Effects of infliximab therapy on abdominal fat and metabolic profile in patients with Crohn's disease

BACKGROUND

Tumor necrosis factor is an adipocytokine possessing a well-established lipolytic effect. In Crohn's disease (CD) patients, infliximab therapy may thus result in visceral fat accumulation, which is associated with an increased risk of metabolic syndrome.

METHODS

A total of 132 CD patients were investigated. In a first prospective study, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) quantification of subcutaneous and visceral abdominal fat was performed before and 8 weeks after initiation of infliximab induction therapy (5 mg/kg at weeks 0, 2, and 6) in 21 responding patients treated for perianal disease. In a second prospective study, fasting glycemia, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), HDL, LDL, and total cholesterol and triglyceride levels were assessed in 111 responding patients receiving infliximab infusions every 8 weeks, with a mean follow-up of 41 weeks.

RESULTS

A significant homogeneous 18% increase in total abdominal fat was observed in the 21 CD patients after infliximab induction therapy (P = 0.027), independently of body mass index evolution. Infliximab maintenance therapy was associated with a decrease in glycemia (P < 0.0001) and HbA1c (P = 0.0005) concentrations, together with an increase in both total cholesterol (P = 0.02) and HDL cholesterol (P = 0.008) concentrations. All glycemic and lipid parameters remained within the normal range throughout the study.

CONCLUSIONS

Infliximab induction therapy is associated with a significant increase in abdominal fat tissue in CD patients. Infliximab maintenance therapy has no deleterious effects on lipid profile and is accompanied by a decrease in glycemia and HbA1c concentrations, probably by reversing the impairment of tumor necrosis factor-induced insulin-mediated glucose uptake.

Adalimumab safety in global clinical trials of patients with Crohn's disease

BACKGROUND

Adalimumab, a fully human anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) monoclonal antibody, is approved for the treatment of Crohn's disease (CD) in adults. We evaluated the overall safety profile of adalimumab in global clinical trials in patients with CD. Patients who participated in these trials, which included randomized induction and maintenance trials, Phase IIIb trials, and open-label extension studies, had moderately to severely active CD and were evaluated for safety at regular intervals.

METHODS

Rates of adverse events of interest were assessed per 100-patient-years of adalimumab exposure. Standardized mortality rates and standardized incidence rates (for malignancies) were calculated using population-matched data. As of April 15, 2008, 3160 patients with CD had been treated with adalimumab in clinical trials, representing 3401.9 patient-years of adalimumab exposure.

RESULTS

Serious infection was the most frequently reported serious adverse event of interest in the CD trials; abscess (intraabdominal and gastrointestinal related) was the most common serious infection. Low incidences of malignancies, lymphomas, opportunistic infections (including tuberculosis), demyelinating disorders, and lupus-like disorders were reported in the CD trials. The standardized mortality rate for adalimumab-treated patients with CD, 0.44 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.12-1.12), is less than the rate of 1.52 (95% CI, 1.32-1.74) reported in a recent meta-analysis of patients with CD.

CONCLUSIONS

The safety profile of adalimumab in patients with CD was similar to that of other TNF antagonists in CD populations, and the rates of adverse events were comparable to other approved indications for adalimumab spanning >10 years of clinical observation. No new safety signals were identified.

Azathioprine and 6-mercaptopurine for the prevention of postoperative recurrence in Crohn's disease: a meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of purine analogs (azathioprine, 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP)) in the prevention of postoperative recurrence in Crohn's disease (CD).

METHODS

We searched MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, and EMBASE. The primary end points, clinical and endoscopic recurrence at 1 and 2 years, and safety were analyzed by the methods of Peto and Der Simonian and Laird.

