Gut Microbiome Composition Is Associated With Future Onset of Crohn's Disease in Healthy First-Degree Relatives.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The cause of Crohn's disease (CD) is unknown, but the current hypothesis is that microbial or environmental factors induce gut inflammation in genetically susceptible individuals, leading to chronic intestinal inflammation. Case-control studies of patients with CD have cataloged alterations in the gut microbiome composition; however, these studies fail to distinguish whether the altered gut microbiome composition is associated with initiation of CD or is the result of inflammation or drug treatment. METHODS: In this prospective cohort study, 3483 healthy first-degree relatives (FDRs) of patients with CD were recruited to identify the gut microbiome composition that precedes the onset of CD and to what extent this composition predicts the risk of developing CD. We applied a machine learning approach to the analysis of the gut microbiome composition (based on 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing) to define a microbial signature that associates with future development of CD. The performance of the model was assessed in an independent validation cohort. RESULTS: In the validation cohort, the microbiome risk score (MRS) model yielded a hazard ratio of 2.24 (95% confidence interval, 1.03-4.84; P = .04), using the median of the MRS from the discovery cohort as the threshold. The MRS demonstrated a temporal validity by capturing individuals that developed CD up to 5 years before disease onset (area under the curve > 0.65). The 5 most important taxa contributing to the MRS included Ruminococcus torques, Blautia, Colidextribacter, an uncultured genus-level group from Oscillospiraceae, and Roseburia. CONCLUSION: This study is the first to demonstrate that gut microbiome composition is associated with future onset of CD and suggests that gut microbiome is a contributor in the pathogenesis of CD.

Esophageal Atresia with Tracheoesophageal Fistula Is Associated with Consanguinity.

OBJECTIVES AND STUDY: Esophageal atresia with tracheoesophageal fistula (EA-TEF) is a rare congenital malformation. The incidence of TEF is 1.3-4.6 cases per 10,000 live births. The specific etiology of EA-TEF is unknown. Environmental risk factors, such as maternal medication use and alcohol consumption during pregnancy, are suggested. Genetic factors have also been described, especially among syndromic types, such as Down syndrome, but less among non-syndromic types. The aim of the study is to examine the association between non-syndromic EA-TEF and consanguinity. METHODS: A retrospective study comparing the incidence of EA-TEF between low-consanguineous Jewish population and high-consanguineous Bedouin population. All patients were treated at Soroka University Medical Center, the only tertiary medical center in southern Israel. RESULTS: During the years 2000-2022, 579,130 children were born in southern Israel, 386,915 (66.8%) were Jewish, and 192,215 were Bedouin Muslims. A total of 96 patients were diagnosed with EA-TEF, 83 of them were non-syndromic. The incidence of EA-TEF was 1.66 cases per 10,000 live births and was statistically higher among the Bedouin population (3 vs. 0.95 cases per 10,000 live births, P<0.001). The consanguinity rate among the Bedouin group was higher compared with the Jewish (67.8% vs 0% P<0.001). There were no differences in other risk factors. CONCLUSION: The incidence of EA-TEF is exceptionally higher among the Bedouin population that lives in the same geographic region and has the same medical access as the Jewish population, proposing consanguinity as an important/essential risk factor for EA-TEF.

Early-life liver cirrhosis and variable clinical presentation in telomere disease.

AIM: Telomeres are DNA sequences of tandem TTAGGG repeats that protect chromosome ends from degradation and instability. Constitutional loss-of-function telomerase mutations result in rapid telomere shortening, premature senescence and cell death. Liver cirrhosis is rare and has only been reported in adults. We present five family members of Bedouin-Muslim origin, all of which carry the same mutation, and yet demonstrate an extremely variable phenotypical presentation, including liver cirrhosis during early childhood. METHODS: A multidisciplinary long-term follow-up of two healthy and three affected patients was analysed. The mutation (r.95G>C) was identified in all patients using Sanger sequencing. Telomere length samples were obtained and analysed. RESULTS: Clinical phenotypes were extremely variable, including age at first symptoms, organ involvement, disease severity and patient prognosis. The most prominent clinical phenotype is liver involvement, including end-stage liver disease early in life, which affects three members of the family. Affected patients had markedly shorter telomeres. CONCLUSION: We describe an unusual presentation of early liver failure in telomere disease patients. Little, if any, is known about the association between the genotype and phenotype among children with telomere disease and whether the mutation we have described (r.95G>C) is predisposed to early severe hepatic involvement.

