Long-term real-world effectiveness and safety of ustekinumab in Crohn's disease patients: the SUSTAIN study.

Background: Large real-world-evidence studies are required to confirm the durability of response, effectiveness, and safety of ustekinumab in Crohn’s disease (CD) patients in real-world clinical practice. Methods: A retrospective, multicentre study was conducted in Spain in patients with active CD who had received ≥1 intravenous dose of ustekinumab for ≥6 months. Primary outcome was ustekinumab retention rate; secondary outcomes were to identify predictive factors for drug retention, short-term remission (week 16), loss of response and predictive factors for short-term efficacy and loss of response, and ustekinumab safety. Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/ibdjournal/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ibd/izab357/6528818 by Universidad de Sevilla user on 04 October 2022 Results: A total of 463 patients were included. Mean baseline Harvey-Bradshaw Index was 8.4. A total of 447 (96.5%) patients had received prior biologic therapy, 141 (30.5%) of whom had received ≥3 agents. In addition, 35.2% received concomitant immunosuppressants, and 47.1% had ≥1 abdominal surgery. At week 16, 56% had remission, 70% had response, and 26.1% required dose escalation or intensification; of these, 24.8% did not subsequently reduce dose. After a median follow-up of 15 months, 356 (77%) patients continued treatment. The incidence rate of ustekinumab discontinuation was 18% per patient-year of follow-up. Previous intestinal surgery and concomitant steroid treatment were as sociated with higher risk of ustekinumab discontinuation, while a maintenance schedule every 12 weeks had a lower risk; neither concomitant immunosuppressants nor the number of previous biologics were associated with ustekinumab discontinuation risk. Fifty adverse events were reported in 39 (8.4%) patients; 4 of them were severe (2 infections, 1 malignancy, and 1 fever). Conclusions: Ustekinumab is effective and safe as short- and long-term treatment in a refractory cohort of CD patients in real-world clinical practice.Lay Summary This large retrospective study demonstrated the short- and long-term effectiveness and safety of ustekinumab in patients with Crohn’s disease in real-world clinical practice, including those with refractory diseas

Impact of Biological Agents on Postsurgical Complications in Inflammatory Bowel Disease : A Multicentre Study of Geteccu

Background: The impact of biologics on the risk of postoperative complications (PC) in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is still an ongoing debate. This lack of evidence is more relevant for ustekinumab and vedolizumab. Aims: To evaluate the impact of biologics on the risk of PC. Methods: A retrospective study was performed in 37 centres. Patients treated with biologics within 12 weeks before surgery were considered "exposed". The impact of the exposure on the risk of 30-day PC and the risk of infections was assessed by logistic regression and propensity score-matched analysis. Results: A total of 1535 surgeries were performed on 1370 patients. Of them, 711 surgeries were conducted in the exposed cohort (584 anti-TNF, 58 vedolizumab and 69 ustekinumab). In the multivariate analysis, male gender (OR: 1.5; 95% CI: 1.2-2.0), urgent surgery (OR: 1.6; 95% CI: 1.2-2.2), laparotomy approach (OR: 1.5; 95% CI: 1.1-1.9) and severe anaemia (OR: 1.8; 95% CI: 1.3-2.6) had higher risk of PC, while academic hospitals had significantly lower risk. Exposure to biologics (either anti-TNF, vedolizumab or ustekinumab) did not increase the risk of PC (OR: 1.2; 95% CI: 0.97-1.58), although it could be a risk factor for postoperative infections (OR 1.5; 95% CI: 1.03-2.27). Conclusions: Preoperative administration of biologics does not seem to be a risk factor for overall PC, although it may be so for postoperative infections

Higher COVID-19 pneumonia risk associated with anti-IFN-α than with anti-IFN-ω auto-Abs in children

