Quality of Life in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-analyses-Part I

Psychological interventions for inflammatory bowel disease: a systematic review and component network meta-analysis protocol

INTRODUCTION

Patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) often report psychological problems, unemployment, disability, sick leave and compromised quality of life. The effect of psychological interventions on health-related outcomes in IBD is controversial as previous reviews faced the obstacle of high heterogeneity among provided multimodular interventions. The heterogeneity can be addressed with network meta-analysis (NMA) and (multi)component NMA (CNMA). We aim to investigate whether psychological interventions can improve quality of life, clinical and social outcomes in IBD using NMA and CNMA. This is the study protocol.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

We will consider randomised, quasi-randomised and non-randomised controlled trials, including cluster randomised and cross-over trials with 2 months of minimum follow-up. The conditions to be studied comprise Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis in children, adolescents and adults. We will include any psychological intervention aiming to change the health status of the study participant.We will search Medline, Embase, Web of Science, CENTRAL, LILACS, Psyndex, PsycINFO, Google Scholar and trial registries from inception (the search will be updated before the review completion). Two authors will independently screen all references based on titles and abstracts. For data extraction, standard forms are developed and tested before extraction. All information will be assessed independently by at least two reviewers, and disagreements solved by consensus discussion or a third rater if necessary.The data synthesis will include a pairwise meta-analysis supported by meta-regression. We will conduct NMA (all treatments will constitute single nodes of the network) and CNMA (we will define all treatments as sums of core components, eg, cognitive +behaviour, or cognitive +behaviour + relaxation, and additionally consider interactions) using the R Package netmeta.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

No ethical approval is required. Reports will include the final report to the funder, conference presentation, peer-reviewed publication and a patient report.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42021250446.

Acceptance commitment therapy (ACT) for psychological distress associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD): protocol for a feasibility trial of the ACTforIBD programme

INTRODUCTION

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) involves an abnormal immune response to healthy gut bacteria. When a person develops IBD, their susceptibility to anxiety and/or depression increases. The ACTforIBD programme, specifically designed for people with IBD and comorbid psychological distress, draws on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), which promotes acceptance of situations that cannot be solved such as persistent physical symptoms. There are no ACT trials for IBD using an active control group or a telemedicine approach, which is important to improve accessibility, particularly in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The ACTforIBD programme is administered online with a 4-hour therapist involvement per participant only; if successful it can be widely implemented to improve the well-being of many individuals with IBD.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

Our team have codesigned with consumers the ACTforIBD programme, an 8-week intervention of 1-hour sessions, with the first three sessions and the last session delivered one-to-one by a psychologist, and the other sessions self-directed online. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of ACTforIBD to reduce psychological distress in patients with IBD. Using a randomised controlled trial, 25 participants will be randomised to ACTforIBD, and 25 patients to an active control condition.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This protocol has been approved by Deakin University Research Ethics Committee in September 2021 (Ref. 2021-263) and the New Zealand Central Health and Disability Ethics Committee in December 2021 (Ref. 2021 EXP 11384). The results of this research will be published in peer-reviewed journals and shared with various stakeholders, including community members, policy-makers and researchers, through local and international conferences.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

ACTRN12621001316897.

Increasing thirty-day readmissions of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis in the United States: A national dilemma

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) is on the rise worldwide. This rising prevalence is concerning as patients with CD and UC may frequently relapse leading to recurrent hospitalizations and increased healthcare utilization.

AIM

To identify trends and adverse outcomes for 30 d readmissions for CD and UC.

METHODS

This was a retrospective, interrupted trends study involving all adult (≥ 18 years) 30 d readmissions of CD and UC from the National Readmission Database (NRD) between 2008 and 2018. Patients < 18 years, elective, and traumatic hospitalizations were excluded from this study. We identified hospitalization characteristics and readmission rates for each calendar year. Trends of inpatient mortality, mean length of hospital stay (LOS) and mean total hospital cost (THC) were calculated using a multivariate logistic trend analysis adjusting for age, gender, insurance status, comorbidity burden and hospital factors. Furthermore, trends between CD and UC readmissions were compared using regression of the interaction coefficient after adjusting for age and gender to determine relative trends between the two populations. Stata® Version 16 software (StataCorp, TX, United States) was used for statistical analysis and P value ≤ 0.05 were considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