[CUFFING PRISONERS AND DETAINEES IN ISRAELI HOSPITALS - A MULTI-CENTER STUDY].

AIMS: To describe the extent of prisoner/detainee cuffing and characterize cuffing methods. BACKGROUND: Thousands of prisoners and detainees receive medical treatment in Israeli hospitals every year. According to the Israeli law, cuffing during hospital stay should be an exceptional measure, to be considered only in cases of real threat of violence or escape, based on individual assessment. There is no documentation of cuffing rates in hospitals. METHODS: A multi-center study in 12 hospitals was performed during 2020-2021. Data were collected prospectively or retrieved retrospectively from security records, when available. RESULTS: A total of 1857 prisoners/detainees were documented, of whom 1794 (96.6%) were cuffed. Of the 241 hospitalized patients, 230 (95.4%) were cuffed. Details regarding cuffing methods were available for 185 hospitalized patients, revealing that at least 63 patients (68% of patients for whom details regarding cuffing to bed were available) were cuffed to the bed with opposite arm and leg in a cross position. Cuffing rates of prisoners under custody of the Prisons Authority, police and the Israeli Defense Forces, were 98.5%, 96.6%, and 83%, respectively. Impaired mobility for medical reasons was documented in 64 cases, of whom 85.9% were cuffed regardless. CONCLUSIONS: Cuffing of prisoners/detainees in Israeli hospitals is performed non-selectively, in violation of the law. During hospitalization, cuffing is usually performed in a cross position, severely impairing mobility. Our findings highlight the need for routine documentation of cuffing due to its medical consequences and the responsibility of medical staff towards patients according to rules of ethics and regulations.

Predictive Prenatal Diagnosis for Infantile-onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease Because of Interleukin-10 Signalling Defects.

OBJECTIVES: Advances in genetic technologies provide opportunities for patient care and ethical challenges. Clinical care of patients with rare Mendelian disorders is often at the forefront of those developments. Whereas in classical polygenic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), the predictive value of genetic variants is very low, predictive prenatal genetic diagnosis can inform families at high risk of severe genetic disorders. Patients with IL-10 signalling defects because of pathogenic variants in IL10RA, Il10RB, and IL10 develop severe infantile onset inflammatory bowel disease that is completely penetrant and has a high morbidity and substantial mortality despite treatment. METHODS: We performed a survey among tertiary specialist paediatric centers of 10 countries on the utilization of predictive prenatal genetic diagnosis in IL-10 signalling defects. We retrospectively report prenatal genetics in a series of 8 families. RESULTS: International variation in legislation, guidelines, expert opinion, as well as cultural and religious background of families and clinicians results in variable utilization of preimplantation and prenatal genetic testing for IL-10 signalling defects. Eleven referrals for prenatal diagnosis for IL-10 signalling defects were identified across 4 countries. We report on 8 families who underwent prenatal preimplantation monogenic testing after in vitro fertilization (n = 2) and/or by amniocentesis/chorion villus sampling (n = 6). A genetic diagnosis was established in 1 foetus and excluded in 7 foetuses (all IL10RA variants). CONCLUSIONS: Prenatal genetic testing for IL10R-defects is feasible, yet the legal and ethical considerations are complex and controversial. In some countries, predictive genetics for IL-10-related signalling defects is entering clinical practice.

Monitoring Enables Progress: A Nationwide Quality Improvement Program in Children With Crohn Disease.

