Evaluate the effect of mucosal healing after low-dose azathioprine in patients with small bowel Crohn's disease by double-balloon enteroscopy / 中华消化内镜杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To evaluate the clinical value of double-balloon enteroscopy( DBE)in as-sessing the effect of mucosal healing in patients with moderate small bowel Crohn's disease( CD)treated with low-dose azathioprine. Methods CD patients who were naive to any immunomodulators or biological a-gents with lesions mainly located in ileu were screened by multislice CT enterography and anal-route DBE at baseline. Lesions at 150 cm proximal to ileocecal valve were assessed by DBE with Simple Endoscopic Score for CD( SES-CD)after 12 and 24 months of low-dose azathioprine treatment,respectively. Results A total of 36 patients were enrolled and the average tolerated dose of azathioprine was(61. 8 ± 17. 2)mg/day. The total rates of complete,near-complete,partial and no mucosal healing in 36 patients were 19. 4%(7/36), 5. 6%(2/36),27. 8%(10/36),and 47. 2%(17/36)at month 12 and 30. 6%(11/36),25. 0%(9/36), 33. 3%(12/36),and 11. 1%(4/36)at month 24,respectively. The baseline SES-CD score(OR=2. 71, 95%CI1. 11-6. 63,P=0. 029)and duration of disease(OR=1. 27,95%CI1. 10-1. 47,P =0. 001) were two relevant factors associated with mucosal healing of small bowel CD. Conclusion DBE has a signif-icant advantage in assessing post-therapy mucosal healing for patients with small bowel CD. The optimal time point for the first follow-up by DBE is at least 12 months after low-dose azathioprine treatment.