Intestinal Research最新文献

The incidence and prevalence of elderly-onset inflammatory bowel disease (EO-IBD) are increasing worldwide. The rising incidence of EO-IBD in Asia is driven by rapid industrialization and an aging population. Older patients often have multiple comorbidities and polypharmacy, which make diagnosis and management of the disease more challenging. Additionally, Asian patients with EO-IBD exhibit unique clinical characteristics, including frequent ileal involvement. Differences in phenotype between patients with EO-IBD in Western and Asian countries may explain subsequent disparities in the natural history of these patients. Although EO-IBD often manifests with a mild clinical course at diagnosis, it poses distinct diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Understanding these characteristics is essential for optimizing patient care and for optimizing patient outcomes. In this review, we explore the epidemiology, disease burden, and clinical characteristics of EO-IBD in Asia, as well as the therapeutic approaches for treating the disease.

Background/aims: Tofacitinib (TFB), filgotinib (FIL), and upadacitinib (UPA) are Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors approved for moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis (UC). The appropriate positioning of each JAK inhibitor in the treatment algorithm, however, is unclear. Furthermore, real-world efficacy of JAK inhibitors for patients with UC and prior anti-tumor necrosis factor α antibody (aTNF) treatment are not fully investigated. We compared the efficacy and safety of 3 JAK inhibitors in patients with UC, considering their prior aTNF exposure.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in patients with UC who started TFB, FIL, or UPA at 2 academic centers. This propensity score-matched cohort study assessed the effectiveness of the 3 JAK inhibitors for UC in patients with and without prior aTNF exposure, comparing steroid-free clinical remission and response rates after 8 weeks.

Results: Among 274 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 145 experienced aTNF exposure (TFB: 59.2%, 100/169; FIL: 34.5%, 20/58; UPA: 53.2%, 25/47). Based on propensity score-matching, UPA led to a higher steroid-free clinical remission rates than TFB (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 5.57; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.42-21.90) or FIL (aOR, 9.00; 95% CI, 1.42-57.10) in patients exposed to aTNF. Steroid-free clinical remission and clinical response rates did not differ significantly between each group in patients non-exposed to aTNF. The incidence of adverse events was slightly higher with UPA than TFB or FIL.

Conclusions: UPA may be more effective for UC than TFB or FIL, especially in patients with previous aTNF exposure, although consideration should be given to adverse events.

Background/aims: Crohn's disease (CD) progresses to structural bowel damage (SBD). The Lémann Index (LI) captures stricture extent/severity, penetrating disease and surgery as a SBD score, and is earmarked for future CD modification trials. Understanding knowledge gaps and perceived barriers is critical to wider adoption.

Methods: A multinational, cross-sectional study was distributed through a survey link (REDCap, Research Electronic Data Capture) to gastrointestinal professional societies with snowball sampling using 23 questionnaire items in 5 sections to determine SBD and LI knowledge, and LI acceptability. Factors associated with acceptability and perception were evaluated.

Results: Of the 107 respondents, 49 (45.8%) were female; 87 (81.3%) were from Europe. Most were inflammatory bowel disease specialists (n = 80, 74.8%) or general gastroenterologists (n = 22, 20.6%), managing > 40 CD patients per month (n = 35, 32.7%). A total of 98 (91.6%) knew about SBD; "very important" rating for clinical trials and clinical practice was 56.1% and 41.4%, respectively. A 39.3% describe LI scoring as "very difficult" or "difficult"; 33.6% reported "significant" or "a lot" of effort. Acceptability (composite scores of > 36) were significantly associated with respondents who had received LI training (P<0.001). Automated methods, intestinal ultrasound and evidence of benefit would encourage LI use in clinical trials, while additional time and automated methods would promote use in clinical practice. The top 3 perceived adoption barriers were: lack of time (60.7%), limited automated methods (47.7%) and need for dedicated radiologists (38.3%).

Conclusions: Most respondents had baseline knowledge of SBD. The LI was perceived as important for advancing future CD research and care. More training and automation will facilitate LI adoption.

Background/aims: Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is a major cause of nosocomial diarrhea. This study aimed to implement a quality improvement program to expedite proper CDI treatment, including discontinuing laxatives and associated antibiotics.

Methods: Stool test results positive for CDI were automatically sent via text message to the quality improvement team, specialists in CDI management. The quality improvement team played an advisory role in this treatment. The outcome of this study was the competency of CDI treatment within 24 hours of stool test reporting. Competency was investigated using 3 different models: Model 1, initiation of CDI treatment within 24 hours of positive stool test report; Model 2, Model 1 criteria met with no concurrent laxative use; and Model 3, Model 2 criteria met with no concurrent associated antibiotics. Competency rates were compared between pre- and post-intervention periods (1 year each). Analyses were performed for inpatients with CDI.

Results: In total, 310 inpatients with CDI (129 pre-intervention, 181 post-intervention) were included in this study. The rates of competency for Model 1 (85.3% vs. 95.6%, p= 0.006), Model 2 (81.4% vs. 92.3%, p= 0.004), and Model 3 (35.7% vs. 56.4%, p< 0.001) in the post-intervention group were higher to those in the pre-intervention group.

Conclusions: Quality improvement program enhanced the quality of CDI treatment in terms of prompt treatment and discontinuation of concomitant laxatives and associated antibiotics. (cris.nih.go.kr; KCT0005892).

