Vedolizumab in the treatment of chronic, antibiotic-dependent or refractory pouchitis.

BACKGROUND: The most common complication after ileal pouch anal anastomosis in up to 50% of patients is an acute pouchitis. The majority of patients respond to antibiotic treatment. However, 10%-15% develops chronic antibiotic-dependent or refractory pouchitis which is usually hard to treat. AIM: To evaluate the effectiveness of vedolizumab in patients with chronic pouchitis. METHODS: Patients with chronic antibiotic-dependent or refractory pouchitis were treated with vedolizumab (300 mg at week 0, 2, 6 and 10) in 10 IBD centres and retrospectively registered. Data were recorded until week 14 of vedolizumab treatment. In total 20 patients (12 male, median age 43 years) were included for analysis. The effectiveness was measured using the Oresland Score (OS) at week 2, 6, 10 and 14 and the pouch disease activity index (PDAI) at week 0 and 14. RESULTS: The mean OS declined from 6.8 (range 2-12) to 3.4 (range 0-11). Concordantly, the mean PDAI after 14 weeks of treatment dropped from 10 (range 5-18) to 3 (range 0-10). Only three patients reported moderate side effects. No serious side effects were recorded. In addition, symptomatic co-medication such as loperamide and tincture of opium could be terminated in 8 out of 12 patients as well as antibiotic treatment could be stopped in 17 out of 19 patients. CONCLUSION: Our data indicate that vedolizumab could be an option in the treatment of patients with chronic, antibiotic-dependent or refractory pouchitis.

Practical guidelines for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.

In recent years, great progress has been made regarding the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), particularly in the field of biological therapies. Nevertheless, the ultimate treatment is not in sight. With the development of new medication, it has become clear that we need a new understanding of IBD. Therapy needs to fit the different subtypes of IBD; e.g. mild disease in comparison to severe chronic active disease or Crohn's disease with or without fistulation or stenosis. The following article gives a practical overview of actual treatments for IBD. The intention of this article is not to provide a complete review of all new scientific developments, but to give a practical guideline for therapy of IBD.

Bacterial and fungal microbiota in relation to probiotic therapy (VSL#3) in pouchitis.

BACKGROUND: The intestinal microbiota plays a critical role in the pathophysiology of pouchitis, a major complication after ileal pouch anal anastomosis in patients with ulcerative colitis. Recently, controlled trials have demonstrated that probiotics are effective in maintenance of remission in pouchitis patients. However, the mechanism by which therapy with probiotics works remains elusive. This study explores the role of the bacterial and fungal flora in a controlled trial for maintenance of remission in pouchitis patients with the probiotic VSL#3 compound. METHODS: The mucosa associated pouch microbiota was investigated before and after therapy with VSL#3 by analysis of endoscopic biopsies using ribosomal DNA/RNA based community fingerprint analysis, clone libraries, real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and fluorescence in situ hybridisation. Patients were recruited from a placebo controlled remission maintenance trial with VSL#3. RESULTS: Patients who developed pouchitis while treated with placebo had low bacterial and high fungal diversity. Bacterial diversity was increased and fungal diversity was reduced in patients in remission maintained with VSL#3 (p = 0.001). Real time PCR experiments demonstrated that VSL#3 increased the total number of bacterial cells (p = 0.002) and modified the spectrum of bacteria towards anaerobic species. Taxa specific clone libraries for Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria showed that the richness and spectrum of these bacteria were altered under probiotic therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Probiotic therapy with VSL#3 increases the total number of intestinal bacterial cells as well as the richness and diversity of the bacterial microbiota, especially the anaerobic flora. The diversity of the fungal flora is repressed. Restoration of the integrity of a "protective" intestinal mucosa related microbiota could therefore be a potential mechanism of probiotic bacteria in inflammatory barrier diseases of the lower gastrointestinal tract.

Infliximab in moderately severe glucocorticoid resistant ulcerative colitis: a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Tumour necrosis factor production is increased in the mucosa of patients with active ulcerative colitis. The benefits of infliximab in Crohn's disease are established. We investigated its efficacy in ulcerative colitis. METHODS: We conducted a randomised placebo controlled trial of infliximab (5 mg/kg) in the treatment of glucocorticoid resistant ulcerative colitis. Infusions were given at weeks 0 and 2. Disease activity and quality of life were recorded over eight weeks of follow up. Remission was defined as an ulcerative colitis symptom score (UCSS) of < or =2 and/or Baron score of 0 at week 6. Patients not in remission were offered open label infliximab 10 mg/kg and reviewed two weeks later. RESULTS: After two weeks, there was no statistically significant difference between the infliximab and placebo groups in the proportion of patients with a Baron score of 0 (13% (3/23) v 5% (1/19) (95% confidence interval (CI) -9% to 24%); p=0.74). After six weeks, remission (UCSS < or =2) rates were 39% (9/23) versus 30% (6/20) (95% CI -19 to 34%; p=0.76). The median improvement in UCSS was 3 for the infliximab group and 2.5 for the placebo group (p=0.82, Mann-Whitney U test). A Baron score of 0 was likely in either group (26% (6/23) v 30% (6/20) (95% CI -30% to 23%); p=0.96). Improvement in the IBDQ and EuroQol was not significantly different between the groups (p=0.22 and 0.3, respectively, Mann-Whitney U test). Twenty eligible patients were given open labelled infusions. Remission was achieved in 3/11 (27%) patients initially treated with infliximab and in 1/9 (11%) patients treated with placebo. CONCLUSION: These data do not support the use of infliximab in the management of moderately active glucocorticoid resistant ulcerative colitis.