OBJECTIVES: In this quality improvement program, named quality in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease, we constructed a nation-wide platform that prospectively recorded clinically important quality indicators in pediatric inflammatory bowel diseases (PIBD), aiming at improving clinical management across the country. METHODS: Representatives of all 21 PIBD facilities in Israel formed a Delphi group to select quality indicators (process and outcomes), recorded prospectively over 2 years in children with Crohn's disease 2-18 years of age seen in the outpatient clinics. Monthly anonymized reports were distributed to all centers, allowing comparison and improvement. Trends were analyzed using the Mann-Kendall test, reporting τ (tau) values. RESULTS: The indicators of 3254 visits from 1709 patients were recorded from September 2017 to September 2019 (mean age 14.7 ±â€Š3.1 years, median disease duration 1.8 years (interquartile range 0.69-4.02)). An increase in three of five process indicators was demonstrated: obtaining drug levels of anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) (τ = 0.4; P = 0.005), utilization of fecal calprotectin (τ = 0.38; P = 0.008) and bone density testing (τ = 0.45; P = 0.002). Among outcome indicators, three of nine improved as measured during the preceding year: calprotectin <300 µg/mg (τ = 0.35; P = 0.015), and "resolution of inflammation" defined as a composite of endoscopy, imaging and fecal calprotectin (τ = 0.39; P = 0.007). Endoscopic healing reached borderline significance (τ = 0.28; P = 0.055). An increase in the use of biologics throughout the study was observed (τ = 0.47; P = 0.001) with a concurrent decrease in the use of immunomodulators (τ = -0.47; P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Quality improvement nationwide programs can be implemented with limited resources while facilitating standardization of care, and may be associated with improvements in measured indicators.

Proactive Monitoring of Adalimumab Trough Concentration Associated With Increased Clinical Remission in Children With Crohn's Disease Compared With Reactive Monitoring.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Proactive monitoring of drug trough concentrations and antibodies against drugs might help determine whether patients are likely to respond to treatment and increase efficacy. We investigated whether proactive drug monitoring is associated with higher rates of clinical remission in pediatric patients with Crohn's disease (CD). METHODS: We performed a nonblinded, randomized controlled trial of 78 children with CD (6-18 years old; 29% female; mean age, 14.3 ± 2.6 years) who had not received prior treatment with a biologic agent but had responded to adalimumab induction therapy, under scheduled monitoring of clinical and biologic measures (based on clinical factors and levels of C-reactive protein and fecal calprotectin), at pediatric gastroenterology units in Israel from July 2015 through December 2018. The patients were randomly assigned to groups that received proactive monitoring (trough concentrations measured at weeks 4 and 8 and then every 8 weeks until week 72, n = 38) or reactive monitoring (physicians were informed of trough concentrations after loss of response, n = 40). In both groups, doses and intervals of adalimumab were adjusted to achieve trough concentrations of 5 µg/mL. The primary endpoint was sustained corticosteroid-free clinical remission at all visits (week 8 through week 72). RESULTS: The primary endpoint was achieved by 31 children (82%) in the proactive group and 19 children (48%) in the reactive group (P = .002). Sixteen patients in the proactive monitoring group (42%) achieved a composite outcome of sustained corticosteroid-free remission, C-reactive protein ≤0.5 mg/dL, and level of fecal calprotectin ≤150 µg/g compared with 5 patients in the reactive monitoring group (12%) (P = .003). By week 72 of treatment, 33 patients in the proactive monitoring group had received adalimumab intensification (87%) compared with 24 patients in the reactive monitoring group (60%) (P = .001). CONCLUSIONS: In a randomized controlled trial of pediatric patients with CD, we found that proactive monitoring of adalimumab trough concentrations and adjustment of doses and intervals resulted in significantly higher rates corticosteroid-free clinical remission than reactive monitoring (measuring trough concentration after loss of response). Clinicaltrials.gov no.: NCT02256462.

Pituitary stalk interruption syndrome broadens the clinical spectrum of the TTC26 ciliopathy.

Ciliopathies are a heterogeneous group of disorders, related to abnormal ciliary function. Severe biliary ciliopathy, caused by bi-allelic mutations in TTC26, has been recently described in the context of a syndrome of polydactyly and severe neonatal cholestasis, with brain, kidney and heart involvement. Pituitary involvement has not been previously reported for patients with this condition. Pituitary stalk interruption syndrome (PSIS) is a congenital anomaly of the pituitary gland, diagnosed by characteristic MRI findings. We now describe four patients with TTC26 ciliopathy due to a homozygous c.695A>G p.Asn232Ser mutation and delineate PSIS as a novel clinical feature of this disorder, highlighting an important role of TTC26 in pituitary development.

Central venous catheter-associated bloodstream infections in children diagnosed with intestinal failure in Southern Israel.