Total number of 30 d readmissions increased from 6202 in 2010 to 7672 in 2018 for CD and from 3272 in 2010 to 4234 in 2018 for UC. We noted increasing trends for 30-day all-cause readmission rate of CD from 14.9% in 2010 to 17.6% in 2018 (P-trend < 0.001), CD specific readmission rate from 7.1% in 2010 to 8.2% in 2018 (P-trend < 0.001), 30-day all-cause readmission rate of UC from 14.1% in 2010 to 15.7% in 2018 (P-trend = 0.003), and UC specific readmission rate from 5.2% in 2010 to 5.6% in 2018 (P-trend = 0.029). There was no change in the risk adjusted trends of inpatient mortality and mean LOS for CD and UC readmissions. However, we found an increasing trend of mean THC for UC readmissions. After comparison, there was no statistical difference in the trends for 30 d all-cause readmission rate, inpatient mortality, and mean LOS between CD and UC readmissions.

CONCLUSION

There was an increase in total number of 30 d readmissions for CD and UC with a trend towards increasing 30 d all-cause readmission rates.

[Psychosocial Support for People with Ulcerative Colitis and Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Feasibility Study on Need, Focus and Viability]

OBJECTIVES

Ulcerative colitis (UC) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are associated with high somatic symptom burden, reduced quality of life, and increased psychological distress. The subjective burden, the wish of many patients, and the involvement of psychological processes in symptom perception justify the development of psychosocial support services. We aimed to evaluate need, content and feasibility of such an offer. We included patients with both UC and RDS in order to identify disease-specific and trans-diagnostic aspects for psychosocial interventions.

METHODS

We conducted telephone interviews with adult patients with UC or IBS using a standardized interview guide. We used numerical rating scales and open-ended questions to assess burden of and coping with the disease, disease-related expectations and anxiety, satisfaction with care, support and information needs, and preferences regarding support programs. We calculated descriptive metrics for quantitative variables as well as diagnosis-specific group comparisons. The answers to the open questions were summarised and counted in close accordance with the participants' statements.

RESULTS

N=35 patients (UC: n = 15; IBS: n=20) participated (age: M=40.80, SD=14.56; 71% female). In both groups, patients showed a medium level of disease burden, with higher rates for IBS. Both groups reported disease-related anxiety, with higher levels in patients with IBS. Disease-related expectations did not differ between groups. Patients with IBS showed low satisfaction with care and felt less informed about their disease than patients with UC. Both groups indicated a high motivation of participating in a psychological support program and named illness-related expectations and illness anxiety as important components of such.

DISCUSSION

The results confirm an increased need for psychosocial support and the relevance of disease-related expectations and anxiety for both diseases. Differences in symptom perception and care satisfaction indicate the importance of disease-specific elements in psychosocial therapy programs.

CONCLUSION

The results demonstrate the high need for psychosocial support of patients with UC and IBS and indicate the feasibility of a psychosocial therapy program.

Schizophrenia and risk of new-onset inflammatory bowel disease: a nationwide longitudinal study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic gastrointestinal inflammatory disorder with increasing global prevalence. The risk of IBD in patients with schizophrenia remains unclear. We aim to investigate the risk of new-onset IBD in patients with schizophrenia compared with matched controls.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective, population-based cohort study utilising patient data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database collected between January 1, 2001, and December 31, 2011. Patients diagnosed with schizophrenia by board-certified psychiatrists without prior diagnosis of IBD were enrolled and matched to controls in 1:4 fashion by age, sex, residence, income level and medical comorbidities. Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for new-onset IBD and sub-analyses were determined using Cox regression analysis with adjustments.

RESULTS

Among 116 164 patients with schizophrenia and 464 656 matched controls, overall incidence of IBD among patients was significantly higher (1.14% vs. 0.25%). Average age of IBD diagnosis was 46.82 among patients with schizophrenia, versus 55.30 among controls. The HR of developing IBD among patients was 3.28, with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 2.49-4.33. IBD risk was higher among patients with psychiatric admissions more than once per year (HR 7.99, 95% CI 5.25-12.15) compared to those hospitalised less frequently (HR 2.72, 95% CI 2.03-3.66).

CONCLUSIONS

This population-based cohort study demonstrates a significant association between schizophrenia and subsequent IBD development. Patients with schizophrenia develop IBD at a younger age, and the risk increases with inadequately controlled schizophrenia. Physician vigilance and awareness of this correlation will improve IBD diagnosis and management among this vulnerable patient population.

