Evidence supporting safe diagnosis of coeliac disease in children with antitissue transglutaminase titre ≥5 times upper limit of normal.

OBJECTIVE: European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) guidelines on coeliac disease (CD) recommend that children who have IgA-based antitissue transglutaminase (TGA-IgA) titre ≥10× upper limit of normal (ULN) and positive antiendomysial antibody, can be reliably diagnosed with CD via the no-biopsy pathway. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between TGA-IgA ≥5×ULN and histologically confirmed diagnosis of CD. METHODS: Data including TGA-IgA levels at upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and histological findings from children diagnosed with CD following endoscopy from 2006 to 2021 were analysed. CD was confirmed by Marsh-Oberhuber histological grading 2 to 3 c. Statistical analysis was performed using χ² analysis (p<0.05= significant). RESULTS: 722 of 758 children had histological confirmation of CD. 457 children had TGA-IgA ≥5×ULN and 455 (99.5%) of these had histological confirmation for CD; the two that did not had eventual diagnosis of CD based on clinicopathological features. 114 of 457 had between TGA-IgA ≥5×ULN and <10×ULN, all had confirmed CD. The likelihood of a positive biopsy with TGA-IgA ≥5×ULN (455/457) compared with TGA-IgA <5×ULN (267/301) has strong statistical significance (p<0.00001). The optimal TGA-IgA cut-off from receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was determined to be below 5×ULN for the two assays used. CONCLUSION: 99.5% of children with TGA-IgA ≥5×ULN had histological confirmation of CD, suggesting that CD diagnosis can be made securely in children with TGA-IgA ≥5×ULN. If other studies confirm this finding, there is a case to be made to modify the ESPGHAN guidelines to a lower threshold of TGA-IgA for serological diagnosis of CD.

Change in Incidence and Epidemiology of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in 2- to 9-Year-olds in Southwest England.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to characterize epidemiology, phenotype, and clinical outcome of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) diagnosed ages 2 to 9 years, and compare age groups 2 to 5 and 6 to 9 years. METHODS: A population-based retrospective cohort study of all <10-year-olds diagnosed with IBD between 2004 and 2017 in Southwest England was performed. Patients were divided into age groups at diagnosis. Demographics, investigations, and phenotype at diagnosis were collected. Treatments and outcomes were analysed at 1, 2, 5, and 10 years follow-up. Poisson regression was used for IBD incidence rate ratios; Wald test for variation by age group; parametric/nonparametric tests for phenotype. RESULTS: There were 666 new paediatric IBD (pIBD) patients ages ≤16 years, from which 136 were 2 to 9 (2-5 years: 32; 6-9 years: 104). Incidence of pIBD increased from 4 to 6 cases per 100,000 whereas in A1a group was stable around 2 cases per 100,000. Crohn Disease (CD) children were majority boys, 2- to 5-year-olds were more likely to have ileal sparing than 6 to 9-year group but had similar rates of surgery and anti-TNF therapy. Two- to 5-year-olds with ulcerative colitis were more likely to have surgery but rates for anti-TNF therapy were similar. Sixteen percent of 2- to 5-year-olds and 10% of 6- to 9-year-olds had IBD-unclassified. No significant differences in symptoms or time to diagnosis were found. CONCLUSIONS: Twenty percent of pIBD in Southwest England are 2 to 9 years old. pIBD incidence has increased but is stable in that group. In terms of phenotypic differences, ileal sparing in CD and pancolitis and surgery in UC, are more likely in 2- to 5-year-olds.

Collagenous gastritis: a case report and review.

In this article, we report a case of collagenous gastritis in a child and review the paediatric cases reported to date. Collagenous gastritis is a rare entity, with only less than 30 cases reported so far, including 12 children, since the first description of this entity by Colletti and Trainer in 1989. This is a histological diagnosis characterised by a dramatically thickened subepithelial collagen band in the gastric mucosa associated with an inflammatory infiltrate. Children with this condition often present with epigastric pain and severe anaemia, with no evidence of extragastric involvement, in contrast to the adult patients, where chronic watery diarrhoea is the main presentation due to associated collagenous colitis. A macroscopic pattern of gastritis with nodularity of gastric mucosa, erythema and erosions are characteristic endoscopic findings in paediatric patients. Specific therapy has not been established and resolution of the abnormalities, either endoscopic or histological, has not been documented. In conclusion, collagenous gastritis is a rare entity of unknown aetiology, pathogenesis and prognosis. Gastroenterologists and pathologists need to be aware of this condition when evaluating a child with epigastric pain, anaemia and upper gastrointestinal bleeding, particularly when endoscopy reveals the nodularity of gastric mucosa. The identification, reporting and long-term follow-up of cases will shed more light on this puzzling condition.

Role of methotrexate in the management of Crohn disease.

BACKGROUND: The majority of children with Crohn disease (CD) are likely to need some form of immunomodulatory therapy to maintain remission and to avoid long-term corticosteroid usage. Although thiopurine agents are commonly used, some children are unresponsive or intolerant to these drugs. Biological agents like infliximab are being increasingly used in these circumstances, but long-term safety has yet to be established. Methotrexate has been shown to induce and maintain remission in CD in many adult studies, but pediatric data are limited. The present report describes our experience of using methotrexate in CD in children. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All children with CD treated with methotrexate were identified by the departmental database. Case records were reviewed for site of disease, Pediatric Crohn Disease Activity Index, medications, time to achieve remission, duration of remission, and complications. RESULTS: A total of 10 children received methotrexate, 7 of whom were female and 3 of whom were male. All of the children had colonic involvement and had active disease despite previous standard medical treatments. Seven children exhibited remission with methotrexate treatment. Median time to achieve remission was 12 weeks and median duration of remission was 21 months to the point of assessment. One child had transient increase of alanine aminotransferase levels and another developed neutropenia, which remitted with dose reduction. None needed discontinuation of methotrexate treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Methotrexate is effective and well tolerated in children with CD. It should be considered in those patients who do not experience a remission with standard medications because it may avoid the use of biological agents and their potential uncertain long-term side effects.