OBJECTIVES: To study the clinical, epidemiological, and microbiological associations between intestinal failure (IF) and central line-associated infections (CLABSI) in patients with central vein catheters (CVCs) during 2005-2016. METHODS: We compared retrospectively CLABSI rates according to background disease, type of line access, pathogen distribution, and antibiotic susceptibilities. RESULTS: One hundred and fourteen children (64.1% < 4 years) were enrolled. Main diagnoses were persistent diarrhea (20, 17.5%), short bowel syndrome (13, 11.4%), continuous-TPN w/o diarrhea (11, 9.7%), very early-onset inflammatory bowel disease (VEO-IBD, 8, 7%), Hirschsprung's disease (3, 2.6%), non-oncologic hematologic conditions (13, 11.4%), and other diseases (46, 40.4%). 152.749 catheter days were recorded; 71.1% had Hickman's catheters. Two hundred and nine CLABSI episodes were recorded in 58 patients (82% with IF, 13.7 and 8.2/1000 catheter days in IF, and non-gastrointestinal conditions, P = 0.09). More CLABSI were recorded in continuous TPN vs. VEO-IBD or persistent diarrhea (38.8 vs.15.8 and 12.8/1000 catheter days, P < 0.004). Among patients with Hickman in jugular vein, highest CLBSI incidence was in continuous TPN, VEO-IBD, and persistent diarrhea (29.9, 15.84, and 12.49 episodes/1000 catheter days, respectively). CVCs were removed in 38.8% CLABSI. Two hundred and thirty-five pathogens were isolated (Enterobacteriaceae spp. in 39% of IF patients, mostly in persistent diarrhea and short bowel syndrome patients, 47.6% and 34.8%, respectively). Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus was the commonest pathogen in continuous TPN, VEO-IBD, and Hirschsprung's (71.4%, 55.6% and 46.1%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: CLABSI rates in IF patients were among the highest reported. We reported a "hierarchy" in CLABSI incidence among patients with IF and showed that CLABSI incidence and etiology were different as function of background diseases and CVC insertion site.

Automated Analyzers Are Suited for Diagnosing Celiac Disease Without a Biopsy.

OBJECTIVES: The European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) 2012 guidelines, enabled for the first time, a nonbiopsy approach in the diagnosis of celiac disease (CD). We aimed to prospectively assess 4 tissue-transglutaminase (tTg) IgA assays of 4 random-access analyzers and examine their accuracy in diagnosing CD without a biopsy. METHODS: We enrolled 186 consecutive children referred to upper endoscopy and intestinal biopsy. One group included 109 patients with positive tTg that was referred for suspected CD. Another group included 77 patients with negative tTg referred because of other indications. All participants had a blood sample taken at the time of endoscopy. Samples were tested with 4 tTg IgA assays on automated analyzers and 1 Elisa kit. All intestinal biopsies were evaluated by a local pathologist, a central pathologist, and a CD expert blinded to each other. CD was diagnosed when full agreement was reached. Analytical performance of the assays included precision with controls and samples, lot to lot variation, and carryover. RESULTS: In our cohort, all tested tTg IgA-automated assays showed sensitivities above 98% and specificities above 99%. ROC analysis demonstrated AUC (area under the curve) >0.99 for all 4 analyzers. The positive-predictive values (PPV) were all >0.99 and negative-predictive values (NPV) were >0.97. The Elisa kit had sensitivity of 95%, specificity of 96%, AUC of 0.96, PPV of 0.98 and NPV of 0.93. CONCLUSION: CD can be accurately diagnosed without biopsy based on tTg IgA levels at least 10 times the ULN using the 4 high-volume random-access analyzers used in our study.

The Effect of Adalimumab Treatment on Linear Growth in Children With Crohn Disease: A Post-hoc Analysis of the PAILOT Randomized Control Trial.