RESULTS

Four controlled trials enrolled 433 patients and compared azathioprine (n=3) or (6-MP) (n=1) with control arms (placebo with or without antibiotic induction therapy or mesalamine). In the overall analysis, purine analogs were more effective than control arms in preventing clinical recurrence at 1 year (mean difference, 95% confidence interval (CI): 8, 1-15%, P=0.021, number needed to treat (NNT)=13) and 2 years (mean difference, 95% CI: 13%, 2-24%, P=0.018, NNT=8). In sensitivity analyses, the efficacy of purine analogs was superior to that of placebo for the prevention of clinical and endoscopic recurrence at 1 year (mean differences, 95% CI: 13, 1.8-25%, P=0.025, NNT=7, and 23%, 9-37%, P=0.0016, NNT=4, respectively). At 1 year, in the overall analysis, purine analogs were more effective than control arms were in preventing severe (i2-4) endoscopic recurrence (mean difference, CI 95%: 15, 1.8-29%, P=0.026, NNT=7), but they were not effective in the prevention of very severe (i3-4) recurrence. The rate of adverse events leading to drug withdrawal was higher in thiopurine-treated patients than in control arms (17.2 vs. 9.8%, respectively, P=0.021).

CONCLUSIONS

Purine analogs are more effective than placebo in preventing both clinical and endoscopic postoperative recurrence in CD, but they are associated with a higher rate of adverse events leading to drug withdrawal.

Candida albicans colonization and ASCA in familial Crohn's disease

OBJECTIVES

Anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibodies (ASCAs) are present in 50-60% of patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and in 20-25% of their healthy relatives (HRs). The yeast, Candida albicans, has been shown to generate ASCAs, but the presence of C. albicans in the digestive tract of CD patients and their HRs has never been investigated. Therefore, we studied C. albicans carriage in familial CD and its correlation with ASCAs.

METHODS

Study groups consisted of 41 CD families composed of 129 patients and 113 HRs, and 14 control families composed of 76 individuals. Mouth swabs and stool specimens were collected for isolation, identification, and quantification of yeasts. Serum samples were collected for detection of ASCAs and anti-C. albicans mannan antibodies (ACMAs).

RESULTS

C. albicans was isolated significantly more frequently from stool samples from CD patients (44%) and their HRs (38%) than from controls (22%) (P<0.05). The prevalence of ACMAs was similar between CD patients, their HRs, and controls (22, 19, and 21%, respectively, P=0.845), whereas the prevalence of ASCAs was significantly increased in CD families (72 and 34% in CD and HRs, respectively, in contrast to 4% in controls, P<0.0001). AMCA levels correlated with C. albicans colonization in all populations. ASCA levels correlated with C. albicans colonization in HRs but not in CD patients.

CONCLUSIONS

CD patients and their first-degree HRs are more frequently and more heavily colonized by C. albicans than are controls. ASCAs correlate with C. albicans colonization in HRs but not in CD. In HRs, ASCAs could result from an altered immune response to C. albicans. In CD, a subsequent alteration in sensing C. albicans colonization could occur with disease onset.

Cyclosporine treatment of steroid-refractory ulcerative colitis during pregnancy

BACKGROUND

Cyclosporine is considered a safe and effective treatment of severe steroid-refractory ulcerative colitis (UC). However, few data are available concerning its safety profile in pregnant women. We report here the experience of 5 GETAID centers.

METHODS

In a retrospective study data on patients with severe UC treated with cyclosporine during pregnancy were extracted from medical records of consecutive patients treated between 2001 and 2007.

RESULTS

Eight patients (median age 30.5 years old) were identified. At the time of flare-up the median duration of pregnancy was 11.5 weeks of gestation (range 4-25). Seven patients had pancolitis. All patients had more than 3 commonly used clinical and biological severity criteria. Three patients had severe endoscopic lesions and 5 patients had not. All patients received intravenous corticosteroids for at least 7 days before introduction of cyclosporine. Two patients received azathioprine during treatment with cyclosporine. No severe infections or other complications due to treatment were observed. Treatment was effective in 7/8 patients. One patient received infliximab due to cyclosporine therapy failure with a good outcome. No colectomy was performed during pregnancy. Seven pregnancies were conducted to term, but 1 in utero death occurred due to maternal absence of S-protein. Two newborns were premature, including 1 case of hypotrophy. No malformations were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

In our experience, treatment with cyclosporine for steroid-refractory UC during pregnancy can be considered safe and effective.