Antidepressant medication use in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: a nationally representative population-based study

BACKGROUND

Despite high rates of depression and anxiety, little is known about the use of antidepressants amongst individuals diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

AIMS

To evaluate temporal trends in the use of antidepressants; rates of antidepressant initiation and adherence of antidepressant use to international guidelines amongst individuals with IBD.

METHODS

This is a study of 14,525 incident IBD cases from 2004 to 2016 compared with 58,027 controls matched 1:4 for age and sex from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink. After excluding tricyclic antidepressants, we performed a Cox regression analysis to determine the risk associated with antidepressant use and logistic regression analysis to determine risk associated with antidepressant undertreatment.

RESULTS

Antidepressant use amongst individuals with IBD increased by 51% during the 12-year study period, who were 34% more likely to initiate antidepressants in the year after IBD diagnosis compared with controls (aHR:1.34, 95% CI 1.21-1.49). In those with IBD starting antidepressants, 67% received treatment lasting less than the duration recommended in international guidelines, of which 34% were treated for 1 month or less. 18-24 year olds were twice as likely to discontinue treatment within 1 month compared with those aged 40-60 years (aHR:2.03, 95% CI 1.40-2.95). Socioeconomic deprivation was also associated with early treatment discontinuation (aHR:1.40, 95% CI 1.07-1.83).

CONCLUSIONS

In the year following IBD diagnosis individuals are significantly more likely to start antidepressants compared with controls, but treatment duration fell short of recommendations in the majority. Better integration of services may benefit individuals with IBD and psychiatric comorbidity.

Fatigue and Associated Factors in an Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Disease Population: A Cross-Sectional Study

Fatigue is a main symptom of chronic diseases, including immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs), such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and inflammatory arthritis (IA); however, the pathophysiological mechanisms are not completely understood. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of fatigue and the associated factors in an IMIDs population. A control group, IBD, and IA patients, were enrolled. The PROMIS® fatigue questionnaire was used to evaluate the symptoms. Information on demographics, anthropometrics, disease characteristics, and medications was collected for each participant. A total of 471 subjects (137 with IBD, 103 with IA, and 206 controls) were enrolled. IBD and IA patients reported greater fatigue than controls (p < 0.001, each). In univariate regression, patients with anxiety and depression were more likely to report fatigue (p = 1.40 × 10−9 and p = 3.80 × 10−11, respectively). Males, holding a high school diploma, and being employed were inversely correlated to the domain (p = 1.3 × 10−5; p = 0.003 and p = 0.005, respectively). The use of steroids and disease activity determined increased fatigue (p = 0.014 and p = 0.019; respectively). In the multivariate analysis, anxiety and depression remained associated (p = 0.002 and p = 1.3 × 10−5, respectively). IMIDs patients present increased fatigue compared with healthy subjects. Anxiety and depression are the main associated factors, suggesting a psychological component of the symptom; thus, a holistic management should be established.

Impact of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta Variant on the Psychological States and Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients With Crohn's Disease

Background

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic first reported in Wuhan, China, several research on the psychological impact of the pandemic on patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) have been conducted. However, with the progression of the global pandemic and the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant, follow-up studies need to be performed to monitor the alterations of psychological status and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among CD patients.

Aims

We aimed to evaluate the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant on the mental health and life quality among the CD population and tried to explore potent risk factors.

Methods

This observational study included 153 CD patients who responded to our pre-designed self-reported questionnaire. Demographic, clinical, and psychological information were collected and analyzed.

Results

Quite a number of CD patients were confronted with different levels of anxiety and depression, with incidence of 28.10 and 31.37% for anxiety and depression, respectively. Compared with non-pandemic circumstances, the life quality of CD patients due to the present situation was more often compromised. Isolation [odds ratio (OR): 4.71, P = 0.007] was verified as a risk factor for anxiety while use of telemedicine could help relieve anxiety (OR: 0.22, P < 0.001). Worsening of symptoms (OR: 4.92, P = 0.006), isolation (OR: 5.75, P = 0.005), and drug withdrawn (OR: 2.66, P = 0.026) were identified to be independent factors for developing depression. Likewise, use of telemedicine (OR: 0.13, P < 0.001) was negatively related to depression. Considering life quality, vaccination (OR: 3.07, P = 0.021) together with no medication (OR: 7.73, P = 0.010) was relevant to better life quality while worsening of symptoms (OR: 0.09, P = 0.034) were an independent risk factor for impaired life quality.

