74 research outputs found

    The Role of MR Enterography in Assessing Crohn’s Disease Activity and Treatment Response

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    MR enterography (MRE) has become the primary imaging modality in the assessment of Crohn’s disease (CD) in both children and adults at many institutions in the United States and worldwide, primarily due to its noninvasiveness, superior soft tissue contrast, and lack of ionizing radiation. MRE technique includes distention of the small bowel with oral contrast media with the acquisition of T2-weighted, balanced steady-state free precession, and multiphase T1-weighted fat suppressed gadolinium contrast-enhanced sequences. With the introduction of molecule-targeted biologic agents into the clinical setting for CD and their potential to reverse the inflammatory process, MRE is increasingly utilized to evaluate disease activity and response to therapy as an imaging complement to clinical indices or optical endoscopy. New and emerging MRE techniques, such as diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), magnetization transfer, ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide- (USPIO-) enhanced MRI, and PET-MR, offer the potential for an expanded role of MRI in detecting occult disease activity, evaluating early treatment response/resistance, and differentiating inflammatory from fibrotic strictures. Familiarity with MR enterography is essential for radiologists and gastroenterologists as the technique evolves and is further incorporated into the clinical management of CD

    Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder Prevalent Among Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease

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    Background & Aims Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients alter their dietary behaviors to reduce disease-related symptoms, avoid feared food triggers, and control inflammation. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), evaluate risk factors, and examine the association with risk of malnutrition in patients with IBD. Methods This cross-sectional study recruited adult patients with IBD from an ambulatory clinic. ARFID risk was measured using the Nine-Item ARFID Screen. Nutritional risk was measured with the Patient Generated-Subjective Global Assessment. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate the association between clinical characteristics and a positive ARFID risk screen. Patient demographics, disease characteristics, and medical history were abstracted from medical records. Results Of the 161 participants (Crohn’s disease, 45.3%; ulcerative colitis, 51.6%; IBD-unclassified, 3.1%), 28 (17%) had a positive ARFID risk score (≥24). Most participants (92%) reported avoiding 1 or more foods while having active symptoms, and 74% continued to avoid 1 or more foods even in the absence of symptoms. Active symptoms (odds ratio, 5.35; 95% confidence interval, 1.91–15.01) and inflammation (odds ratio, 3.31; 95% confidence interval, 1.06–10.29) were significantly associated with positive ARFID risk. Patients with a positive ARFID risk screen were significantly more likely to be at risk for malnutrition (60.7% vs 15.8%; P \u3c .01). Conclusions Avoidant eating behaviors are common in IBD patients, even when in clinical remission. Patients who exhibit active symptoms and/or inflammation should be screened for ARFID risk, with referrals to registered dietitians to help monitor and address disordered eating behaviors and malnutrition risk

    Inflammation and glucose intolerance. A prospective study of gestational diabetes mellitus

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    WSTĘP. Podwyższony poziom leukocytów w surowicy krwi jest wskaźnikiem procesu zapalenia, który, jak wykazują badania prospektywne, wiąże się z rozwojem cukrzycy typu 2. Chociaż cukrzyca ciążowa oraz cukrzyca typu 2 mają dużo wspólnych mechanizmów patofizjologicznych, w niewielu pracach badano związek zapalenia z rozwojem cukrzycy ciążowej. MATERIAŁ I METODY. W badaniu oceniano w sposób prospektywny liczbę leukocytów w próbkach krwi pobranych podczas pierwszej rutynowej wizyty kontrolnej w grupie 2753 kobiet w ciąży &#8212; wieloródek z prawidłową wartością glikemii. U 98 (3,6%) z nich wystąpiła później cukrzyca ciążowa. Pacjentki podzielono na podgrupy w zależności od kwartyla liczby leukocytów i porównano wyniki przeprowadzanego w trzecim trymestrze przesiewowego testu tolerancji glukozy oraz częstość cukrzycy ciążowej wśród kobiet należących do poszczególnych kwartyli. Zastosowano test regresji logistycznej, aby obliczyć skorygowane względem jednego i wielu czynników względne ryzyko wystąpienia cukrzycy ciążowej w zależności od kwartyla leukocytozy. WYNIKI. U kobiet, u których doszło do rozwoju cukrzycy ciążowej, stężenie leukocytów w surowicy krwi było wyższe (10,5 &plusmn; 2,2 vs. 9,2 &plusmn; 2,2 × 103 komórek/ml; p < 0,01) niż u pacjentek, u których metabolizm węglowodanów pozostał prawidłowy. Wraz ze wzrostem kwartyla leukocytozy obserwowano liniowy wzrost glikemii po obciążeniu glukozą (p < 0,01), pola pod krzywą testu tolerancji glukozy (p < 0,01) oraz częstości cukrzycy ciążowej (kwartyl 1. &#8212; 1,1%; kwartyl 2. &#8212; 2,5%; kwartyl 3. &#8212; 4,2% i kwartyl 4. &#8212; 6,4%; p < 0,01). W analizie wieloczynnikowej, wraz ze wzrostem kwartyla leukocytozy, liniowy trend względnego ryzyka (RR, relative risk) rozwoju cukrzycy ciążowej pozostał statystycznie istotny [kwartyl 1. &#8212; referencyjny, kwartyl 2. &#8212; RR 2,3 (95% CI 0,9-5,7), kwartyl 3. &#8212; RR 3,3 (1,4&#8211;7,8), kwartyl 4. &#8212; RR 4,9 (2,1&#8211;11,2); p < 0,01]. WNIOSKI. Podwyższony poziom leukocytów we wczesnym okresie ciąży jest w sposób niezależny, liniowy związany z wynikami testów przesiewowych w kierunku cukrzycy ciążowej oraz ryzykiem wystąpienia tej choroby. Brak wyraźnej granicy w rozkładzie liczby leukocytów sprawia, że wskaźnik ten nie może mieć zastosowania klinicznego, chociaż dane sugerują, że proces zapalenia wiąże się z rozwojem cukrzycy ciążowej. Może to być kolejny mechanizm patofizjologiczny, łączący występowanie cukrzycy ciążowej z rozwojem w przyszłości cukrzycy typu 2.INTRODUCTION. Increased leukocyte count is a marker of inflammation that has been associated with the development of type 2 diabetes in prospective studies. Although gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and type 2 diabetes share certain pathophysiological mechanisms, few studies have examined inflammation and risk of GDM. MATERIAL AND METHODS. We prospectively examined routine leukocyte counts collected at the first prenatal visit in a cohort of 2,753 nulliparous euglycemic women, 98 (3.6%) of whom were later diagnosed with GDM. Subjects were divided into quartiles of leukocyte count, and the results of third-trimester glucose screening tests and the incidence of GDM among these quartiles were compared. Logistic regression was used to calculate univariate and multivariable-adjusted relative risks (RRs) of GDM according to leukocyte quartiles. RESULTS. Leukocyte counts were increased among women who subsequently developed GDM compared with those who remained free of GDM (10.5 &#177; &#177; 2.2 vs. 9.2 &#177; 2.2 × 103 cells/ml; P < 0.01). There was a linear increase in postloading mean glucose levels (P for trend < 0.01), the area under the glucose tolerance test curves (P for trend < 0.01), and the incidence of GDM (quartile 1, 1.1; quartile 2, 2.5; quartile 3, 4.2; and quartile 4, 6.4%; P for trend < 0.01) with increasing leukocyte quartiles. In the multivariable-adjusted analysis, the linear trend in the RR of GDM with increasing leukocyte quartiles remained statistically significant (quartile 1, reference; quartile 2, RR 2.3 [95% CI 0.9&#8211;5.7]; quartile 3, 3.3 [1.4&#8211;7.8]; quartile 4, 4.9 [2.1&#8211;11.2]; P for trend < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS. Increased leukocyte count early in pregnancy is independently and linearly associated with the results of GDM screening tests and the risk of GDM. Although overlap in the leukocyte count distributions precludes it from being a clinically useful biomarker, these data suggest that inflammation is associated with the development of GDM and may be another pathophysiological link between GDM and future type 2 diabetes