Background/aims: The prevalence of gallstone disease in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) is higher than in the general population. However, risk factors of gallstone disease in these patients remain unclear. Thus, we investigated the prevalence and risk factors of gallstone disease in Korean patients with UC.

Methods: Patients diagnosed with UC who underwent abdominal imaging studies between 1997 and 2020 were investigated using a well-established referral center-based large volume inflammatory bowel disease cohort. The prevalence and clinical characteristics of patients with gallstone disease were evaluated and compared with those without gallstone disease.

Results: Overall, 2,811 patients with UC were enrolled. During the follow-up period (mean, 5.7 years), 198 patients (7.0%) were diagnosed with gallstone disease and compared with those without gallstone disease (n = 2,613). The proportion of extensive colitis at maximum extent, primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), history of cytomegalovirus, corticosteroid use, immunomodulatory use, colectomy, and appendectomy were significantly higher in the gallstone group (all P< 0.05). In multivariate analyses, age ≥ 60 years at gallstone evaluation (odds ratio [OR], 1.027; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.002-1.052; P= 0.033), PSC (OR, 6.304; 95% CI, 3.162-12.565; P< 0.001), and history of colectomy (OR, 2.494; 95% CI, 1.222-5.087; P= 0.012) were significant risk factors for gallstone disease in patients with UC.

Conclusions: The prevalence of gallstone disease in Korean patients with UC was 7.0%, and age ≥ 60 years at gallstone evaluation, PSC, and history of colectomy were significant risk factors for UC patients with gallstone disease.

Background/aims: Despite available treatments for ulcerative colitis (UC), unmet needs persist among patients in Japan. This study explored the health-related quality of life (HRQoL), work productivity and activity impairment (WPAI), indirect cost, and unmet needs among treated UC patients in Japan.

Methods: This cross-sectional, observational study utilized data from the online 2017, 2019, and 2021 Japan National Health and Wellness Survey. Respondents were aged ≥ 18 years and had undergone or were on UC treatment (5-aminosalicylic acid, steroids, immunomodulators/immunosuppressants, biologics/Janus kinase inhibitors [JAKi]). Demographic, general health, and clinical characteristics, medication adherence, HRQoL, WPAI, and indirect cost were collected and analyzed.

Results: Among 293 treated UC patients, 83.6% were non-biologic/JAKi users, 29.0% had UC ≥ 15 years, 34.8% had moderate-to-severe disease severity, 55.3% experienced ≥ 1 persisting UC symptom, and 91.5% reported UC as bothersome to an extent. Patients reported EuroQoL visual analog scale score of 68.1 and ≥ 35% reported anxiety and depression. Mean work productivity loss was 29.3%, resulting in an annual mean indirect loss of 1.1 million JPY (45.3 thousand USD) per person. Higher WPAI (impairment) was associated with being male, moderate-to-severe disease severity, and low treatment adherence (P< 0.05). Biologics/JAKi users had higher work impairment, and IM/IS users had higher activity impairment than 5-aminosalicylic acid users (P< 0.05).

Conclusions: Despite treatment, Japanese UC patients experienced high disease burden and persistent disease-related challenges. Overall HRQoL were lower than the mean healthy population and work productivity impairment led to high indirect costs. The findings suggest the importance of new interventions for optimizing UC outcomes.

Colonoscopy is becoming more widely used in older adults for screening and diagnostic evaluation of colorectal cancer. While advanced age itself is not a contraindication, elderly patients often present unique challenges, including frailty, comorbidities and polypharmacy, which increase the risk of complications during the procedure. Rather than chronological age alone, frailty is important in risk assessment and clinical decision-making before performing a colonoscopy. This review summarizes recent evidence, particularly from large cohort studies and clinical guidelines, to provide a balanced evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages of performing colonoscopies on older adults. Ultimately, we emphasize the importance of judicious patient selection, customized bowel preparation and tailored sedation management to optimize the safety and effectiveness of colonoscopy in this vulnerable group.

Background/aims: We aimed to evaluate if using the interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) alone is effective for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) screening in preventing active tuberculosis in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) before initiating anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha (anti-TNF-α) therapy, compared to using both the tuberculin skin test and IGRA.

Methods: Using South Korea's Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, we selected IBD patients treated with anti-TNF-α agents for ≥ 1 year who underwent LTBI screening between 2018 and 2021. We compared the 1-year incidence rate and standardized incidence ratio of active tuberculosis incidence after starting anti-TNF-α treatment to the general population based on the LTBI screening strategy.

Results: Of the 4,215 enrolled patients, 3,505 underwent IGRA alone for LTBI screening, while 710 received both tuberculin skin test and IGRA. Within 1 year of starting anti-TNF-α treatment, 15 patients (0.36%) developed active tuberculosis, with a mean follow-up period of 4,200.6 person-years. The 1-year tuberculosis incidence rates were 372.3 (95% confidence interval [CI], 198.2-636.6) per 100,000 person-years for the IGRA alone group and 282.3 (95% CI, 34.2-1,019.9) per 100,000 person-years for the combination group. The standardized incidence ratios were similar: 14.34 (95% CI, 7.63-24.52) for the IGRA alone group and 11.25 (95% CI, 1.26-40.61) for the combination group.

Conclusions: Using IGRA alone may be an effective strategy for LTBI screening in IBD patients before starting anti-TNF-α therapy. (Intest Res, Published online).