Author Archives: gutsandgrowth

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About gutsandgrowth

I am a pediatric gastroenterologist at GI Care for Kids (previously called CCDHC) in Atlanta, Georgia. The goal of my blog is to share some of my reading in my field more broadly. In addition, I wanted to provide my voice to a wide range of topics that often have inaccurate or incomplete information. Before starting this blog in 2011, I would tear out articles from journals and/or keep notes in a palm pilot. This blog helps provide an updated source of information that is easy to access and search, along with links to useful multimedia sources. I was born and raised in Chattanooga. After graduating from the University of Virginia, I attended Baylor College of Medicine. I completed residency and fellowship training at the University of Cincinnati at the Children’s Hospital Medical Center. I received funding from the National Institutes of Health for molecular biology research of the gastrointestinal tract. During my fellowship, I had the opportunity to work with some of the most amazing pediatric gastroenterologists and mentors. Some of these individuals included Mitchell Cohen, William Balistreri, James Heubi, Jorge Bezerra, Colin Rudolph, John Bucuvalas, and Michael Farrell. I am grateful for their teaching and their friendship. During my training with their help, I received a nationwide award for the best research by a GI fellow. I have authored numerous publications/presentations including original research, case reports, review articles, and textbook chapters on various pediatric gastrointestinal problems. In addition, I have been recognized by Atlanta Magazine as a "Top Doctor" in my field multiple times. Currently, I am the vice chair of the section of nutrition for the Georgia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. In addition, I am an adjunct Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine. Other society memberships have included the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN), American Academy of Pediatrics, the Food Allergy Network, the American Gastroenterology Association, the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, and the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation. As part of a national pediatric GI organization called NASPGHAN (and its affiliated website GIKids), I have helped develop educational materials on a wide-range of gastrointestinal and liver diseases which are used across the country. Also, I have been an invited speaker for national campaigns to improve the evaluation and treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease, celiac disease, eosinophilic esophagitis, hepatitis C, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Some information on these topics has been posted at my work website, www.gicareforkids.com, which has links to multiple other useful resources. I am fortunate to work at GI Care For Kids. Our group has 17 terrific physicians with a wide range of subspecialization, including liver diseases, feeding disorders, eosinophilic diseases, inflammatory bowel disease, cystic fibrosis, DiGeorge/22q, celiac disease, and motility disorders. Many of our physicians are recognized nationally for their achievements. Our group of physicians have worked closely together for many years. None of the physicians in our group have ever left to join other groups. I have also worked with the same nurse (Bernadette) since I moved to Atlanta in 1997. For many families, more practical matters about our office include the following: – 14 office/satellite locations – physicians who speak Spanish – cutting edge research – on-site nutritionists – on-site psychology support for abdominal pain and feeding disorders – participation in ImproveCareNow to better the outcomes for children with inflammatory bowel disease – office endoscopy suite (lower costs and easier scheduling) – office infusion center (lower costs and easier for families) – easy access to nursing advice (each physician has at least one nurse) I am married and have two sons (both adults). I like to read, walk/hike, bike, swim, and play tennis with my free time. I do not have any financial relationships with pharmaceutical companies or other financial relationships to disclose. I have helped enroll patients in industry-sponsored research studies.

Mental Health of Medical Students

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It is well-recognized that there is a high rate of burnout and even suicides among physicians.  The concern regarding mental health extends to medical students.  According to a recent commentary (JF Karp, AS Levine. NEJM 2018; 1196-8), “despite entering medical school with relatively good mental health, medical students become depressed, burned out, and suicidal at alarming rates.”  This is thought to be due to “demanding schedules, cost, and stigma” to obtain mental health services.

The editorial advocates for medical students: “Working closely with the physician-services divisions of large hospital systems may help schools and hospitals leverage resources and provide shared opportunities to improve the care of students, trainees, and faculty and staff physicians.”

Related blog posts on burnout:

Frpm NEJM twitter feed

What to Do About Bile Reflux Gastritis?

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A recent review (ME McCabe, CK Dilly. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2018; 16: 1389-92) provides useful information on bile reflux gastritis.

The authors note that bile reflux gastritis is “increasingly found in individuals without prior gastric surgery, a problem termed ‘primary biliary reflux.'”

Key points:

  • Most often bile reflux gastritis occurs due to prior surgery affecting pylorus, dysmotility, after cholecystectomy (due to loss of bile reservoir), and after biliary sphincterotomy (due to increased biliary flow).
  • Suggested treatments (Figure 5) -are limited by lack of evidence but the following are recommended by the authors: remove offending medications (eg. agents that affect peristalsis) –>proton pump inhibitors –>ursodeoxycholic acid –>sucralfate –>combination therapy –>surgical diversion of bile (generally reserved in those with surgically-induced bile reflux)

Is it Helpful to Check Celiac Serology Titers After 3 Months of a Gluten Free Diet?

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A recent prospective study (D Petroff et al. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2018; 16: 1442-49) with 345 pediatric patients with biopsy-proven celiac disease (CD) examined serologic response to a gluten-free diet (GFD) between 2012-2015.