TNFSF15 polymorphisms are associated with susceptibility to inflammatory bowel disease in a new European cohort

OBJECTIVES

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), e.g., Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), is a complex genetic disorder. Tumor necrosis factor (ligand) superfamily, member 15 (TNFSF15) has been previously identified as a susceptibility gene for CD in Japanese and UK cohorts. This replication study was designed in order to confirm and further validate the role of TNFSF15 in IBD.

METHODS

A total of 666 IBD families (corresponding to 2,982 relatives) with European ancestry were genotyped for the rs6478108 and rs7869487 polymorphisms, which define the main TNFSF15 haplotypes previously associated with CD. An association between the main haplotypes and CD, UC and IBD was tested using the Genehunter TDT and Unphased statistics. Caspase recruitment domain 15 (CARD15)/TNFSF15 interaction and genotype/phenotype correlations were also studied.

RESULTS

The previously reported "high-risk" haplotype (A) was associated with IBD (P=0.001) (OR=1.25 (1.05-1.50)) and CD (P=0.02) (OR=1.31 (1.03-1.67)) whereas the "protective" (B) haplotype was significantly less transmitted to IBD and CD patients. No interaction between CARD15 and TNFSF15 was detected. We also failed to define a clinical subgroup of CD patients specifically associated with TNFSF15 haplotype A.

CONCLUSIONS

This study confirms that TNFSF15 or a closely linked gene is involved in the genetic predisposition to CD.

Presentation and long-term follow-up of refractory celiac disease: comparison of type I with type II

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Refractory celiac disease (RCD) was recently subdivided into 2 subtypes (RCD I and II) based on a normal or abnormal phenotype of intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs), respectively. It is not clear, however, if these 2 entities differ in their presentation at diagnosis or long-term outcome. We compared the clinical and biological characteristics of RCD I and RCD II at diagnosis, the risk of developing an overt lymphoma, and the predictive factors of survival.

METHODS

Medical files of 14 patients with RCD I and 43 with RCD II were analyzed retrospectively. Predictive factors of overt lymphoma and survival were studied in univariate and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

At diagnosis, malnutrition, ulcerative jejunitis, and lymphocytic gastritis were more common in patients with RCD II than RCD I (P< .05). Overt lymphomas occurred in 2 patients with RCD I and 16 with RCD II. In the univariate analysis, abnormal IEL phenotype and increased age at diagnosis of RCD were predictive factors for overt lymphoma. Abnormal IEL phenotype (P< .01), clonality (P= .01), and overt lymphoma (P= .001) predicted short survival time. Only abnormal IEL phenotype (P= .03) and overt lymphoma (P= .04) were predictive in the multivariate analysis. The 5-year survival rate was 93% in patients with RCD I and 44% with RCD II.

CONCLUSIONS

RCD II has a much more severe presentation and prognosis than patients with RCD I; <44% of patients with RCD II survive 5 years after diagnosis. Abnormal IEL phenotype is a predictive factor but not a necessary condition for the development of overt lymphoma.

Azathioprine withdrawal in patients with Crohn's disease maintained on prolonged remission: a high risk of relapse

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Azathioprine (AZA) withdrawal in Crohn's disease after long-term remission under treatment is controversial. In a Groupe d'Etude Thérapeutique des Affections Inflammatoires du tube Digestif randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, the hypothesis that AZA withdrawal was not inferior to AZA continuation in patients in prolonged clinical remission could not be shown.

METHODS

A cohort of 66 patients in prolonged remission while being treated with AZA who stopped AZA, during or at the end of the randomized controlled trial, underwent long-term follow-up evaluation. The primary end point was clinical relapse. Prognostic factors of relapse were looked for through a proportional hazards model.

