Assessment of Occult Pulmonary Involvement in Ulcerative Colitis

Introduction

Nearly 50% of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) experience at least one extraintestinal manifestation. Bronchopulmonary involvement is rare in IBD. Pulmonary function test (PFT) abnormality in cases of ulcerative colitis (UC) has been reported to be 17-55%. Occult pulmonary disease may be diagnosed using variables of the PFT. Hence, we aim to evaluate the frequency and type of pulmonary dysfunction in patients with UC in remission.

Methods

Eighty-three patients of UC in remission and 48 controls underwent the PFT including forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), Tiffeneau value (FEV1/FVC), and midexpiratory flow (MEF 25-75%) rate with a spirometer. The patients were divided based on the age of onset of UC into A1 (<16 years), A2 (16-40 years), and A3 (>40 years) and based on the extent of disease into E1 (proctitis), E2 (left-sided colitis), and E3 (extensive colitis).

Results

Patients with UC had significantly abnormal PFT compared with controls (51 [61.5%] vss. 8 [16.67%]; p = 0.000). Patients with UC commonly had a restrictive pattern (33 [64.47%]) of PFT followed by small airway disease (11 [21.56%]) and obstructive pattern (7 [13.72%]). Pulmonary involvement in cases of UC was more in E3 followed by E2 and E1. Pulmonary involvement was more in the late age of onset of disease. BMI was positively and significantly correlated with FEV1 and FVC. Hemoglobin had a positive and significant correlation with FEV1 while a negative correlation with FEV1/FVC and MEF 25-75%. All predictors except for age were found to contribute in higher risk (OR > 1) for PFT abnormality.

Conclusion

Patients with UC have chronic pulmonary inflammation leading to different patterns of lung involvement in the form of restrictive, obstructive airway, and small airway disease. Patients with UC commonly have a restrictive pattern of pulmonary involvement. Impairment of the PFT is related to the disease extent and the age of onset of disease. Assessment of the PFT using a spirometer is a noninvasive, simple, cost-effective, and reliable method for early detection of occult pulmonary involvement in patients of UC.

Role of non-invasive markers in prediction of esophageal varices and variceal bleeding in patients of alcoholic liver cirrhosis from central India

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Alcohol is the leading cause of liver cirrhosis, which results in portal hypertension and subsequently, culminates into esophageal varices and esophgeal variceal bleeding. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy is gold standard for diagnosis of varices. Non-invasive markers based on clinical, laboratory - ultrasonographic parameters can be utilised for prediction of risk of esophageal varices - variceal bleed in alcoholic cirrhosis from central India.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This was a cross sectional observational study. Child Turcot Pugh scores, MELD, AST ALT Ratio(AAR), AST Platelet Ratio Index(APRI), FIB-4 index and Platelet count-Spleen diameter(PC/SD) ratio were calculated for all patients and correlated with esophagogastroduodenoscopy findings. Short term follow up was done for variceal bleeding.

RESULTS

Total 202 male patients were included with mean age of 43.77±9.95 years. 188(93%) patients had esophageal varices. 61(30.19%) patients had variceal bleeding. On univariate analysis platelet count, APRI, spleen bipolar diameter, and PC/SD ratio were significantly associated with varices. For prediction of esophageal varices, only PC/SD ratio was significant and showed area under the curve of 65.6% at cut-off of <997. CTP score, FIB-4, APRI, and PC/SD ratio were significant for variceal bleeding. At cut-off <985 PC/SD ratio had sensitivity of 82% and specificity of 63% with AUC of 78% for prediction of variceal bleeding. Also, FIB-4 and APRI had diagnostic accuracy of 64% and 61% with AUC of 74% and 72% respectively for bleed.

CONCLUSION

FIB-4 and PC/SD may be useful among armamentarium of non-invasive markers for predicting esophageal varices and risk of variceal bleeding in alcoholic liver cirrhosis.

Utility of Carotid Intima-Media Thickness as an Auxiliary Vascular Parameter of Structural Alteration in Ulcerative Colitis

Background

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is characterized by chronic relapsing-remitting inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. The chronic inflammatory process may predispose to atherosclerosis. The aim of the study was to assess the carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and its relation to subclinical atherosclerosis and to follow up cardiovascular complications in patients with UC.

