Fecal calprotectin is not superior to serum C-reactive protein or the Harvey-Bradshaw index in predicting postoperative endoscopic recurrence in Crohn's disease.

BACKGROUND: Fecal calprotectin (FC) is a widely used noninvasive marker of gut inflammation that is associated with endoscopic severity in Crohn's disease (CD). However, FC has been inconsistent in predicting postoperative recurrence of CD, and its utility in the postoperative setting remains unclear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Blood and fecal samples were collected in consecutively recruited patients with CD who had undergone ileocolonic resection and required a colonoscopy to assess postoperative recurrence, as defined by the Rutgeerts score (RS). RESULTS: A total of 86 patients were prospectively recruited at five centers. Overall, 49 (57%) had CD recurrence (RS≥i2). FC concentrations trended to increase with RS severity; FC median (interquartile range) was significantly higher in patients with endoscopic recurrence than those in endoscopic remission [172.5 (75-375) vs. 75 (36.5-180.5) µg/g, respectively]. The same occurred for C-reactive protein (CRP) [0.5 (0.1-0.95) vs. 0.1 (0.02-0.27)] mg/dl and the Harvey-Bradshaw index (HBI) [4 (2-7) vs. 1 (0-3.5)]. The three variables significantly correlated. The area under the curve to discriminate between patients in endoscopic remission and recurrence was 0.698 for FC, with 62 µg/g being the optimal cut-off point. This indicated FC would have 85.7% sensitivity and 45.9% specificity in detecting any recurrence, having positive predictive value and negative predictive value of 67.7 and 70.8%, respectively. Area under the curve for CRP and HBI were both 0.710. The combination of CRP and HBI provided a positive predictive value 95.7 and a diagnostic odds ratio of 30.8. CONCLUSION: FC is not better than CRP combined with HBI to predict endoscopic postoperative recurrence of CD.

Anemia at the time of diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease: Prevalence and associated factors in adolescent and adult patients.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence, characteristic and determinants of anemia, at the time of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) diagnosis have yet to be fully elucidated. METHODS: Retrospective cross-sectional study. Analytical data and disease characteristics obtained upon diagnosis of 1278 IBD patients [Crohn's disease/ulcerative colitis (CD/UC): 718/560] were collected. RESULTS: Anemia was present in 41.2% of patients at diagnosis (47% and 33.8% of CD and UC patients, respectively; p<0.001), being severe in 5.5%. Iron deficiency anemia represented 69.6% of cases, with no differences between CD and UC. Female sex was the strongest risk factor for anemia in both CD and UC (OR 7.11; 95%CI 4.18-12.10 and 6.55; 95%CI 3.39-12.63, respectively), followed by elevated (≥2mg/dL) C-reactive protein (OR 4.08; 95%CI 2.39-6.97 and 4.58; 95%CI 2.26-9.27, respectively). Current smoking was a risk factor for anemia in CD (OR 2.23; 95%CI 1.24-4.02), but a protective one in UC (OR 0.36; 95%CI 0.14-0.92). A penetrating CD behavior increased the risk of anemia (OR 3.34; 95%CI 1.36-8.21); in UC, anemia increased with disease extension (E2+E3) (OR 1.80; 95%CI 1.13-2.86). CONCLUSIONS: Female sex and disease activity are major determinants of anemia at IBD diagnosis. Anemia is associated with disease behavior in CD and with disease extension in UC.

Epidemiology and temporal trends (2000-2012) of inflammatory bowel disease in adult patients in a central region of Spain.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: A growing incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been reported recently in southern Europe, with records of pediatric cases confirming these tendencies in Spain. Data on adult populations, however, have not been provided for over 10 years and need to be updated. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A multicenter retrospective registry of all adult patients with a diagnosis of IBD, including both Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), attending five public hospitals covering a population of 514 368 inhabitants, was assessed. RESULTS: In 2012, the prevalence of CD and UC in adults was 137.17/100 000 inhabitants (95% confidence interval 114-160) and 99.84/100 000 inhabitants (95% confidence interval 79-119), respectively. The mean incidence rate during the period 2000-2012 of CD and UC was 8.9 and 5.6/100 000 inhabitants per year, respectively. Most of our patients (75.55%) had been diagnosed during the last 13 years. CD affected both sexes equally; a trend toward a progressive increase in the age at diagnosis, ileal location, and inflammatory behavior was documented for CD patients. In contrast, UC affected male patients with a higher frequency (57.8%; P=0.015), specifically those older than 40 years of age. Age at UC onset tended to increase progressively from 2000 to 2012 (P<0.001), but the extension on the disease remained unchanged. CONCLUSION: IBD is a highly prevalent disorder in our region, reaching the incidence of CD similar to the figures provided for Northern Europe. Changes in IBD localization, behavior, and age at diagnosis were documented during the period 2000-2012.

[Utility of liver biopsy in the etiologic diagnosis of biochemical liver abnormalities of unknown cause]. / Utilidad de la biopsia hepática en el diagnóstico etiológico de las alteraciones de la analítica hepática de causa incierta.