RESULTS

Median durations of AZA therapy and of clinical remission were 68.4 months (interquartile range, 52.8-85.2 mo) and 63.6 months (interquartile range, 48.0-55.7 mo), respectively. The median follow-up time after AZA interruption was 54.5 months; 32 of 66 patients had a relapse. The cumulative probabilities +/- SE of relapse at 1, 3, and 5 years were 14.0% +/- 4.3%, 52.8% +/- 7.1%, and 62.7% +/- 7.2%, respectively. C-reactive protein concentration of 20 mg/L or greater (risk, 58.6; 95% confidence interval, 7.5-457; P = .002), hemoglobin level less than 12 g/dL (risk, 4.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.7-13.7; P = .04), and neutrophil count 4 x 10(9)/L or greater (risk, 3.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.6-6.3; P = .003) were associated independently with an increased risk of relapse. Among the 32 relapsing patients, 23 were retreated by AZA alone, all but 1 up to successful remission.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results confirm that AZA withdrawal is associated with a high risk of relapse, whatever the duration of remission under this treatment. These data suggest that if AZA is well tolerated, it should not be interrupted.

Effects of adalimumab maintenance therapy on health-related quality of life of patients with Crohn's disease: patient-reported outcomes of the CHARM trial

OBJECTIVES

We evaluated the effects of adalimumab maintenance therapy on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with moderate to severe Crohn's disease.

METHODS

In a Phase III, randomized, double-blind clinical trial (CHARM) of moderate to severe Crohn's disease patients, HRQOL outcomes were compared between the adalimumab maintenance treatment groups (every other week and weekly injection) and the adalimumab induction-only group. The Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale, functional assessment of chronic illness therapy (FACIT)-Fatigue, visual analog pain scales, Inflammatory Bowel Disease questionnaire (IBDQ), and Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) were analyzed for 499 randomized responders (a decrease of > or =70 points from baseline in the Crohn's Disease Activity Index [CDAI]) at baseline and weeks 4, 12, 26, and 56.

RESULTS

CHARM patients' HRQOL was substantially impaired at baseline. Following a 4-week adalimumab induction therapy, patients experienced statistically significant improvements in all HRQOL measures (P < 0.0001). Compared with patients who were assigned to placebo after induction therapy, patients who continued adalimumab at 40 mg every other week maintenance therapy reported less depression (P < 0.01), fewer fatigue symptoms (P < 0.001), greater improvements in the IBDQ (P < 0.05), greater SF-36 physical component summary scores (P < 0.05), and less abdominal pain (P < 0.05) from weeks 12 to 56. They also had greater SF-36 mental component summary scores at week 56 (P < 0.05). Patients who continued adalimumab at 40-mg weekly maintenance therapy reported less depression and fewer fatigue symptoms at week 56, greater improvement in IBDQ, and less abdominal pain from weeks 12 to 56 (all P < 0.05 vs. placebo).

CONCLUSIONS

Adalimumab maintenance therapy provided sustained improvements in HRQOL for patients with moderate to severe Crohn's disease through week 56.

Crohn's disease: beyond antagonists of tumour necrosis factor

In the past few years, antagonists of tumour necrosis factor have resulted in unforetold therapeutic benefits in Crohn's disease, but the magnitude and duration of responses are variable. New agents are therefore needed. Their development has benefited from advances in the understanding of the pathophysiology of this disease. Uncontrolled activation of the acquired immune system has an important role, and lymphocytes, cytokines, and adhesion molecules are broadly targeted for therapeutic intervention. With increasing evidence of an implication of the innate immune system and the intestinal epithelium, the therapeutic paradigm is also shifting from mere immunosuppression to the reinforcement of the intestinal barrier. We review mechanisms of actions of new drugs and the efficacy and adverse events from data from clinical trials. We discuss future directions, including new strategies with optimum endpoints.

Indeterminate colitis: a review of the concept--what's in a name?

