Category Archives: inflammatory bowel disease

FDA Warning on Tofacitinib

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From FDA: 7-26-19 FDA approves Boxed Warning about increased risk of blood clots and death with higher dose of arthritis and ulcerative colitis medicine tofacitinib (Xeljanz, Xeljanz XR)

An excerpt:

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved new warnings about an increased risk of blood clots and of death with the 10 mg twice daily dose of tofacitinib (Xeljanz, Xeljanz XR), which is used in patients with ulcerative colitis…

Health care professionals should discontinue tofacitinib and promptly evaluate patients with symptoms of thrombosis. Counsel patients about the risks and advise them to seek medical attention immediately if they experience any unusual symptoms, including those of thrombosis listed above. Reserve tofacitinib to treat ulcerative colitis for patients who have failed or do not tolerate tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blockers. Avoid tofacitinib in patients who may have a higher risk of thrombosis. When treating ulcerative colitis, use tofacitinib at the lowest effective dose and limit the use of the 10 mg twice daily dosage to the shortest duration needed

  • 19 cases of blood clots in the lung out of 3,884 patient-years of follow-up in patients who received tofacitinib 10 mg twice daily, compared to 3 cases out of 3,982 patient-years in patients who received TNF blockers

Related blog posts:

University of Virginia

Depression Screening for Pediatric Patients with IBD

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Recently, we had a morning conference to review depression screening for pediatric patients with IBD.  This lecture was led by Chelly Dykes, MD. Many of these slides were adapted from resources developed by the (ImproveCareNow) ICN Psychosocial Professionals group.

We have started depression screening with a subset of our patients and soon will start screening all children 13 years and older.  When this is working well, younger ages may be targeted as well.

Some of the key points:

  • Depression/anxiety are common, particularly in patients with inflammatory bowel disease
  • National rates of suicide have been increasing
  • Asking about suicide does not increase the risk of suicidality
  • We are fortunate to work closely with two psychologists, Bonney Reed-Knight and Jessica Buzenski

Some of the slides are listed below.

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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.

Ustekinumab in Pediatric Clinical Practice

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A recent study (JR Dayan et al. JPGN 2019; 69: 61-67) provides some helpful insight into the use of ustekinumab.

Background: The authors conducted a retrospective review of 52 patients (73% younger than 18 years, 27% 18-21 years).

  • Median age at induction was 16.8 years.
  • 10 patients were biologic-naive; 42 had received at least one anti-TNF agent (18 had received two anti-TNFs).
  • 42 of the 52 patients had Crohn’s disease.
  • Of note, 64% of their patients had a normal baseline CRP and they defined “biomarker remission at 52 weeks” as having a normal CRP.  The high rate of normal baseline CRP likely indicates milder disease than many other refractory populations; though nearly half of the patients with Crohn’s disease were receiving steroids when ustekinumab was initiated.
  • Steroid-free remission was defined by Harvey Bradshaw Index ≤4 or partial Mayo Score <2 and off steroids for >4 weeks.

Dosing: 47 (90%) received induction with ustekinumab IV (260 mg if <55 kg, 390 mg if 55-85 kg, 520 mg if >85 kg) followed by 90 mg subcutaneous injections every 8 weeks

Key findings:

  • 75% of patients continued to receive ustekinumab at 52 weeks.
  • 50% of bio-exposed patients were in steroid-free remission
  • 90% of bio-naive were in steroid-free remission
  • 57% received a dose escalation (increased frequency due to inadequate clinical response); such that at 52 weeks, 12 were receiving q4 weeks, 9 were receiving q6-7 weeks, and 15 continued with q8 weeks.
  • With a median f/u of 18 months, the authors reported few serious adverse events: two patients had an anaphylactoid reaction with IV induction (Rx with steroids and epinephrine). One of these two went on to experience arthralgias, fatigue and headaches with maintenance injection and treatment was discontinued. One patient experienced “self-limited paresthesia of bilateral lower extremities at 16 months on therapy” (CHOP experience with 22 patients reported one case of transverse myelitis: #NASPGHAN17 More Abstracts)

Discussion:

  • The authors note low immunogeiecity of ustekinumab and “suggest that ustekinumab monotherapy is possible and preferable in children”
  • Limitations: Lack of better objective markers for response to treatment

My take: This data indicates that ustekinumab therapy was associated with clinical remission in 50% of patients who had received anti-TNF therapy and had higher response in a small sample of biologically-naive patients.  More experience is needed to confirm drug safety with long-term usage

Related blog posts:

Barcelona

 

Vitamin D Supplementation Did Not Improve Postsurgical Outcomes in Patients with Crohn’s Disease

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Link from Kipp Ellsworth Twitter Feed: Healio Gastro: Vitamin D does not prevent Crohn’s recurrence after resection

Re: Duijvestein M, et al. Abstract 144. Presented at: Digestive Disease Week; May 18-21, 2019; San Diego.