OBJECTIVES: Growth impairment is common in children with Crohn disease (CD). We aimed to assess the effect of adalimumab (ADL) treatment on linear growth in children with CD in a post-hoc analysis of the Pediatric Crohn's Disease AdalImumab Level-based Optimization Treatment randomized controlled trial. METHODS: Children 6 to 17 years who responded to ADL induction were assessed consecutively for anthropometric parameters. Associations of these parameters with disease characteristics and disease activity were analyzed. RESULTS: Overall, 66 patients completed 72 weeks of follow-up (25% girls, mean age of 15.6 ±â€Š2.5 years). Median (interquartile range [IQR]) height z score improved from -0.6 (-1.6-0.15) at baseline to -0.33 (-1.3-0.5) at week 72 (P = 0.005) with lesser improvement in patients with perianal disease. Similar effect was noted in children with growth potential (boys younger than 16 years, girls younger than 14 years). Median (IQR) height velocity standard deviation was -0.32 (-1.5-0.8) at week 26, and +0.11 (-1.1-1.3) at week 72. Median weight z score increased from -0.54 (-1.2-0.15) to -0.1 (-0.9-0.6), P < 0.001 and body mass index from -0.4 (-1.0-0.5) to 0.0 (-0.8-0.9), P = 0.005. Pediatric CD activity index and erythrocyte sedimentation rate at week 4 correlated negatively with height z score changes (P = 0.043 and P = 0.048, respectively), whereas sustained clinical and biologic remission (week 4-72) were positively associated with changes in height z scores. Significant improvement in linear growth was predicted by lower pediatric CD activity index and erythrocyte sedimentation rate at the end of induction and sustained clinical remission (P = 0.05) and sustained normal C-reactive protein (P = 0.001) at all visits. CONCLUSION: In children with moderate-to-severe CD, ADL treatment had a significant effect on linear growth, with normalization of weight and body mass index (clinicaltrials.gov no: NCT02256462).

Fecal Markers of Inflammation and Disease Activity in Pediatric Crohn Disease: Results from the ImageKids Study.

BACKGROUND: Noninvasive and accurate methods to monitor inflammatory bowel disease are required. As a planned ancillary study of the prospective ImageKids cohort, we aimed to assess the performance of fecal calprotectin (FC) with comparison to 3 fecal inflammatory markers; S100A12 (FA12), tumor pyruvate kinase isoenzyme type M2 (FM2PK) and fecal osteoprotegerin (FOPG) as indicators of a number of disease characteristics. METHODS: The ImageKids study was a multicenter study designed to develop 2 magnetic resonance enterography-based measures for children with Crohn disease (6-18 years old). All patients underwent magnetic resonance enterography, a complete ileocolonoscopic evaluation and provided a fecal sample. Fecal samples were assay for FC, FA12, FM2PK, and FOPG by ELISA. RESULTS: One-hundred fifty-six children provided 190 fecal samples. Median (interquartile range) for fecal makers were FC, 602 (181-1185) µg/g; FA12, 21 (3-109) µg/g; FM2PK, 16 (2-20) U/mL; and FOPG, 125 (125-312) µg/g. All markers correlated with simple endoscopic severity index for Crohn disease and with other constructs of disease activity, but FC had the highest overall correlations. FA12, however, predicted mucosal healing with significantly higher specificity (87% vs 70%, P = 0.004) and equivalent sensitivity (91% vs 90%) compared to FC. CONCLUSION: This study has confirmed that FC is useful, and overall best, marker to monitor mucosal inflammation in inflammatory bowel disease. FA12, however, appears to be a more suitable maker for prediction of mucosal healing in children.

Azithromycin and metronidazole versus metronidazole-based therapy for the induction of remission in mild to moderate paediatric Crohn's disease : a randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: Crohn's disease (CD) pathogenesis associated with dysbiosis and presence of pathobionts in the lumen, intracellular compartments and epithelial biofilms. Azithromycin is active in all three compartments. Our goal was to evaluate if azithromycin-based therapy can improve response and induce remission compared with metronidazole alone in paediatric CD. DESIGN: This blinded randomised controlled trial allocated children 5-18 years with 1012.5 or remission using intention to treat analysis. RESULTS: 73 patients (mean age 13.8±3.1 years) were enrolled, 35 to group 1 and 38 to group 2. Response and remission rates at week 8 were identical 23/35 (66%) in group 1 and 17/38 (45%) and 15/38 (39%) in group 2 (P=0.07 and P=0.025, respectively). The needed to treat for remission was 3.7. Faecal calprotectin declined significantly in group 1 (P=0.003) but not in group 2 (p=0.33), and was lower at week 8 (P=0.052). Additional therapy was required in 6/35(17%) from group 1 versus 16/38(42%) in group 2 (P=0.027) by week 8. Among 12 failures in group 2, open-label azithromycin led to remission in 10/12 (83%). CONCLUSIONS: The combination of azithromycin and metronidazole failed to improve response but was superior for induction of remission and reduction in calprotectin. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT01596894.