The precise diagnosis of colitis cannot always be established with the available diagnostic tools. The subgroup of patients with an uncertain diagnosis has been classified as "indeterminate colitis" (IC). The definition of "indeterminate," however, has changed over the years. Originally, IC was proposed by pathologists for colectomy specimens, usually from patients operated on for severe colitis, showing overlapping features of ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). Later, the same terminology was used for patients showing no clear clinical, endoscopic, histologic, and other features allowing a diagnosis of either UC or CD. Therefore, it is difficult to compare different studies. An International Organization of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IOIBD) working party confirmed 1) the ambiguous nature of the term, and 2) proposes an updated classification for the category of patients with an unclear diagnosis. According to this, the term IBD unclassified (IBDU) is confirmed, as suggested by the Montreal Working Party 2005 for patients with clinically chronic colitis, that clearly have IBD but when definitive features of CD or UC are absent. In resected specimens the term "colitis of uncertain type or etiology" (CUTE) is preferred. It is accepted that most of the time this may have a prefix, such as severe, chronic. The classification of IBD varies when based only on biopsies rather than on a colectomy specimen. The vast majority of these have severe colitis. For those that cannot bear to abandon the highly ambiguous term IC, if it is used at all, this is where it can be used parenthetically.

Efficacy and safety of tumor necrosis factor antagonists in Crohn's disease: meta-analysis of placebo-controlled trials

BACKGROUND & AIMS

We performed a meta-analysis of placebo-controlled trials to evaluate safety and efficacy of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonists for Crohn's disease.

METHODS

We searched MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE. The primary end points were clinical remission for luminal Crohn's disease and fistula closure at > or =2 consecutive visits. Deaths, serious infections, and malignancies were also analyzed by the methods of Peto and Der Simonian and Laird.

RESULTS

Fourteen luminal Crohn's disease trials enrolled 3995 patients. In overall analysis, anti-TNF therapy was effective for induction of remission at week 4 (mean difference, 11%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 6%-16%; P < .001) and maintenance of remission at weeks 20-30 in patients who responded to induction therapy and in patients randomized before induction (mean difference, 23%; 95% CI, 18%-28% and mean difference, 8%; 95% CI, 3%-12%, respectively; P < .001 for all comparisons). Ten studies evaluated anti-TNF for treatment of fistulizing Crohn's disease, involving 776 patients. In overall analysis, anti-TNF therapy was effective for fistula closure only in maintenance trials after open-label induction (mean difference, 16%; 95% CI, 8%-25%; P < .001). In 21 studies enrolling 5356 individuals, anti-TNF therapy did not increase the risk of death, malignancy, or serious infection.

CONCLUSIONS

Infliximab, adalimumab, and certolizumab are effective in luminal Crohn's disease. Efficacy of anti-TNF agents other than infliximab in treating fistulizing Crohn's disease requires additional investigations. A longer duration of follow-up and a larger number of patients are required to better assess the safety profile of TNF antagonists in Crohn's disease.

Efficacy and safety of adalimumab for the treatment of Crohn's disease in adults

Biologic agents offer potentially disease-modifying benefits that address long-term symptom control. Adalimumab was developed to be a fully human monoclonal antibody and an advancement over previously developed biologics. Adalimumab induces and maintains long-term clinical response and remission in patients with moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease (CD) who had failed to respond to conventional therapy. In addition, adalimumab is effective in patients who cannot tolerate or who have lost response to infliximab therapy. Clinical trials demonstrate that adalimumab reduces the risk of CD-related hospitalization, maintains rapid complete fistula closure and is steroid-sparing, especially when administered early in the course of the disease. Adalimumab is generally well-tolerated by patients with moderate-to-severe CD. Opportunistic infections occurred in approximately 2% of adalimumab-treated patients and malignant neoplasms occurred in approximately 1% of patients, with no differences compared with placebo during the randomized, placebo-controlled portions of the adalimumab trials. This article reviews the efficacy and safety of adalimumab in the treatment of adult patients with CD and discusses the role of adalimumab in the current and future management of CD.