Background: “Researchers conducted a placebo-controlled trial comprising 143 patients with CD to assess the potential anti-inflammatory effects of vitamin D. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either 25,000 International Units of vitamin D3 (n = 72) or placebo (n = 71) weekly for 6 months after their first or second ileocolonic resection.”

Key Finding: “While serum vitamin D levels increased in the vitamin D group and remained unchanged in the placebo group, investigators found no difference in the incidence or severity of endoscopic recurrence at week 26 between the two groups. Cumulative clinical recurrence rates at week 26 were also comparable.”

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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

Madrid view from Círculo de Bellas Artes

 

 

IBD Articles -Briefly Noted

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A Dige et al. Gastroenterol 2019; 156: 2208-16. This study evaluated the efficacy of freshly collected autologous adipose tissue injection for healing of perianal fistulas in Crohn’s disease.  The overall healing rate was 57% and the treatment had a good safety profile.

HK Somineni et al. Gastroenterol 2019; 156: 2254-65. The researchers found that DNA methylation patterns (from ~850,000 sites) in blood samples from pediatric patients with Crohn’s disease  (n=164) were associated with inflammation and resolved with treatment of inflammation; thus, the changes in DNA methylation are less likely to be a causative agent in disease development or progression and more likely a biomarker of inflammation.

OB Kelly et al. Inflamm Bowel Dis 2019; 25: 1066-71. Among 316 patients who underwent A/P CT scan for any reason, 49 (16%) had evidence of sacroilitis, indicating this is underdiagnosed in patients with IBD.

BG Feagan et al. Inflamm Bowel Dis 2019; 25: 1028-35. In a post hoc analysis of GEMINI 1 trial (n=769 patients: 149 placebo, 620 vedolizumab), a randomized placebo-controlled trial of vedolizumab for ulcerative coliis, compared to placebo ~40% more patients receiving a full induction of vedolizumab had a sustained clinical remission after 52 weeks of therapy.  Of patients in clinical remission at week 14, 66.5% achieved a sustained clinical remission at week 52 compared with 267% of placebo-treated patients based on partial Mayo score..  Sustained clinical remission was based on partial Mayo score and rectal bleeding subscore..

Vedolizumab More Effective Than Adalimumab for Ulcerative Colitis

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Gastroendonews: Tea Leaves No More: Biologics Head-to-Head Produces a Winner

An excerpt:

In the first head-to-head trial of biologic treatments for inflammatory bowel disease, vedolizumab (Entyvio, Takeda) was nearly 50% more effective than adalimumab (Humira, AbbVie) in inducing clinical and mucosal remission in patients with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis…

They enrolled 771 patients with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis in the VARSITY study and randomly assigned them to receive 52 weeks of treatment with either vedolizumab or adalimumab…

They had failed other conventional therapies, including 25% in each group that had received an anti–tumor necrosis factor (TNF) agent…

  • 31.3% of vedolizumab recipients and 22.5% of those taking adalimumab were in clinical remission after 52 weeks (P=0.0061). Clinical remission was defined as a complete Mayo score of 2 or lower and no subscore greater than 1
  • Nearly 40% of patients who received vedolizumab achieved mucosal healing at 52 weeks, compared with 27.7% of adalimumab recipients (P=0.0005).

My take: This study provides a rationale for vedolizumab to be used as a first-line biologic agent for ulcerative colitis.

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Do Anti-TNF Agents Reduce Surgeries and Hospitalizations?

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Briefly noted:

A recent study (http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/gutjnl-2019-318440; SK Murthy et al. BMJ indicates that anti-TNF therapy has not been effective in significantly lowering CD-related hospitalizations or surgeries.

Full Text Link (from Eric Benchimol twitter feed): Introduction of anti-TNF therapy has not yielded expected declines in hospitalisation and intestinal resection rates in inflammatory bowel diseases: a population-based interrupted time series study)

My take: While big changes in the frequency of these outcomes were not demonstrated in this large study, prior studies, including the RISK study, have shown that anti-TNF therapy can be disease-modifying and reduce the risk of penetrating disease in Crohn’s disease.

Related blog post: CCFA Updates in IBD

 

How Often is Arthritis a Presenting Feature of Pediatric IBD & How to Make the Right Diagnosis

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A recent retrospective study (R Levy et al. J Pediatr 2019; 209: 233-5) analyzed the musculoskeletal presenting manifestations of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

In their cohort of 715 patients with IBD, 137 had arthritis and/or arthralgia.  28 of these 137 patients (3.9% of total cohort) had arthritis preceding the diagnosis of IBD and were eligible for this study.  Only 23 had complete data and were compared with 46 children with arthritis due to JIA (n=21), FMF (n=7), and postinfectious arthritis (n=18).