Conclusion

Many CD patients suffered from symptoms of anxiety and depression and impaired life quality during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those in isolation or with worsening of symptoms and drug withdrawn were more prone to experience psychological stress. Individualized management such as drug delivery and telemedicine should be promoted to maintain control of mental health and life quality during the pandemic.

Rapid development of accurate artificial intelligence scoring for colitis disease activity using applied data science techniques

Background and study aims  Scoring endoscopic disease activity in colitis represents a complex task for artificial intelligence (AI), but is seen as a worthwhile goal for clinical and research use cases. To date, development attempts have relied on large datasets, achieving reasonable results when comparing normal to active inflammation, but not when generating subscores for the Mayo Endoscopic Score (MES) or ulcerative colitis endoscopic index of severity (UCEIS). Patients and methods  Using a multi-task learning framework, with frame-by-frame analysis, we developed a machine-learning algorithm (MLA) for UCEIS trained on just 38,124 frames (73 patients with biopsy-proven ulcerative colitis). Scores generated by the MLA were compared to consensus scores from three independent human reviewers. Results  Accuracy and agreement (kappa) were calculated for the following differentiation tasks: (1) normal mucosa vs active inflammation (UCEIS 0 vs ≥ 1; accuracy 0.90, κ = 0.90); (2) mild inflammation vs moderate-severe (UCEIS 0-3 vs ≥ 4; accuracy 0.98, κ = 0.96); (3) generating total UCEIS score (κ = 0.92). Agreement for UCEIS subdomains was also high (κ = 0.80, 0.83 and 0.88 for vascular pattern, bleeding and erosions respectively). Conclusions  We have demonstrated that, using modified data science techniques and a relatively smaller datasets, it is possible to achieve high levels of accuracy and agreement with human reviewers (in some cases near-perfect), for AI in colitis scoring. Further work will focus on refining this technique, but we hope that it can be used in other tasks to facilitate faster development.

Yoga in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Narrative Review

Despite advancements in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), the global prevalence of IBD is increasing. Patients with IBD often experience a high psychosocial burden, worsening their IBD symptoms and increasing relapse, hospitalization rates, and healthcare costs, which impairs their quality of life (QoL). Evidence suggests that mind-body intervention in many chronic illnesses is effective in improving symptoms and QoL. Yoga is the most frequently used mind-body practice globally. Meta-analyses of randomized clinical trials and prospective studies have highlighted that yoga improves symptoms and QoL of patients with IBD; however, recommendations about indications for yoga as well as dose and frequency of yoga are lacking. The present narrative review aims to describe the available evidence regarding the effects of yoga on common patient-reported outcome measures in IBD, including depression, anxiety, stress, and QoL. Physicians can hence promote yoga interventions in their discussions with patients to help control these IBD-related outcome measures.

The Future of Precision Medicine to Predict Outcomes and Control Tissue Remodeling in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory bowel disease is characterized by significant interindividual heterogeneity. With a wider selection of pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic interventions available and in advanced developmental stages, a priority for the coming decade is to determine accurate methods of predicting treatment response and disease course. Precision medicine strategies will allow tailoring of preventative and therapeutic decisions to individual patient needs. In this review, we consider the future of precision medicine in inflammatory bowel disease. We discuss the critical need to extend from research focused on short-term symptomatic response to integrative multi-omic systems biology strategies to identify and validate biomarkers that underpin precision approaches. Crucially, the international community has collective responsibility to provide well-phenotyped and -curated longitudinal datasets for scientific discovery and validation. Research must also study broader aspects of the immune response, including components of the extracellular matrix, to better understand biological pathways initiating and perpetuating tissue fibrosis and longer-term disease complications.

Regional Gray Matter Volume Changes in Brains of Patients With Ulcerative Colitis

BACKGROUND

Ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) are 2 subtypes of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Several studies have reported brain abnormalities in IBD patients. This study aims to identify differences of gray matter volume (GMV) between patients with UC and healthy controls (HCs).

METHODS

Fifty-seven patients with UC and 40 HCs underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging. Voxel-based morphometry method was used to detect GMV differences. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was applied to investigate reliable biomarkers for identifying patients with UC from HCs. Regression analysis was used to examine relationships between the structure alternations and clinical symptoms.