[Radiological assessment of small bowel obstructions: Value of conventional enteroclysis and dynamic MR-enteroclysis]. / Radiologische Diagnostik obstruktiver Dünndarmläsionen: Wertigkeit von konventionellem Enteroklysma und dynamischem MR-Enteroklysma.

PURPOSE: To compare small bowel lesions, especially stenoses, with conventional enteroclysis, static MRI and dynamic MR-enteroclysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-two patients with Crohn's disease or other suspected small bowel lesions were examined. MRI was performed in a static and a dynamic way either within one hour after conventional enteroclysis (n = 30) or a few days afterwards (n = 12). In order to monitor bowel filling and to characterize stenoses in a dynamic fashion, 4 series of coronal T2w HASTE breath hold sequences were used, first without additional bowel opacification and then during administration of 1,5 l methyl cellulose via a naso-intestinal tube in the MR unit. Intravenously applied Buscopan was used to reduce bowel movement. RESULTS: In 4 out of 42 Patients, application of methylcellulose was limited to 1000 ml because of gastrointestinal complaints or visible gastral reflux. All patients could be evaluated. Static MRI performed within one hour after conventional enteroclysis and no additional bowel opacification showed insufficient bowel distension. Distension was still better than in MRI without prior application of contrast medium. On the contrary, dynamic MR - enteroclysis lead to controlled and complete bowel distension which allowed for significantly better evaluation of normal bowel anatomy and pathological alterations of the gut. Because of a better bowel distension and dynamic evaluation, MR-enteroclysis revealed significantly more stenoses (n = 42) than MRI obtained with less distension (n = 27, p < 0.001), and characterization of lesions was comparable to conventional enteroclysis (p < 0.001). Fixed and non-fixed stenoses could be differentiated by dynamic MR-enteroclysis. Furthermore, extraluminal complication of Crohn's disease such as abscesses and fistulae or large bowel manifestation of disease were shown in 13 patients. CONCLUSIONS: Dynamic MR-enteroclysis is feasible in routine diagnostic work-up of the small bowel. It is superior in depicting intra- and extraluminal manifestation of small bowel lesions and enables characterization of stenoses comparable to conventional enteroclysis.

Activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 1 in human chronic inflammatory bowel disease.

BACKGROUND: Increased expression of proinflammatory cytokines, including tumour necrosis factor alpha, interleukin 6, and interferon gamma, as well as activation of proinflammatory signalling molecules such as nuclear factor kappa B, is characteristic of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). AIMS: To investigate expression and activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 1 in patients with IBD. PATIENTS: Patients with active IBD (n=42), disease specificity controls (n=8), and normal controls (n=12) were investigated. METHODS: Expression and activation of STAT1 were assessed by western blotting and electrophoretic mobility shift assays in extracts of endoscopic colonic biopsies. Cellular localisation was determined by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Western blots and immunohistochemical staining revealed an increase in STAT1 expression and activation in mucosal samples from ulcerative colitis and to a lesser extend in Crohn's disease patients. High levels of suppressor of cytokine signalling (SOCS)-3 expression, an inhibitor of STAT activation, were observed in Crohn's disease patients and normal controls in western blot experiments whereas no differences were observed for SOCS-1 expression. Phosphorylated (p) STAT1 was mainly detected in monocytic cells and neutrophils in the inflamed mucosa. Induction of remission by systemic glucocorticoids led to a decrease in levels of pSTAT1. In vitro studies indicated a direct effect of steroid treatment on STAT1 activation. CONCLUSIONS: Expression and activation of STAT1 are predominantly heightened in ulcerative colitis and may therefore play an important role in the pathophysiology of colonic inflammation.

Pharmacogenetic investigation of the TNF/TNF-receptor system in patients with chronic active Crohn's disease treated with infliximab.