INTRODUCTION: To establish the diagnostic usefulness of liver biopsy (LB) and its influence on the therapeutic approach in patients with persistent abnormal liver tests of unknown cause. METHODS: The 1135 LB performed between January 1999 and January 2007 were retrospectively evaluated. Patients with a strongly suspected diagnosis were excluded. One hundred and twelve patients with chronic elevation of aminotransferases (103 patients), gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) (7 patients) and ferritin (2 patients) were included in the analysis. RESULTS: The most common diagnoses were normal liver (35 patients, group 1), minimal changes (15 patients, group 2), bland steatosis (23 patients, group 3), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) (17 patients, group 4), and chronic hepatitis (eight patients, group 5). Three patients had tuberculosis of the liver and the remaining 11 had other diagnoses. Ferritinemia was the only parameter significantly lower in group 1 than in groups 2 (p = 0.038), 3 (p = 0.023), and 4 (p < 0.001). Transaminase levels lacked discriminatory value except in chronic hepatitis (p = 0.008). Alkaline phosphatase levels (p = 0.003) were lower in group 4 than in group 1. Triglyceride levels were higher in group 3 (p = 0.009) and group 4 (p = 0.008) than in group 1. Ultrasonography detected steatosis in 28 of the 40 patients with fatty liver (specificity = 0.94; sensitivity = 0.70). CONCLUSIONS: LB modified the therapeutic approach only in the three patients with hepatic tuberculosis. LB confirmed ultrasonographic findings of steatosis and differentiated bland steatosis from NASH, but did not influence the therapeutic approach. Most patients with normal findings on ultrasonography had normal or near-normal biopsies. The indication for LB should be individualized.

Utilidad de la biopsia hepática en el diagnóstico etiológico de las alteraciones de la analítica hepática de causa incierta / Utility of liver biopsy in the etiologic diagnosis of biochemical liver abnormalities of unknown cause

Introducción: Se discute la eficacia diagnóstica de la biopsia hepática (BH) y su influencia sobre la decisión terapéutica en sujetos con alteración persistente de la bioquímica hepática de causa desconocida. Métodos: Revisión de los 1.135 protocolos de BH realizadas desde el 1 de enero de 1999 hasta el 31 de enero de 2007. Se descartaron los casos con sospecha etiológica firme, y se seleccionó a 112 pacientes con elevación persistente de las transaminasas (103 casos), aislada de gammaglutamil-transpeptidasa (7 casos) e hiperferritinemia (2 casos). Resultados: Diagnósticos más frecuentes: normal (grupo 1, 35 casos), cambios mínimos (grupo 2, 15 casos), esteatosis simple (grupo 3, 23 casos), esteatohepatitis no alcohólica (EHNA) (grupo 4, 17 casos) y hepatitis crónica (grupo 5, 8 casos). Tres pacientes tenían tuberculosis y otros, 11 diagnósticos. La ferritina fue el único parámetro más bajo en el grupo 1 frente a los grupos 2 (p = 0,038), 3 (p = 0,023) y 4 (p < 0,001). Las transaminasas carecen de valor discriminativo salvo para la hepatitis crónica (p = 0,008). La fosfatasa alcalina (p = 0,003) era más baja en la EHNA que en el grupo con biopsia normal. Los triglicéridos estaban elevados en la esteatosis simple (p = 0,009) y en la EHNA (p = 0,008). La ecografía reveló la presencia de esteatosis en 28 de los 40 pacientes con infiltración grasa (especificidad de 0,94 y sensibilidad de 0,70). Conclusiones: La BH sólo modificó la actitud terapéutica en los 3 pacientes con tuberculosis. La BH confirma el diagnóstico ecográfico de infiltración grasa y diferencia esteatosis simple de EHNA, pero no modifica la actitud terapéutica. La mayoría de los sujetos con ecografía normal no tienen alteraciones significativas en la BH, cuya indicación debe ser individualizada

Introduction: To establish the diagnostic usefulness of liver biopsy (LB) and its influence on the therapeutic approach in patients with persistent abnormal liver tests of unknown cause. Methods: The 1135 LB performed between January 1999 and January 2007 were retrospectively evaluated. Patients with a strongly suspected diagnosis were excluded. One hundred and twelve patients with chronic elevation of aminotransferases (103 patients), gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) (7 patients) and ferritin (2 patients) were included in the analysis. Results: The most common diagnoses were normal liver (35 patients, group 1), minimal changes (15 patients, group 2), bland steatosis (23 patients, group 3), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) (17 patients, group 4), and chronic hepatitis (eight patients, group 5). Three patients had tuberculosis of the liver and the remaining 11 had other diagnoses. Ferritinemia was the only parameter significantly lower in group 1 than in groups 2 (p = 0.038), 3 (p = 0.023), and 4 (p < 0.001). Transaminase levels lacked discriminatory value except in chronic hepatitis (p = 0.008). Alkaline phosphatase levels (p = 0.003) were lower in group 4 than in group 1. Triglyceride levels were higher in group 3 (p = 0.009) and group 4 (p = 0.008) than in group 1. Ultrasonography detected steatosis in 28 of the 40 patients with fatty liver (specificity = 0.94; sensitivity = 0.70). Conclusions: LB modified the therapeutic approach only in the three patients with hepatic tuberculosis. LB confirmed ultrasonographic findings of steatosis and differentiated bland steatosis from NASH, but did not influence the therapeutic approach. Most patients with normal findings on ultrasonography had normal or near-normal biopsies. The indication for LB should be individualized