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Background@#Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) of the bowel wall has been suggested as an alternative imaging modality for the follow-up of children with Crohn’s disease. To demonstrate the feasibility and clinical usefulness of CEUS in the estimation of Crohn’s disease activity in children with endoscopy as the reference standard.Method: In this prospective study, 30 pediatric patients with Crohn’s disease (24 males and 6 females; median age 14 years) underwent CEUS from December 2020 to August 2021.The simple endoscopic score for Crohn’s disease, pediatric Crohn’s disease activity index, serologic inflammatory markers, fecal calprotectin and CEUS perfusion parameters were assessed and compared between the inactive and active group based on endoscopic findings. @*Results@#CEUS was performed successfully in all 30 patients. Two patients showed mild adverse side effects such as temporary dysosmia. The active Crohn’s disease group showed higher erythrocyte sedimentation rate (mm/hr) (13.0 vs. 2.0, P = 0.003), C-reactive protein (mg/dL) (4.7 vs. 0.55, P = 0.018) and fecal calprotectin (mcg/g) (1,503 vs. 237.5, P = 0.005). Among the quantitative parameters for CEUS, the mean gradient to the peak value was higher in the active group (1.18 vs. 0.93, P = 0.034). The sensitivity and specificity of the mean gradient to the peak value for predicting active Crohn’s disease was 55.6% and 83.3%, respectively, with a cut-off of 1.09 (P = 0.015). @*Conclusion@#CEUS can be a safe and specific diagnostic modality for Crohn’s disease activity in children. Among quantitative CEUS parameters, the mean gradient to the peak value could be used to differentiate active and inactive Crohn’s disease.
RESUMO
Background@#Exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) induces remission in pediatric Crohn's disease (CD). The exact mechanism of EEN therapy in CD is unknown, but alteration of the intestinal microflora after EEN is thought to affect mucosal healing. To determine the link between EEN therapy and therapeutic efficacy in CD, we established a murine model of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis and applied EEN therapy. @*Methods@#Eight-week-old C57BL/6 mice were administered DSS for 4 days to induce colitis, and either normal chow (NC) or EEN was administered for the following 4 days. The mice were grouped according to the feeding pattern after DSS administration: DSS/NC and DSS/ EEN groups. The clinical course was confirmed via daily observation of the weight and stool. Fecal samples were collected and 16sRNA sequencing was used. The mice were sacrificed to confirm colonic histopathology. @*Results@#Weight reduction and increase in disease activity were observed as the day progressed for 4 days after DSS administration. There was significant weight recovery and improvement in disease activity in the EEN group compared to that in the NC group. Verrucomicrobia and Proteobacteria abundances tended to increase and Bacteroidetes abundance decreased in the EEN group. In the EEN group, significant changes in the β-diversity of the microbiota were observed. In the analysis of microbiome species, abundances of Akkermansia muciniphila, Clostridium cocleatum, mucin-degrading bacteria, Flintibacter butyricus, and Parabacteroides goldsteinii, which are beneficial microbiota, were significantly increased in the EEN group compared to those in the NC group. More abundant mucins were confirmed in the colonic histopathology of the EEN group. These microbial and histopathological differences suggested that EEN might improve colitis symptoms in a murine colitis model by promoting mucin recycling and subsequently inducing the healing effect of the gut barrier. @*Conclusion@#EEN showed clinical efficacy in a murine model of colitis. Based on the increase in mucin-degrading bacteria and the pathological increase in mucin production after EEN administration, it can be observed that mucin plays an important role in the therapeutic effect of EEN.