Methods

83 patients with proven UC in remission were enrolled in the study. 42 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were taken. Patients with known risk factors for atherosclerosis were excluded from the study. Baseline blood investigations along with C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and fasting lipid profile were done. CIMT was measured using B-mode Doppler imaging study.

Results

The mean age of the UC patients was 37.06 ± 14.87 years. Left-sided colitis (45.8%) was the commonest type of presentation according to the extent of the disease. Mean CIMT (0.55 ± 0.17) was significantly higher in UC patients when compared to mean CIMT (0.46 ± 0.13) in the control group (p = 0.002). In Pearson correlation analysis, age, ESR, and CRP were positive and significantly correlated with CIMT. Multiple linear regression analysis (R² = 0.18, p = 0.0026) revealed that age and CRP were significant independent predictors of mean CIMT. On following up for 6 months, 4 patients with UC had complications in the form of venous thrombosis.

Conclusion

CIMT is a simple, noninvasive, reliable and objective auxiliary vascular parameter of structural alteration in UC patients.

Diagnostic yield of video capsule endoscopy in obscure occult gastrointestinal bleed

Background: Gastrointestinal blood loss is the leading cause of iron deficiency anemia in developing world. Many patients had normal findings on initial upper and lower gastrointestinal endoscopy. When such patients present with stool occult blood positivity, it’s an indication to evaluate small bowel by video capsule endoscopy for detecting possible source of bleeding. Aim was to know the diagnostic yield of video capsule endoscopy in anaemic patients with occult gastrointestinal bleed.Methods: In this retrospective study, we evaluated all the data of video capsule endoscopy which were done in patients with obscure occult gastrointestinal bleed.Results: Total sample size was 21 patients. M:F ratio was 1.6:1 Average age of patients was 51.52±6.3 years. Youngest patient was of 16 years and Oldest patient was of 78 years. Video capsule endoscopy was normal in 8/21(38.09%), and had positive findings in 13/21(61.90%). Most common finding was aphthous ulcer in jejunum and ileum in 19.04%. Followed by Telangiectasia in 14.28%, NSAID enteropathy in 4.76%, Jejunal diverticulosis in 9.52%, celiac disease, xanthelasma, enteroliths in ileum, ileal nodularity in 4.76% each. Complication occurred in one patient (4.76%) in the form of retention of the capsule, which was retrieved by double balloon Enteroscopy.Conclusions: Video capsule endoscopy has a good diagnostic yield of around 61.90% in patients with obscure occult gastrointestinal bleed. It is best performed during ongoing bleed or immediately thereafter. Careful patient selection and repeating the upper and lower GI Scopy before video capsule endoscopy can be a reliable option before video capsule endoscopy to prevent complication.

Yield of p53 expression in esophageal squamous cell cancer and its relationship with survival

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is the most aggressive type of cancer. Mutation of tumor suppressor gene p53 is observed in many gastrointestinal malignancies including ESCC. The immunohistochemical protein expression of mutant p53 has been proposed as a potential tool to evaluate the biological behavior of ESCC. Predictive value of p53 for survival is debatable, hence this study was formulated to know the survival of patients with p53 expression in ESCC.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We prospectively included 91 consecutive patients of ESCC from August 2014 to August 2016. Biopsy specimens were treated immunohistochemically and expression of p53 gene was analyzed by Immunoreactive Score (IRS). These findings were then compared with clinicopathological parameters such as age, gender, histological grades, and TNM stages. All patients received treatment and were kept under regular follow-up.

RESULTS

M: F ratio was 2.03:1. p53 expression analyzed by IRS showed low expression (score ≤6) in 35 patients (38.46%) and high expression (>6) in 56 patients (61.54%). Level of p53 expression increased significantly with increasing histological grades of ESCC and TNM stage (P ≤ 0.001). Multivariate analysis shows p53 expression as independent predictor of survival. After 1 year of follow up, survival in the p53 high-expression group was 67.86% [standard error (SE) = 0.0473, confidence interval (CI) = 0.75-0.97) and in low p53 expression group was 91.43% (SE = 0.06, CI = 0.53-0.78) with statistically significant difference P = 0.0001 when analyzed with Kaplan-Meier method.

CONCLUSION

Expression of p53 correlates with the survival and is a simple, effective and reproducible modality to determine the prognosis and survival in ESCC.