EPCAM mutation update: Variants associated with congenital tufting enteropathy and Lynch syndrome.

The epithelial cell adhesion molecule gene (EPCAM, previously known as TACSTD1 or TROP1) encodes a membrane-bound protein that is localized to the basolateral membrane of epithelial cells and is overexpressed in some tumors. Biallelic mutations in EPCAM cause congenital tufting enteropathy (CTE), which is a rare chronic diarrheal disorder presenting in infancy. Monoallelic deletions of the 3' end of EPCAM that silence the downstream gene, MSH2, cause a form of Lynch syndrome, which is a cancer predisposition syndrome associated with loss of DNA mismatch repair. Here, we report 13 novel EPCAM mutations from 17 CTE patients from two separate centers, review EPCAM mutations associated with CTE and Lynch syndrome, and structurally model pathogenic missense mutations. Statistical analyses indicate that the c.499dupC (previously reported as c.498insC) frameshift mutation was associated with more severe treatment regimens and greater mortality in CTE, whereas the c.556-14A>G and c.491+1G>A splice site mutations were not correlated with treatments or outcomes significantly different than random simulation. These findings suggest that genotype-phenotype correlations may be useful in contributing to management decisions of CTE patients. Depending on the type and nature of EPCAM mutation, one of two unrelated diseases may occur, CTE or Lynch syndrome.

Seasonality of birth affects paediatric coeliac disease.

AIM: This study investigated the seasonality of birth in children diagnosed with coeliac disease (CD) at a tertiary University hospital in Southern Israel. METHODS: This was a population-based retrospective time series analysis study from January 1988 to December 2014. There were 308 903 live births at Soroka University Medical Centre during the study period and 699 were diagnosed with CD. We combined three databases covering births, CD diagnoses and weather indices. The daily proportion of births that resulted in CD for the different four seasons and high seasons were compared to the weather indices on the day of birth using negative binomial regression. RESULTS: Statistically significant associations were found between the season of birth and the rate of CD, with autumn births being associated with a higher risk for the development of CD than births during the summer, with an incidence ratio of 1.22. The association was further increased when the defined summer and autumn high seasons were used, with an incidence ratio of 1.40. No association was found between CD and the mean temperature and global radiation. CONCLUSION: Coeliac disease was associated with birth during the autumn and the autumn high season posed an even more significant risk factor.

Magnetic Resonance Enterography Cannot Replace Upper Endoscopy in Pediatric Crohn Disease: An Imagekids Sub-study.

OBJECTIVES: Although magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) can accurately reflect ileal inflammation in pediatric Crohn disease (CD), there are no pediatric data on the accuracy of MRE to detect upper gastrointestinal tract (UGI) lesions. We aimed to compare MRE and esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) in detecting the spectrum and severity of UGI disease in children. METHODS: This is an ancillary study of the prospective multi-center ImageKids study focusing on pediatric MRE. EGD was performed within 2 weeks of MRE (at disease onset or thereafter) and explicitly scored by SES-CD modified for the UGI and physician global assessment. Local and central radiologists scored the UGI region of the MRE blinded to the EGD. Accuracy of MRE compared with EGD was examined using correlational coefficients (r) and area under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC). RESULTS: One hundred and eighty-eight patients were reviewed (mean age 14 ±â€Š1 years, 103 [55%] boys); 66 of 188 (35%) children had macroscopic ulcerations on EGD (esophagus, 13 [7%]; stomach, 34 [18%]; duodenum, 45 [24%]). Most children had aphthous ulcers, but 10 (5%) had larger ulcers (stomach, 2 [1%]; duodenum, 8 [4%]). There was no agreement between local and central radiologists on the presence or absence of UGI inflammation on MRE (Kappa = -0.02, P = 0.71). EGD findings were not accurately detected by MRE, read locally or centrally (r = -0.03 to 0.11, P = 0.18-0.88; AUC = 0.47-0.55, P = 0.53-1.00).No fistulae or narrowings were identified on either EGD or MRE. CONCLUSIONS: MRE cannot reliably assess the UGI in pediatric CD and cannot replace EGD for this purpose.

Incidence of typically Severe Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases in Consanguineous and Non-consanguineous Populations.