We found that 19 (10.4%) of 183 unvaccinated children hospitalized for COVID-19 pneumonia had autoantibodies (auto-Abs) neutralizing type I IFNs (IFN-alpha 2 in 10 patients: IFN-alpha 2 only in three, IFN-alpha 2 plus IFN-omega in five, and IFN-alpha 2, IFN-omega plus IFN-beta in two; IFN-omega only in nine patients). Seven children (3.8%) had Abs neutralizing at least 10 ng/ml of one IFN, whereas the other 12 (6.6%) had Abs neutralizing only 100 pg/ml. The auto-Abs neutralized both unglycosylated and glycosylated IFNs. We also detected auto-Abs neutralizing 100 pg/ml IFN-alpha 2 in 4 of 2,267 uninfected children (0.2%) and auto-Abs neutralizing IFN-omega in 45 children (2%). The odds ratios (ORs) for life-threatening COVID-19 pneumonia were, therefore, higher for auto-Abs neutralizing IFN-alpha 2 only (OR [95% CI] = 67.6 [5.7-9,196.6]) than for auto-Abs neutralizing IFN-. only (OR [95% CI] = 2.6 [1.2-5.3]). ORs were also higher for auto-Abs neutralizing high concentrations (OR [95% CI] = 12.9 [4.6-35.9]) than for those neutralizing low concentrations (OR [95% CI] = 5.5 [3.1-9.6]) of IFN-omega and/or IFN-alpha 2

Impact of Biological Agents on Postsurgical Complications in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Multicentre Study of Geteccu

Background: The impact of biologics on the risk of postoperative complications (PC) in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is still an ongoing debate. This lack of evidence is more relevant for ustekinumab and vedolizumab. Aims: To evaluate the impact of biologics on the risk of PC. Methods: A retrospective study was performed in 37 centres. Patients treated with biologics within 12 weeks before surgery were considered “exposed”. The impact of the exposure on the risk of 30-day PC and the risk of infections was assessed by logistic regression and propensity score-matched analysis. Results: A total of 1535 surgeries were performed on 1370 patients. Of them, 711 surgeries were conducted in the exposed cohort (584 anti-TNF, 58 vedolizumab and 69 ustekinumab). In the multivariate analysis, male gender (OR: 1.5; 95% CI: 1.2–2.0), urgent surgery (OR: 1.6; 95% CI: 1.2–2.2), laparotomy approach (OR: 1.5; 95% CI: 1.1–1.9) and severe anaemia (OR: 1.8; 95% CI: 1.3–2.6) had higher risk of PC, while academic hospitals had significantly lower risk. Exposure to biologics (either anti-TNF, vedolizumab or ustekinumab) did not increase the risk of PC (OR: 1.2; 95% CI: 0.97–1.58), although it could be a risk factor for postoperative infections (OR 1.5; 95% CI: 1.03–2.27). Conclusions: Preoperative administration of biologics does not seem to be a risk factor for overall PC, although it may be so for postoperative infections

Female gender increases the risk of anxiety and depression in patients with inflammatory bowel disease under anti-TNF alpha therapy

Background Depression and anxiety are significant predictors of worst health-related qualify of life in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. Nevertheless, the role of anxiety and depression in IBD patients under treatment with anti-TNFα has been poorly investigated. The aim of the study was to evaluate the frequency of anxiety and depression symptoms in IBD patients under anti-TNFα therapy, and the potential factors influencing the development of these symptoms. Methods A prospective observational cohort study was designed. All IBD patients older than or with 18 years under treatment with anti-TNFα were consecutively included. Prevalence of anxiety and depression was assessed in IBD outpatients using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HAD). When using this scale we considered scores of 8 or higher to be abnormal. Relapse was defined in Crohn’s disease (CD) as a Harvey and Bradshaw index higher than 4, and in ulcerative colitis (UC) as a Partial Mayo index higher than 2. Patient demographics and disease characteristics were also collected: age, sex, marital status, smoking habit, type of IBD, phenotype included in Montreal classification, extra-intestinal manifestations, clinical activity, prior surgery, perianal disease and steroid or immunosuppresant use. Results are shown as OR and 95% CI, and analysed by logistic regression. Results One hundred and nineteen patients were included (50 male, mean age 40 years, range from 20 to 83). Seventy-seven patients (64%) had CD and 42 (36%) UC; 90 of them (75%) were under maintenance treatment with infliximab and 25% with adalimumab. Anxiety and depression symptoms were presented in 38.9% and 25.2% patients, respectively. Females were more likely to have anxiety (OR = 6.13; 95% CI: 2.47–14.63; p = 0.001) and depression (OR = 3.32; 95% CI: 1.26–8.73; p = 0.015). Patients with active disease were no more likely to have anxiety (OR = 1.001; 95% CI: 0.973–1.029; p = 0.972) or depression (OR = 1.013; 95% CI: 0.984–1.042; p = 0.389). None of the other socio-demographic and clinical parameters were significantly associated with the development of anxiety or depression. Conclusions An important number of IBD patients under anti-TNFα present anxiety or depressive symptoms. Female gender is associated with more anxiety and depression in this group of patients. However, disease activity was not associated with neither anxiety nor depression