Key findings:

  • Mean TTG IgA concentration decreased 14-fold after 3 months of a GFD.  The study assay used kits from EUROIMMUN.
  • TTG IgA remained above 1-fold ULN in 83.8% and above 10-fold ULN in 26.6%.
  • Deamidated gliadin IgA (DGL IgA) decreased in the vast majority but did not distinguish response of GFD from random fluctuations.
  • The authors note that symptoms improved in most on GFD, but short-term response could reflect “regression to the mean…for a considerable share” as symptoms improved in the non-GFD group as well.

In their discussion, the authors reference a large study (n=487) which showed mean normalization of TTG IgA of ~400 days; longer times were noted in those with type 1 diabetes and higher baseline values.

My take: This study, while showing that TTG IgA levels improve after 3 months of a GFD, helps solidify my opinion that in those who are improving, followup serology could be obtained later.  My practice is to have followup serology after 6 months of a GFD in the majority of patients.

Related blog posts:

Lake Moraine, Banff

DILI, DILI -Two Studies on Drug-Induced Liver Injury

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A Benesic et al. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2018; 16: 1488-94. This prospective study found that monocyte-derived hepatocyte-like (MH) cells isolated from patients could be used to test and identify drugs that triggered acute liver injury.  Among 40 patients, 13 patients had 10 drugs identified which were toxic to MH cells.  Overall, they reported the MH test as having a 92% sensitivity and 100% specificity.

I Medina-Caliz et al. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2018; 16: 1495-1502. Using the Spanish DILI registry (1994-2016), the authors identified 32 of 856 cases of DILI that were due to dietary supplements.  Patients were more often female (63%), and had a mean ALT level 37-fold above ULN.  3 patients (9.4%) progressed to acute liver failure. Many of these supplements were promoted as helpful for weight loss. The authors speculate that reported cases of DILI due to herbal supplements are ‘the tip of the iceberg’ due to under-reporting of cases.

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Lake Moraine, Banff

Do Biologics Alter the Natural History of Crohn’s Disease in Children?

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An important recent study (B Kerur et al. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2018; 16: 1467-73 & editorial C Ballengee S Kugasthasan 1398-1400) examined the impact of biologic therapies on Crohn’s disease progression and need for surgery in 1442 children (age, ≤16 y) between 2002-14. This study examined data from the Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease Collaborative Research Group registry.

Key findings:

  • Early use of biologics (n=145) was associated with slowing of disease progression (hazard ratio 0.85, CI 0.76-0.95).  Those who received anti-TNF therapy within three months of diagnosis were less likely to develop stricturing (B2) or penetrating (B3) disease.
  • Early anti-TNF therapy did not effect progression to surgery. Surgery rates were 4% at 1 year, 13% at 5 years, and 26% at 10 years.
  • Of those who needed surgery, ~15% already had their first bowel-related surgery in the first 90 days after diagnosis.
  • The study cohort at diagnosis included only 51 with B2 disease, 27 with B3, and 11 with both B2 & B3.  Thus, these three disease phenotypes represented ~6% of the entire cohort.

In the editorial, the authors state that this study “is a sobering reminder that we apparently have not changed the long-term course of CD for our pediatric patients.”  Though, at the same time, they explain how this study had some limitations which could have affected some of the conclusions.

  • In contrast to the RISK study, this study classified patients as B1 who progressed to B2 or B3 in the first 3 months of diagnosis.  Including these patients decreased the chance to show improvement with early biologic therapy.
  • Also, this cohort included a lower percentage of African American patients compared to the RISK study (8% vs 13%).  This also lowered the likelihood of identifying improvement;  these patients are more likely to develop penetrating disease which can be prevented with early biologic therapy (RISK study: Kugasthasan S et al. Lancet 2017; 389: 1710-8).

Also, one other finding of the study was that there was a paradoxical increase in the risk of surgery in the first 5 years in the early biologic group. “This suggests that our practicing pediatric gastroenterologists may have selected the sicker patients to start biologics.”

My take: I think biologics do influence the natural history of Crohn’s disease in children.  However, this study suggests that the magnitude of that alteration is suboptimal.

Related blog post: CCFA update 2017 -RISK study presentation

Vedolizumab and Extraintestinal Manifestations of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

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A recent retrospective study( MC Dubinsky et al. Inflamm Bowel Dis 2018; 24: 1876-82) indicates that vedolizumab (VDZ) is likely to less effective than anti-TNF agents for extraintestinal manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

The authors used the MarketScan database (2102-2016).  For Crohn’s disease (CD) this included 756 treated with VDZ and 19584 treated with anti-TNF.  For ulcerative colitis (UC), this included 544 treated with VDZ and 8574 treated with anti-TNF.