PURPOSE: Primary immunodeficiency diseases are considered to be rare diseases; however, data on the exact birth incidences of these diseases are sparse. Southern Israel is inhabited by two major populations: a relatively non-consanguineous Jewish population and a highly consanguineous Muslim Bedouin population. We sought to calculate the incidences of typically severe primary immunodeficiency diseases and compare the incidences in these populations. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of all typically severe primary immunodeficiency diseases evaluated at a single center from January 1, 1996 to December 31, 2016. The amount of live births by population was the denominator for calculating the incidences by population. RESULTS: A total of 95 patients were included, 85 of Bedouin and 10 of Jewish ethnicities. There were 152,331 births in the Bedouin and 160,998 births in the Jewish populations. The total incidence of typically severe primary immunodeficiency diseases was higher in the Bedouin population than expected based on previous studies. The total incidences were 55.8/105 births in the Bedouin population compared with 6.2/105 births in the Jewish population (P < 0.001). The incidences of all combined immunodeficiency diseases, ataxia telangiectasia, and infantile IBD due to interleukin 10 receptor defects were all significantly higher in the Bedouin population (P < 0.001). The incidence of X-linked agammaglobulinemia was not significantly different between both populations (P = 0.11). CONCLUSIONS: Typically, severe primary immunodeficiency diseases are not rare diseases in a consanguineous population; these diseases are significantly more common in the Bedouin population. This finding is probably also applicable to other consanguineous populations, and in these populations, primary immunodeficiency diseases should not be regarded as rare diseases.

Interleukin 1ß Mediates Intestinal Inflammation in Mice and Patients With Interleukin 10 Receptor Deficiency.

Interleukin 10 receptor (IL10R)-deficient mice develop spontaneous colitis and, similarly, patients with loss-of-function mutations in IL10R develop severe infant-onset inflammatory bowel disease. Loss of IL10R signaling in mouse and human macrophages is associated with increased production of interleukin 1ß. We demonstrated that innate immune production of IL1ß mediates colitis in IL10R-deficient mice. Transfer of Il1r1-/- CD4+ T cells into Rag1-/-/Il10rb-/- mice reduced the severity of their colitis (compared to mice that received CD4+ T cells that express IL1R), accompanied by decreased production of interferon gamma, tumor necrosis factor-α, and IL17A. In macrophages from mice without disruption of IL10R signaling or from healthy humans (controls), incubation with IL10 reduced canonical activation of the inflammasome and production of IL1ß through transcriptional and post-translational regulation of NLRP3. Lipopolysaccharide and adenosine triphosphate stimulation of macrophages from Il10rb-/- mice or IL10R-deficient patients resulted in increased production of IL1ß. Moreover, in human IL10R-deficient macrophages, lipopolysaccharide stimulation alone triggered IL1ß secretion via non-canonical, caspase 8-dependent activation of the inflammasome. We treated 2 IL10R-deficient patients with severe and treatment-refractory infant-onset inflammatory bowel disease with the IL1-receptor antagonist anakinra. Both patients had marked clinical, endoscopic, and histologic responses after 4-7 weeks. This treatment served as successful bridge to allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in 1 patient. Our findings indicate that loss of IL10 signaling leads to intestinal inflammation, at least in part, through increased production of IL1 by innate immune cells, leading to activation of CD4+ T cells. Agents that block IL1 signaling might be used to treat patients with inflammatory bowel disease resulting from IL10R deficiency.

Rapid Infliximab Infusion in Children: A Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study.

Pediatric data on rapid infliximab infusion are scarce. We report our experience with a 1-hour rapid infusion protocol, prescribed in 3 pediatric inflammatory bowel disease units during 18 to 26 months. Children treated with infliximab for inflammatory bowel disease using a standard 2- to 3-hour infusion protocol were switched to a 1-hour protocol if they had received at least 4 standard duration infusions with no infusion reactions, there was no recent dose increase and no more than 10 weeks had elapsed since the previous infusion. A total of 102 children received infliximab infusions during the study period (85 Crohn disease; mean age 14.6 ±â€Š2.6 years) of whom 63 were switched to the rapid infusions. Seven patients on the rapid protocol (11%) and 6 patients on the standard protocol (15%) had infusion reactions (P = 0.55). Consistent with adult data, our study indicates that a 1-hour infliximab protocol in selected patients offers a safe alternative to the traditional 2- to 3-hour infusions.