDAI) < 150], 75 were in the EA group [Simplified Endoscopic Score for CD (SES-CD) ⩾ 7], 89 were in the endoscopic remission (ER) group (SES-CD ⩽ 2), and 50 were included as healthy controls in the study. Blood samples were analyzed for tissue factor (TF), factor VIII (FVIII), thrombomodulin (TM), ADAMTS-13, von Willebrand factor (VWF), and endogenous thrombin potential (ETP), as well as collecting data regarding risk factors for TE and CD profile. RESULTS: Mean plasma TF activity showed significantly higher levels in the EA group when compared with the ER and control groups (127 pM versus 103 pM versus 84 pM; p = 0.001), although the VWF:Ag (160% versus 168% versus 110%; p = 0.001), VWF/ADAMTS-13 (191 versus 219 versus 138; p = 0.003), FVIII (150% versus 144% versus 90%; p = 0.001) and TM (5.13 ng/ml versus 4.91 ng/mL versus 3.81 ng/ml; p < 0.001) were only increased in CD regardless of EA status when compared with controls. Lastly, ETP with and without TM remained the same in all three groups. CONCLUSIONS: CD patients in clinical remission with EA present endothelial lesion inducing TF exposure and subsequent coagulation cascade activation. Recommended thromboprophylaxis for EA outpatient subgroups will require additional investigation in order to be validated.

Management of inflammatory bowel disease patients in the COVID-19 pandemic era: a Brazilian tertiary referral center guidance

The world is fighting the COVID-19 outbreak and health workers, including inflammatory bowel diseases specialists, have been challenged to address the specific clinical issues of their patients. We hereby summarize the current literature in the management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients during the COVID-19 pandemic era that support the rearrangement of our IBD unit and the clinical advice provided to our patients.

Pancreatic endosonographic findings and clinical correlation in Crohn's disease.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to evaluate the incidence of pancreatic alterations in Crohn's disease using endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and to correlate the number of alterations with current clinical data. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with Crohn's disease (n=51) were examined using EUS, and 11 variables were analyzed. A control group consisted of patients with no history of pancreatic disease or Crohn's disease. Patients presenting with three or more alterations underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Pancreatic function was determined using a fecal elastase assay. RESULTS: Two of the 51 patients (3.9%) presented with four EUS alterations, 3 (5.9%) presented with three, 11 (21.5%) presented with two, and 13 (25.5%) presented with one; in the control group, only 16% presented with one EUS alteration (p<0.001). Parenchymal abnormalities accounted for 39 of the EUS findings, and ductal abnormalities accounted for 11. Pancreatic lesions were not detected by MRI. Low fecal elastase levels were observed in 4 patients, none of whom presented with significant pancreatic alterations after undergoing EUS. Ileal involvement was predictive of the number of EUS alterations. CONCLUSION: A higher incidence of pancreatic abnormalities was found in patients with Crohn's disease than in individuals in the control group. The majority of these abnormalities are related to parenchymal alterations. In this group of patients, future studies should be conducted to determine whether such morphological abnormalities could evolve to induce exocrine or endocrine pancreatic insufficiency and, if so, identify the risk factors and determine which patients should undergo EUS.

Pancreatic endosonographic findings and clinical correlation in Crohn's disease

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to evaluate the incidence of pancreatic alterations in Crohn's disease using endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and to correlate the number of alterations with current clinical data. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with Crohn's disease (n=51) were examined using EUS, and 11 variables were analyzed. A control group consisted of patients with no history of pancreatic disease or Crohn's disease. Patients presenting with three or more alterations underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Pancreatic function was determined using a fecal elastase assay. RESULTS: Two of the 51 patients (3.9%) presented with four EUS alterations, 3 (5.9%) presented with three, 11 (21.5%) presented with two, and 13 (25.5%) presented with one; in the control group, only 16% presented with one EUS alteration (p<0.001). Parenchymal abnormalities accounted for 39 of the EUS findings, and ductal abnormalities accounted for 11. Pancreatic lesions were not detected by MRI. Low fecal elastase levels were observed in 4 patients, none of whom presented with significant pancreatic alterations after undergoing EUS. Ileal involvement was predictive of the number of EUS alterations. CONCLUSION: A higher incidence of pancreatic abnormalities was found in patients with Crohn's disease than in individuals in the control group. The majority of these abnormalities are related to parenchymal alterations. In this group of patients, future studies should be conducted to determine whether such morphological abnormalities could evolve to induce exocrine or endocrine pancreatic insufficiency and, if so, identify the risk factors and determine which patients should undergo EUS.

Risk of thrombosis and mortality in inflammatory bowel disease.

OBJECTIVES: Patients with inflammatory bowel disease have a higher risk of thrombosis, which is associated with a higher morbidity and mortality. Most data about VTE are related to hospitalized patients with active disease, but several cases happen in the outpatient setting, and are not covered by current prophylaxis recommendation. As the knowledge of VTE in outpatients is still poor, the aim of this study is to evaluate the risk, clinical data and mortality of thrombosis in patients followed in our center, comparing our findings with the current prophylaxis recommendation. METHODS: The medical electronic chart of 1093 inflammatory bowel disease patients and their image exams were actively searched for words related to thrombosis, followed by charts reviewed to collect information about the event and data regarding clinical settings and thrombosis profile. RESULTS: Overall, 654 Crohn's and 439 Colitis patients were included. Thrombosis prevalence was 5.1%,and mortality rate was higher in patients who had suffered thrombosis (10.71% vs. 1.45%, OR 8.0). Half of them developed thrombosis in the outpatient setting, 52% of these had disease activity, 17% had recent hospitalization, and 10% had previous thrombosis. In 27% of cases, diagnosis was done by routine image exams, with no clinical symptoms or previous history of thrombosis. None of them had used thromboprophylaxis. However, a great majority of patients who had thrombosis during hospitalization used heparin prophylaxis. CONCLUSION: Inflammatory bowel disease patients who develop thrombosis have an increased mortality risk. A significant proportion of the events happened in patients without a clear thromboprophylaxis recommendation or in those receiving heparin prophylaxis.

Helminths as an alternative therapy for intestinal diseases.

Animal models and clinical studies have shown that helminth infections exert immunomodulatory activity, altering intestinal permeability and providing a potential beneficial action on autoimmune and inflammatory disorders in human beings, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and celiac disease. This is consistent with the theory that intestinal microbiota is responsible for shaping human immunological responses. With the arrival of the immunobiologic era and the use of antibodies, we propose a distinctive pathway for treating patients with IBD and celiac disease. We have some evidence about the safety and tolerability of helminth use, but evidence about their impact on disease activity is lacking. Using worms to treat diseases could be a possible way to lower treatment costs, since the era of immunobiologic agents is responsible for a significant rise in expenses. Some questions remain to be investigated regarding the use of helminths in intestinal disease, such as the importance of the specific species of helminths used, appropriate dosing regimens, optimal timing of treatment, the role of host genetics, diet, environment, and the elucidation of the exact mechanisms of action. One promising approach is the use of helminth-derived anti-inflammatory molecules as drugs. Yet there are still many challenges with this method, especially with regard to safety. Studies on intestinal permeability point to Strongyloides stercoralis as a useful nematode for these purposes.