Key findings:

  • Compared to patients receiving anti-TNF therapy, VDZ-treated CD patients were 28% more likely to develop “any EIMs” with an adjusted rate ratio of 1.49.  The adjusted rate ratio of developing specific EIMs: erythema nodosum  4.29, aphthous stomatitis 3.71, episcleritis/scleritis 2.51, arthropathy 1.45, primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) 7.79, and uveitis/iritis 2.89.
  • VDZ-treated UC patients did not have a statistically-significant increase in general for EIMs; though when looked at individually, there was increased incident rate ratios for some: apthous stomatitis 3.67, pyoderma gangrenosum 4.42, and PSC 3.44.

The authors findings are counter to their hypothesis that VDZ-treated patients would not have a significantly higher incidence of EIMs and that the EIMs would parallel course with IBD. To explain their findings, the authors note the following:

  • “EIMs may be more associated with systemic inflammation than previously thought.”
  • “Alternatively, the correlation between specific EIMs and underlying intestinal disease activity may be less tight than previously described.”
  • Anti-TNFs may control intestinal inflammation better than VDZ
  • VDZ-treated patients may have had more severe disease

While EIMs are more likely to develop on VDZ therapy, this study and prior RCTs do not show whether VDZ is effective in resolving EIMs.

My take: This retrospective study indicates that EIMs, including PSC, are more likely to occur in patients receiving vedolizumab. It is unclear whether this is related to the gut-specific control of inflammation with VDZ or whether there are patient characteristics responsible for this observation.

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Sunshine Meadows, Banff

Expansive View of Endoscopy from Porto IBD Group

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The pediatric IBD Porto Group of ESPGHAN has updated endoscopy guidelines: S Oliva et al. JPGN 2018; 67: 414-430.   In total, the authors make 17 recommendations –here are a few of them:

A) In non-emergency situations, the diagnostic evaluation for suspected IBD in children should include a combination of EGD and colonoscopy.  Multiple biopsies from each segment are recommended even in the absence of macroscopic disease.

B) Endoscopic evaluation is recommended for the following:

  • before major treatment changes
  • in symptomatic patients when it is not clear whether the symptoms are inflammation-related
  • in Crohn’s disease(CD) to ensure mucosal healing during clinical remission
  • in Ulcerative colitis (UC) to ensure mucosal healing during clinical remission only if fecal calprotectin is elevated

C) 6-12 months after bowel resection to identify postoperative recurrence

D) Endoscopic surveillance in pediatric UC after 10 years from the onset of disease (as early as 8 years in older children (>16 years) with risk factors like extensive disease and strong family history

E) In patients with concurrent primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), surveillance colonoscopy may be considered every 1-2 years, starting from time of PSC diagnosis. However, in children <12 years of age, surveillance could be postponed based on individual risk factors.

In addition to discussions of conventional endoscopy, the authors favor evaluation of small bowel inflammation: “the choice to perform CE [capsule endoscopy], MRE or both, depends on local availability and expertise.”  The authors caution to consider strictures and the potential need for patency capsule prior to CE.

Conclusion of authors: “Endoscopy in pediatric IBD provides a more definitive diagnosis and disease extent evaluation, assesses therapeutic efficacy and leads to targeted therapy, which lessens complications and progression.”

My take: While I agree that endoscopy increases our understanding of disease extent and response to treatment, I do have some concerns about the recommendations (under section B above) regarding assessment of mucosal healing.  Part of the concern is that there is not a single accepted definition of mucosal healing.  Also, as a practical matter, there needs to be a discussion of the costs and more proof that frequent endoscopy will improve outcomes; it is possible that increased use of endoscopy will lead to some detrimental outcomes in some patients based on the interpretation of the results (eg. dropping a therapy that may be helping and replacing with a less effective treatment)..

Disclaimer: These blog posts are for educational purposes only. Specific dosing of medications/diets (along with potential adverse effects) should be confirmed by prescribing physician/nutritionist.  This content is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment provided by a qualified healthcare provider. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a condition.

Pediatric Fatty Liver Disease Study: New York City

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A recent autopsy study (DM Fernandes et al. J Pediatr 2018; 200: 174-80) examined nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in a pediatric cohort of 582 (2-19).  Approximately 75% were in 14-19 years of age and 50% were black; black pediatric patients (n=290) were over-represented in this sample only 25% of the New York population is black or African American based on the 2010 census.

Key findings:

  • Causes of death: 49% homicides, 31% accidents, 10% acute illness, 9% suicide, 1% other
  • Overall, NAFLD was present in 4.5%; this low overall prevalence was due in part to the low rate of NAFLD in black children; only 3 of 290 (1%) had NAFLD and none had nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)
  • The rate of NAFLD was 7.9% in hispanics and 8.3% in white patients.
  • In this cohort, 36% were overweight or obese.  In this subgroup, 14.1% of hispanics and 14.8% of whites had NAFLD.
  • Overall, NASH was present in 1.7% of the entire cohort.  NASH and fibrosis have been shown in prior studies as the best predictors of disease progression

My take: If black children are not killed by homicide or accidents, it is unlikely that they will die from NAFLD due to its low prevalence.

Related blog posts:

Sunshine Meadows, Banff