The forgotten role of lymphangitis in Crohn's disease

Research into Crohn's disease has recently been focused on the genetics of the patient, the gastrointestinal flora, the gut epithelium and mucosal immune responses. For over 60 years pathologists have reported that the fundamental alteration in Crohn's disease occurs in regional lymphatics of the intestine--the disease is a lymphocytic and granulomatous lymphangitis. At an earlier time, experimental sclerosis of regional intestinal lymphatics of the pig produced a chronic segmental enteritis with many features of Crohn's disease, including lymphocytic and granulomatous lymphangitis of the bowel wall and enteroenteric and enterocutaneous fistulas. In Crohn's disease, differences in the anatomic distribution of vasa recta appear to explain long-segment disease of the ileum and short-segment disease of the more proximal intestine. A variety of bacteria and viruses cause lymphangitis, suggesting that microorganisms may be at the centre of the basic changes in Crohn's disease. Dietary antigens and lipids are worthy of consideration as well. Now that antibodies to label lymphatics are available, attention should be directed at defining the initial damage to lymphatic endothelium and agents that might be responsible.

Inflammation affects sufentanil consumption in ulcerative colitis

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have demonstrated an increased perioperative opioid requirement during inflammatory disease. To evaluate the influence of the inflammatory process, we studied in the same patient the sufentanil requirement during procedures that occur during two distinct phases of ulcerative colitis with different inflammatory profiles: (1) left colectomy for major colitis unresponsive to medical treatment during acute inflammation and (2) coloprotectomy with ileoanal anastomosis, three months after recovery of the acute inflammatory episode.

METHODS

Sixteen patients with clinical and histological evidence of ulcerative colitis scheduled for colectomy with ileoanal anastomosis were included. For each surgical procedure, anaesthesia was induced with sufentanil 0.5 microg kg(-1) and propofol 2 mg kg(-1). Patients were ventilated with 50% nitrous oxide and oxygen, and tidal volume was adjusted to keep end-tidal CO2 at 30 mmHg. Anaesthesia was maintained with end-tidal isoflurane at 0.5%. Analgesia was achieved with continuous infusion of sufentanil at 0.3 microg kg(-1) h(-1). Additional boluses of sufentanil and increases in infusion rates were used when haemodynamic variables increased to more than 20% of preoperative values. Sufentanil consumption during surgery was analysed by Wilcoxon signed rank sum test. P < 0.05 was considered significant.

RESULTS

Total intra-operative sufentanil requirement was significantly larger during colectomy performed for acute inflammatory colitis than during ileoanal anastomosis performed after the inflammatory process (1.24 +/- 0.48 microg kg(-1) h(-1) vs. 0.62 +/- 0.3 microg kg(-1) h(-1); P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

For the same patient, inflammatory status influences opioid requirements during surgery for ulcerative colitis.

Search for evidence of recurring or persistent viruses in Crohn's disease

New-onset Crohn's disease and acute flares are often associated with viral infections. The aim of this study was to search for evidence of persistent or recurrent viruses in patients. Tissue blocks were obtained from surgical specimens from patients and a control population. 111 samples were tested by PCR or RT-PCR, for EBV, CMV, HSV 1, HSV 2, HHV 8, pestiviruses, and enteroviruses. Additionally, seven sets of serum samples, including pre-operative and post-operative samples, from CD patients were analyzed serologically for antibodies to EBV. The tests revealed evidence of EBV nucleic acid in tissues of 11 patients from a total of 70 tested (15.7%) and in tissues of 3 of 41 control subjects (7.3%). Evidence of pestivirus was found in one CD patient, while one patient and one control were positive for CMV. No HSV 1 or 2, HHV 8 or enteroviruses were found. The serologic tests revealed that five of seven CD patients had antibodies against the early protein, the capsid protein and the EBV nuclear antigen (EBNA). The titers were not significantly altered post-surgically. None of the patients had antibodies of the IgM isotype. Our findings vary from those of Ruther et al. who demonstrated evidence of EBV in tissues from 7 of 11 (64%) German CD patients. Antibodies to early EBV viral antigen and to nuclear antigen in five of seven Belgian patients suggest persistent active viral infection.