RESULTS

Compared with HCs, patients with UC showed decreased GMV in the insula, thalamus, pregenual anterior cingulate cortex, hippocampus/parahippocampus, amygdala, and temporal pole; they showed increased GMV in the putamen, supplementary motor area, periaqueductal gray, hypothalamus, and precentral gyrus. Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed the highest classification power of thalamus. The inclusion of anxiety and depression as covariates eliminated the differences in the right insula, pregenual anterior cingulate cortex, supplementary motor area, and precentral gyrus. Most of the GMV changes were found in active patients with UC, with few changes in patients with UC in remission. We also found significantly negative correlation between UC duration and GMV in several regions.

CONCLUSION

The current neuroimaging findings were involved in visceral sensory pathways and were partially associated with the levels of anxiety and depression and clinical stage of patients with UC. This study might provide evidence for possible neuromechanisms of UC.

Epidemiology of Musculoskeletal Manifestations in Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Systematic Review

OBJECTIVE

Pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (p-IBD) is a chronic relapsing gastrointestinal disorder of childhood with long-term morbidity. Several extraintestinal manifestations are described, the most common being joint pain and/or inflammation. However, patient and disease characteristics, treatments, and outcomes of p-IBD-associated musculoskeletal disease are not well established. Our study aims to summarize the recent literature on the epidemiology of musculoskeletal manifestations in p-IBD in the era of biologics.

METHODS

A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science Core Collection, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature databases was performed with relevant keywords. Studies in English published from January 1, 2000, to December 21, 2020, were included. In total, 3893 articles were identified and screened. Study and population characteristics and outcomes of interest were recorded. Risk of bias assessment was performed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Tools.

RESULTS

Thirteen studies were included for full review, which were primarily single-center observational studies with retrospective or cross-sectional designs. The diagnostic criteria and definitions used for musculoskeletal manifestations varied. Musculoskeletal manifestation prevalence ranged from 2% to 35%. Only one study assessed the response of musculoskeletal manifestations to biologics. Risk of bias demonstrated heterogeneity in study quality.

CONCLUSION

This is the first systematic review of musculoskeletal manifestations in p-IBD. Analysis was limited because of variability in study design and data-reporting methods. Definitions varied among included studies, with a clear lack in standardization. Our study demonstrates the need for standardized assessment of musculoskeletal manifestations of p-IBD and further research to explore optimal management to advance care for this group of children.

Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Clinical Remission: What Should We Look For?

Background and Objectives: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are chronic conditions with an unpredictable evolution that can have a negative impact on patients’ quality of life (QoL). Even though patients in remission have a better QoL compared to patients with active disease, they still have a lower QoL compared to healthy people. The aim of this study is to identify the factors that are associated with a lower QoL in patients with IBD in clinical remission, in a tertiary IBD center in Romania. Materials and Methods: Ninety-seven adult patients with a current diagnosis of IBD for over 3 months who were in clinical remission were enrolled in this study. Pregnant women, patients with ostomy, perianal disease, extraintestinal manifestations or other significant comorbidities were excluded. Out of the 97 patients, 63.9% were men. The median age was 39 years (IQR 29−47), and the median disease duration was 5 years (IQR 2−10). Disease activity was assessed using the SCCAI score for ulcerative colitis and HBI score for Crohn’s disease. Remission was defined for SCCAI score ≤ 1 and HBI score ≤ 4. The health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) was assessed using the IBDQ32 score. FACIT-Fatigue was used to evaluate the level of fatigue. Patients with symptoms of anxiety or depression were identified with the HADS score. Symptoms of anxiety were considered when HADS-A >7 points and symptoms of depression when HADS-D >7 points. Results: Sixty-five patients (67%) were diagnosed with CD and the remaining 32 (33%) with UC. Ninety-three patients (95.9%) were on biological therapy. The mean IBDQ score (total score) was 190.54 points (SD +/− 8.2). The mean FACIT Fatigue score was 42.5 (SD +/− 8.2), with 6.2% of patients suffering from severe fatigue (FACIT Fatigue < 30 points). A total of 33% of patients had symptoms of anxiety and 16.5% of depression. Exposure to more than one biologic therapy (p = 0.02), fatigue (p < 0.001) and symptoms of anxiety (p < 0.001) were associated with a lower HR-QoL in the multivariate analysis. Female patients, patients with Crohn’s disease, patients with anemia and patients with symptoms of depression also had a lower HR-QoL, but this did not reach statistical significance in our study. Conclusions: Exposure to a higher number of biological agents (patients that switched multiple biologics), the presence of fatigue and symptoms of anxiety impair the HR-QoL of patients with IBD in clinical remission. Further studies should assess in a prospective manner whether early identification of these factors with prompt clinical interventions could lead to a better HR-QoL in these patients.