    Complex host genetics influence the microbiome in inflammatory bowel disease

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    Background: Human genetics and host-associated microbial communities have been associated independently with a wide range of chronic diseases. One of the strongest associations in each case is inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but disease risk cannot be explained fully by either factor individually. Recent findings point to interactions between host genetics and microbial exposures as important contributors to disease risk in IBD. These include evidence of the partial heritability of the gut microbiota and the conferral of gut mucosal inflammation by microbiome transplant even when the dysbiosis was initially genetically derived. Although there have been several tests for association of individual genetic loci with bacterial taxa, there has been no direct comparison of complex genome-microbiome associations in large cohorts of patients with an immunity-related disease. Methods: We obtained 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequences from intestinal biopsies as well as host genotype via Immunochip in three independent cohorts totaling 474 individuals. We tested for correlation between relative abundance of bacterial taxa and number of minor alleles at known IBD risk loci, including fine mapping of multiple risk alleles in the Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing protein 2 (NOD2) gene exon. We identified host polymorphisms whose associations with bacterial taxa were conserved across two or more cohorts, and we tested related genes for enrichment of host functional pathways. Results: We identified and confirmed in two cohorts a significant association between NOD2 risk allele count and increased relative abundance of Enterobacteriaceae, with directionality of the effect conserved in the third cohort. Forty-eight additional IBD-related SNPs have directionality of their associations with bacterial taxa significantly conserved across two or three cohorts, implicating genes enriched for regulation of innate immune response, the JAK-STAT cascade, and other immunity-related pathways. Conclusions: These results suggest complex interactions between genetically altered host functional pathways and the structure of the microbiome. Our findings demonstrate the ability to uncover novel associations from paired genome-microbiome data, and they suggest a complex link between host genetics and microbial dysbiosis in subjects with IBD across independent cohorts. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13073-014-0107-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

    A novel Ruminococcus gnavus clade enriched in inflammatory bowel disease patients

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    Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract that is associated with changes in the gut microbiome. Here, we sought to identify strain-specific functional correlates with IBD outcomes. Methods: We performed metagenomic sequencing of monthly stool samples from 20 IBD patients and 12 controls (266 total samples). These were taxonomically profiled with MetaPhlAn2 and functionally profiled using HUMAnN2. Differentially abundant species were identified using MaAsLin and strain-specific pangenome haplotypes were analyzed using PanPhlAn. Results: We found a significantly higher abundance in patients of facultative anaerobes that can tolerate the increased oxidative stress of the IBD gut. We also detected dramatic, yet transient, blooms of Ruminococcus gnavus in IBD patients, often co-occurring with increased disease activity. We identified two distinct clades of R. gnavus strains, one of which is enriched in IBD patients. To study functional differences between these two clades, we augmented the R. gnavus pangenome by sequencing nine isolates from IBD patients. We identified 199 IBD-specific, strain-specific genes involved in oxidative stress responses, adhesion, iron-acquisition, and mucus utilization, potentially conferring an adaptive advantage for this R. gnavus clade in the IBD gut. Conclusions: This study adds further evidence to the hypothesis that increased oxidative stress may be a major factor shaping the dysbiosis of the microbiome observed in IBD and suggests that R. gnavus may be an important member of the altered gut community in IBD. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13073-017-0490-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users
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