Familial Crohn's disease in Belgium: pedigrees, temporal relationships among cases, and family histories

BACKGROUND

Recently we published an analysis of environmental factors in familial Crohn's disease (CD) in Belgium. The aim of the current study was to assess pedigrees and sibships, temporal relationships among cases, and family circumstances relevant to the frequency or onset of CD.

STUDY

Twenty-one families with 3 or more affected first-degree relatives were studied. Seventy-four patients with CD and 84 unaffected family members were interviewed together at the parental home, with the aid of a 176 item questionnaire. Pedigrees were constructed establishing which family members had the disease and their relationships within sibships. Dates of onset of disease, validation of first symptoms and circumstances potentially relevant to the onset and distribution of disease within families were among the data documented during the interviews. Sequence of disease within families, consecutive versus nonconsecutive sequence of disease within sibships, and temporal relationships among cases were tabulated.

RESULTS

In 12 of the 21 families CD occurred in a parent before CD in any children. Five affected fathers preceded 9 affected children; 7 affected mothers preceded 10 affected children. First borns were affected more frequently. Within sibships there were 21 instances (36%) when an affected sibling was consecutive in birth order with an affected sibling. When a parent had CD before the birth of the first child the "exposure interval" to CD in the children was longer (mean 22.4 y) than when the parent developed CD after the child was born (mean 11.8 y).

CONCLUSIONS

The clusterings of CD within sibships and in time suggest that there is a contagious element in the etiology of CD.

Adalimumab induction therapy for Crohn disease previously treated with infliximab: a randomized trial

BACKGROUND

Adalimumab, a fully human tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonist, is an effective treatment for patients with Crohn disease who are naive to the chimeric TNF antagonist, infliximab. No anti-TNF agent has been evaluated prospectively in patients with Crohn disease who had responded to another anti-TNF agent and then lost that response or were intolerant of the agent.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether adalimumab induces remissions more frequently than placebo in adult patients with Crohn disease who have symptoms despite infliximab therapy or who cannot take infliximab because of adverse events.

DESIGN

4-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (November 2004 to December 2005).

SETTING

52 sites in the United States, Canada, and Europe.

PATIENTS

325 adults 18 to 75 years of age who had a history of Crohn disease for 4 months or more that was moderate to severe at baseline (Crohn's Disease Activity Index [CDAI] score, 220 to 450 points).

INTERVENTION

Patients were randomly assigned to receive induction doses of adalimumab, 160 mg and 80 mg, at weeks 0 and 2, respectively, or placebo at the same time points.

MEASUREMENTS

The primary end point was induction of remission at week 4. Decreases in CDAI score by 70 or more and 100 or more points (secondary end points) were also measured.

RESULTS

A total of 301 patients completed the trial. Twenty-one percent (34 of 159) of patients in the adalimumab group versus 7% (12 of 166) of those in the placebo group achieved remission at week 4 (P < 0.001). The absolute difference in clinical remission rates was 14.2 percentage points (95% CI, 6.7 to 21.6 percentage points). A 70-point response occurred at week 4 in 52% (82 of 159) of patients in the adalimumab group versus 34% (56 of 166) of patients in the placebo group (P = 0.001). The absolute difference in 70-point response rates was 17.8 percentage points (CI, 7.3 to 28.4 percentage points). Two of 159 patients in the adalimumab group and 4 of 166 patients in the placebo group discontinued treatment because of adverse events. No patients in the adalimumab group and 4 of 166 patients in the placebo group had a serious infection.

LIMITATIONS

The trial did not directly compare alternative active treatments and did not evaluate maintenance of response or long-term immunogenicity of adalimumab.

CONCLUSION

Adalimumab induces remissions more frequently than placebo in adult patients with Crohn disease who cannot tolerate infliximab or have symptoms despite receiving infliximab therapy. For more information on adalimumab in Crohn disease, click here. ClinicalTrials.gov registration number: NCT00105300.