Harnessing the Biology of Canine Intestinal Organoids to Heighten Understanding of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Pathogenesis and Accelerate Drug Discovery: A One Health Approach

In a recent issue of the Lancet, the prevalence of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) was estimated at 7 million worldwide. Overall, the burden of IBD is rising globally, with direct and indirect healthcare costs ranging between $14.6 and $31.6 billion in the U.S. alone in 2014. There is currently no cure for IBD, and up to 40% of patients do not respond to medical therapy. Although the exact determinants of the disease pathophysiology remain unknown, the prevailing hypothesis involves complex interplay among host genetics, the intestinal microenvironment (primarily bacteria and dietary constituents), and the mucosal immune system. Importantly, multiple chronic diseases leading to high morbidity and mortality in modern western societies, including type II diabetes, IBD and colorectal cancer, have epidemiologically been linked to the consumption of high-calorie, low-fiber, high monosaccharide, and high-fat diets (HFD). More specifically, data from our laboratory and others have shown that repeated consumption of HFD triggers dysbiotic changes of the gut microbiome concomitant with a state of chronic intestinal inflammation and increased intestinal permeability. However, progress in our understanding of the effect of dietary interventions on IBD pathogenesis has been hampered by a lack of relevant animal models. Additionally, current in vitro cell culture systems are unable to emulate the in vivo interplay between the gut microbiome and the intestinal epithelium in a realistic and translatable way. There remains, therefore, a critical need to develop translatable in vitro and in vivo models that faithfully recapitulate human gut-specific physiological functions to facilitate detailed mechanistic studies on the impact of dietary interventions on gut homeostasis. While the study of murine models has been pivotal in advancing genetic and cellular discoveries, these animal systems often lack key clinical signs and temporal pathological changes representative of IBD. Specifically, some limitations of the mouse model are associated with the use of genetic knockouts to induce immune deficiency and disease. This is vastly different from the natural course of IBD developing in immunologically competent hosts, as is the case in humans and dogs. Noteworthily, abundant literature suggests that canine and human IBD share common clinical and molecular features, such that preclinical studies in dogs with naturally occurring IBD present an opportunity to further our understanding on disease pathogenesis and streamline the development of new therapeutic strategies. Using a stepwise approach, in vitro mechanistic studies investigating the contribution of dietary interventions to chronic intestinal inflammation and "gut leakiness" could be performed in intestinal organoids and organoid derived monolayers. The biologic potential of organoids stems from the method's ability to harness hard-wired cellular programming such that the complexity of the disease background can be reflected more accurately. Likewise, the effect of therapeutic drug candidates could be evaluated in organoids prior to longitudinal studies in dog and human patients with IBD. In this review, we will discuss the value (and limitations) of intestinal organoids derived from a spontaneous animal disease model of IBD (i.e., the dog), and how it can heighten understanding of the interplay between dietary interventions, the gut microbiota and intestinal inflammation. We will also review how intestinal organoids could be used to streamline the preclinical development of therapeutic drug candidates for IBD patients and their best four-legged friends.

Health-related quality of life in patients with long-standing ulcerative colitis in remission

INTRODUCTION

Ulcerative colitis (UC) contributes to impaired health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Although disease activity is the most important factor, reduced HRQoL has been reported even in quiescent UC. We aimed to determine HRQoL, and identify predictors thereof, in patients with long-standing UC in remission.

METHODS

In total, 66 patients with inactive UC were included 10 years after the disease onset. Clinical assessment including rigid sigmoidoscopy was performed to ensure remission. Data on demographic, clinical, treatment-related, and psychological determinants of HRQoL were obtained with a structured interview and self-assessment questionnaires measuring gastrointestinal (GI) and psychological symptoms and fatigue. HRQoL was measured with the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36).