Infliximab (anti-TNF-alpha monoclonal antibody) induces remission in 30-40% of Crohn's disease patients. Treatment response is a stable trait. Two cohorts from independent, prospective clinical trials of infliximab in Crohn's disease were studied. Hypotheses were generated in an exploratory cohort (n = 90) and then tested in a confirmatory cohort (n = 444), using a statistical design, which is stable against type 1 and type 2 errors. In the exploratory cohort, the mutant 196Arg allele of TNFR-II (exon 6 polymorphism) and a novel silent polymorphism in exon 2 of TNFR-II were associated with lack of response to infliximab (83.3% in homozygote mutant 196 Arg patients vs 36.9% in heterozygotes and wild-type homozygotes (P = 0.036) and 85.7% in homozygote mutant exon 2 patients vs 36.1% (P = 0.01), respectively). None of the homozygote mutant individuals (0/6) achieved clinical remission, whereas the remission rate was 35.7% (30/84) in wild-type homozygotes and heterozygotes. In the large second cohort, the observed genotype-phenotype associations were not replicated. Other polymorphisms (TNF-alpha promoter -238, -308, -376, -857, -1031, TNF-R-I -609, +36 (exon 1), TNF-R-II 1663, 1690 (3'-UTR)) were not associated with treatment response in both cohorts (P > 0.5). None of the polymorphisms was associated with refractory Crohn's disease itself when compared to healthy controls. In a two-cohort study, a series of polymorphisms in the TNF, the TNF-R-I and in the TNF-R-II genes could be thoroughly excluded as pharmacogenetic markers for a treatment response to infliximab and as etiologic factors for Crohn's disease, respectively. The discrepancy between the two cohorts observed for the TNF-R-II exon 6 and exon 2 polymorphism may point to a weak effect on treatment response but also serves to illustrate the need for a sequential exploratory/confirmatory design in pharmacogenetic studies.

Activation of signal-transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) in pouchitis.

Activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) is a hallmark of IFN-gamma receptor signal transduction but is also part of the signalling pathway of other cytokines/growth factor receptors. In ulcerative colitis, high levels of activation and expression of STAT1 have been observed in comparison with both Crohn's Disease and normal controls. Pouchitis develops in some patients after Ileal-Pouch-Anal-Anastomosis (IPAA). The pathophysiology and aetiology of pouchitis is still unclear. Recent studies have shown an increased production of proinflammatory cytokines including IFN-gamma. To investigate the expression and activation of STAT1 in pouchitis and the influence of treatment, patients were followed longitudinally from pouch operation. Diagnosis of pouchitis was made by clinical, endoscopic and histological criteria. Biopsies were obtained during routine endoscopy and snap frozen in liquid nitrogen. Nuclear and cytosolic extracts were prepared and the expression and activation of specific transcription factors were assessed by Western blot, electrophoretic mobility shift assay and immunofluorescence. Patients who develop pouchitis show highly increased levels of STAT1 alpha as well as STAT1 beta expression and activation in comparison with both normal pouch and normal ileal mucosa. Improvement of pouchitis during antibiotic therapy relates to a normalization of STAT1 expression and activation. We conclude that activation of STAT1 correlates to clinical disease activity and therefore STAT1 could play an important role in the pathophysiology of pouchitis. Similarities in the pattern of activation of STAT1 in pouchitis and ulcerative colitis may suggest a common pathway in the immunopathophysiology of both diseases.

Pouchitis: pathophysiology and treatment.

Pouchitis is a potential complication after proctocolectomy and restorative ileoanal anastomosis. It is more frequent in UC than in familial polyposis. Little is known about the etiopathology of pouchitis. Risk factors include the presence of extraintestinal manifestations, primary sclerosing cholangitis, cessation of smoking, and previous course of disease. A host of pathophysiological pathways have been identified as potential mechanisms of pouchitis, which include inflammatory mediators, adhesion molecules, oxygen radical species, p-ANCA, and short-chain fatty acids. The microflora in the pouch may also be an important factor in causing inflammation. The risk of developing cancer in cases of pouchitis has not been established as clearly as in those of UC. Particular attention should be paid to patients who have remaining anorectal mucosa after pouch construction. Experience in the treatment of chronic relapsing and chronic refractory pouchitis is limited. The continuation of conventional anti-inflammatory treatment is successful only in a small percentage of patients. New biological response-modifying therapies which target novel immunoregulatory molecules in IBD will also have impact on the systemic and topical treatment of pouchitis.

Comparison of matrix metalloproteinase expression in normal and cirrhotic human liver.

To study the extend of ongoing tissue remodelling in end-stage cirrhosis, the expression of different matrix metalloproteinases [interstitial collagenase (MMP-1), Mr 72000 gelatinase (MMP-2), stromelysin-1 (MMP-3) and stromelysin-3 (MMP-11)] and of TIMP-1 was studied in 13 cirrhotic livers explanted at transplantation. The results were compared with those obtained in normal liver. Western blot, northern blot, ELISA, RT-PCR and zymogram analysis were used. Proenzymes of stromelysin-1 and -3, interstitial collagenase and Mr 72000 gelatinase were positive in normal liver, while activated enzymes were not detectable in western blot analysis. In cirrhosis proenzyme levels of the studied MMPs were reduced to a mean of 60-70%, but mRNA expression and gelatin-degrading activity increased. TIMP-1 expression was detectable on mRNA level and by ELISA in normal liver and also increased in cirrhosis. Our results show that mRNA expression of certain matrix metalloproteinases is increased in end-stage liver cirrhosis, while the amount of proenzyme is decreased, indicating enhanced MMP proenzyme turnover. These data suggest that besides increased TIMP-1 activity, altered MMP expression may also play a part in fibroproliferation in liver disease.