Adalimumab Reduces Extraintestinal Manifestations in Patients with Crohn's Disease: A Pooled Analysis of 11 Clinical Studies.

INTRODUCTION: Extraintestinal manifestations (EIMs) in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) are common and associated with additional morbidity. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of adalimumab therapy on EIM resolution and identify potential predictors of EIM resolution in adult and pediatric patients with moderate to severe CD. METHODS: EIM data were pooled from 11 induction, maintenance, and open-label extension studies of adalimumab. Resolution of EIMs was evaluated at approximately 6 months and 1 year. Median time to initial EIM resolution and first EIM recurrence (reflecting durable resolution) of any EIM and specific categories of EIMs (arthritis/arthralgia, ocular, cutaneous) were calculated. A Cox model was used to determine predictors of initial and durable EIM resolution. RESULTS: At baseline, 54% (1137/2094) of patients receiving adalimumab and 51% (297/586) receiving placebo had EIMs. EIM resolution occurred in a significantly greater proportion of adalimumab versus placebo patients at 6 months (54% vs 31%; P < .001) and 1 year (60% vs 42%; P = .008). Median time to initial resolution of any EIM, arthritis/arthralgia, and cutaneous EIMs was significantly shorter in patients receiving adalimumab versus placebo. Durable resolution of any EIM and arthritis/arthralgia was significantly longer for patients receiving adalimumab versus placebo. Clinically meaningful predictors of EIM resolution included adalimumab treatment, male sex, and moderate (versus severe) disease activity at baseline. CONCLUSION: Adalimumab is effective for achieving initial and durable resolution of any EIM and, in particular, arthritis/arthralgia in patients with moderate to severe CD. Predictors of EIM resolution included adalimumab treatment and moderate disease severity. FUNDING: AbbVie.

Consecutive fecal calprotectin measurements to predict relapse in patients with ulcerative colitis receiving infliximab maintenance therapy.

BACKGROUND: This study examined whether fecal calprotectin can be used in daily practice as a marker to monitor patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) receiving infliximab maintenance therapy. METHODS: This prospective multicenter study enrolled adult patients with UC in clinical remission under infliximab maintenance therapy. Fecal calprotectin levels were measured every 4 weeks. Sigmoidoscopies were performed at inclusion and at study end. Relapse was defined as a clinical need for change in treatment or an endoscopic Mayo subscore of ≥2 at week 52. Sustained deep remission was defined as a partial Mayo score <3 at all points and an endoscopic Mayo score 0 at week 52. RESULTS: Full analysis was possible for 87 of 113 included patients with UC (77%). Of these patients, 30 (34.4%) were considered to be in sustained deep remission and 13 (14.9%) to have relapsed. Calprotectin levels in patients with sustained deep remission remained very low (median < 40 mg/kg at all time points). Patients who flared had significantly higher calprotectin levels (median > 300 mg/kg) already 3 months before the flare. Further receiver operator curve analysis suggested that a calprotectin level >300 mg/kg had a reasonable sensitivity (58.3%) and specificity (93.3%) to model flare. Two consecutive calprotectin measurements of >300 mg/kg with 1-month interval were identified as the best predictor of flare (61.5% sensitivity and 100% specificity). CONCLUSIONS: Fecal calprotectin can be used in daily practice to monitor patients with UC receiving infliximab maintenance therapy. Two consecutive measurements >300 mg/kg is more specific than a single measurement for predicting relapse.

Polymorphism in IgG Fc receptor gene FCGR3A and response to infliximab in Crohn's disease: a subanalysis of the ACCENT I study.

Recently, it has been shown that FCGR3A-158 gene polymorphism is associated with biological and possibly clinical response to infliximab in Crohn's disease. We further assessed this association in a subset of 344 patients from the large and well-defined cohort of 573 patients with Crohn's disease from the ACCENT I study. No association could be observed between FCGR3A-158 gene polymorphism and the clinical response to infliximab, which was primarily defined as a decrease of >or=70 points in the Crohn's disease activity index or clinical remission (Crohn's disease activity index <150). We did, however, confirm a trend towards a greater decrease in C-reactive protein after infliximab in V/V homozygotes as compared with V/F heterozygotes and F/F homozygotes (-79.4, -76.5, and -64.3%, respectively, at week 6; P=0.085; one-tailed P=0.043). This finding has no immediate clinical impact but may enhance the understanding of the complex mechanisms of action of anti-tumor necrosis factor agents in Crohn's disease.