Key findings:

  • Patients with subsequent IBD diagnosis were more likely to have sacroiliac involvement (34.8% vs. 2.2%), more likely to have anemia (mean hgb 10.5 vs 12), more likely to have low albumin (mean 3.5 vs 4.3) and to have higher inflammatory markers (ESR 81 vs 46; CRP 6.6 vs 4.5 mg/dL)
  • In patients with calprotectin levels, 5 of 6 were >300 mg/kg and one was borderline
  • On direct questioning at time of IBD diagnosis, prolonged gastrointestinal symptoms (e.g. abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss, aphthous ulcers) were evident in 78%.
  • 4 of the 23 (17.3%) were diagnosed with IBD during the primary investigation. Ultimately, Crohn’s diagnosis was established in 87% of the IBD group.

My take: This study is important for pediatricians and rheumatologists. ~4% of children presenting with arthritis have IBD.  Careful interrogation for GI symptoms (and perianal exam) will avoid diagnostic delay in most patients as would a stool calprotectin. Features like sacroileitis, and abnormal labs should also increase the suspicion for IBD.

Briefly noted: In a study discussing pediatrician beliefs about JIA (MR Pavo, J de Inocencio, J Pediatr 2019; 209: 236-9) there is an important caveat for GI doctors:

“It is clear that booster vaccinations against measles, mumps, rubella, or varicella zoster virus, can be considered in patients receiving < 15 mg/m-squared/week of MTX [methotrexate]”  (Pediatr Rheumatol Online J 2018; 16: 46).

Related blog post:

  • IBD Update Feb 2019 -last entry shows study indicating that patients with IBD and arthritis were more likely to require biologics.

Calprotectin:

El Retiro Park, Madrid

 

Early Life Events and the Development of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

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Full Text via AGA Journal Link: Events Within the First Year of Life, but Not the Neonatal Period, Affect Risk for Later Development of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

A recent study (CN Bernstein et al. Gastroenterol 2019; 156: 2190-7; editorial 2124) delves into the topic of early life risk factors for the development of IBD. In the background, the author note that in 2018, 267,983 Canadians (0.73%) were estimated to be living with IBD and there is a forecast that this will increase to 402,853 by 2030.

This study used a Manitoba database and examined the records of individuals diagnosed with between 1984-2010. In addition, they correlated this data with individual data of the postnatal period between 1970-2010. From this database, they analyzed 825 individuals with IBD and 5999 matched controls.

Key Findings:

  • The strongest risk factor for the development of IBD was a maternal diagnosis of IBD with an odds ratio (OR) of 4.53; the OR was higher for CD at 5.98 compared to OR of 2.71 for UC
  • Infections in the first year of life was associated with an OR of 3.06 for IBD diagnosed before age 10 years, and OR of 1.63 for IBD diagnosis before age 20 years.  Only infections in the first year of life were correlated with IBD as infections during the first 3 years of life were not associated with a significant increased risk.
  • While infections in the first year of life were associated with an increase risk of IBD, the authors could not demonstrate that individuals who developed IBD had more infections than unaffected sibling controls (though they did have more infections than the entire control cohort).
  • Highest socioeconomic quintile, also, had an increased OR of 1.35.
  • Gastrointestinal illnesses (like abdominal pain) were not found to be associated with the later development of IBD.

It is unclear whether infections in early life increase the risk of IBD or whether other factors like antibiotics contribute to the higher rate of IBD.  The authors did not find more immunodeficiency disorders in the IBD cohort compared to controls.

My take: This study identified genetic risk as substantially greater than specific environmental risks.  However, the increasing incidence of IBD suggests that environmental factors are quite significant, as genetic risk factors are less likely to change enough to account for the changes in epidemiology.  As such, there are a few explanations:

  1. There are other unidentified environment risk factors
  2. Some individuals are more susceptible to the changes that have occurred in the environment; that is, their environmental exposures are not significantly different from their peers but are significantly different than individuals from 20, 40, 60 and 100 years ago.

From AGA Journal link

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Backwash Ileitis Plus One

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Briefly Noted:

RM Najarian et al. JPGN 2019; 68: 835-40.  This retrospective study found microscopic/’backwash’ ileitis in 16% (17/105) of patients with new-onset ulcerative colitis. This occurred predominantly in patients with pancolitis (82%). The authors note that the term “backwash ileitis” was derived from an unproven hypothesis that the inflammation was related to retrograde contact with inflammatory substances, though some now consider ileal involvement as a secondary involvement “akin to the upper tract inflammation that can be seen in a subset of patients with UC.” The authors recommend that isolated histologic inflammation of the ileum should “not be construed as being diagnostic of either ‘indeterminant colitis’ or CD [Crohn’s disease].”

K van Hoeve et al. JPGN 2019; 68: 847-53. This retrospective study of 35 children found that higher infliximab levels during induction was associated with higher rates of clinical and biologic remission at 52 weeks. Groups at risk for lower troughs included patients with a lower weight and/or lower hemoglobin level.

Rafaela Flores Calderon by Antonio Maria Esquivel, Museo del Prado (Image in Public Domain)