RESULTS

The SF-36 domains were comparable to the general Swedish population, except for Vitality, where UC patients scored lower. Gender, smoking, comorbidity, or disease phenotype had no impact on HRQoL. In contrast, corticosteroid use and sick leave during the previous year were independently associated with Physical Functioning and Bodily Pain domains of SF-36; persisting GI symptoms during remission with Bodily Pain; and fatigue with Role Physical, General Health and Vitality. For all other SF-36 domains reflecting mental HRQoL (Social Function, Role Emotional, Mental Health), only psychological distress contributed uniquely.

CONCLUSIONS

Although overall HRQoL in long-standing UC in remission is comparable to the general population, previous disease activity as well as persisting GI symptoms, fatigue, and psychological distress are associated with a lower HRQoL among these patients. Improved HRQoL may allow for better UC patient health and reduced costs for health care.

Impact of Biological Therapies and Tofacitinib on Real-world Work Impairment in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients: A Prospective Study

BACKGROUND

There are limited real-world data on the change in total work impairment (TWI) in biological-treated patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This study aimed to evaluate the real-world effects of initiating biological therapy or tofacitinib on change in TWI in IBD patients.

METHODS

This multicenter prospective cohort study enrolled IBD patients who started treatment with biological therapy or tofacitinib. Subjects completed the work productivity and activity impairment (WPAI) questionnaire and short inflammatory bowel disease questionnaire at therapy initiation and at week 26. Total work impairment comprises working hours missed due to sick leave and impact of disease during working hours (range 0%-100%). Clinical disease activity was assessed using the Harvey-Bradshaw Index and Simple Clinical Colitis Activity Index (SCCAI).

RESULTS

We included 137 IBD patients for analyses (median age 38 years, 58% Crohn's disease [CD]). The median baseline TWI was 50% and decreased by a median of 10%-points of points after 26 weeks. Patients with continued biological therapy or tofacitinib use, clinical disease activity at baseline, and clinical response or remission at week 26 showed a greater median TWI reduction (22%-points) than the remaining study patients (7%-points; P = .014). Ulcerative colitis (UC) and IBD-unclassified (IBD-U) patients showed a greater median TWI reduction (26%-points) than CD patients (6%-points); P = .041. Correlations were observed between decrease in TWI and decrease in SCCAI, decrease in fatigue and increase in quality of life.

CONCLUSIONS

Work impairment in IBD patients decreased following biological therapy or tofacitinib initiation. Patients achieving clinical remission or response showed the greatest improvement, especially UC and IBD-U patients.

Therapeutic Targeting of Intestinal Fibrosis in Crohn's Disease

Intestinal fibrosis is one of the most threatening complications of Crohn’s disease. It occurs in more than a third of patients with this condition, is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, and surgery often represents the only available therapeutic option. The mechanisms underlying intestinal fibrosis are partly known. Studies conducted so far have shown a relevant pathogenetic role played by mesenchymal cells (especially myofibroblasts), cytokines (e.g., transforming growth factor-β), growth factors, microRNAs, intestinal microbiome, matrix stiffness, and mesenteric adipocytes. Further studies are still necessary to elucidate all the mechanisms involved in intestinal fibrosis, so that targeted therapies can be developed. Although several pre-clinical studies have been conducted so far, no anti-fibrotic therapy is yet available to prevent or reverse intestinal fibrosis. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the main therapeutic targets currently identified and the most promising anti-fibrotic therapies, which may be available in the near future.

Value-based care pathway for inflammatory bowel disease: a protocol for the multicentre longitudinal non-randomised parallel cluster IBD Value study with baseline period

INTRODUCTION

Biologics are effective for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, unwarranted variation in processes and outcomes has been reported in the treatment of IBD. A care pathway for the treatment of IBD has the potential to reduce practice variation and improve outcomes. This study aims to compare the effect of a uniform care pathway for the treatment of patients with IBD with biologics to the current situation.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

IBD Value is a longitudinal multicentre non-randomised parallel cluster trial with a baseline period. The study takes place in eight centres in the Netherlands. The baseline period will run for 12 months, after which the care pathway will be implemented in 6 of the 8 participating hospitals during the implementation phase of 3 months. Hereafter, the effect of the care pathway will be assessed for 12 months. Total study period is 27 months. The primary outcome is the effect of the care pathway on disease control (IBD-Control questionnaire). Secondary outcomes are the effect of the care pathway on the other outcomes of the International Consortium of Health Outcomes Measurement IBD standard set, health-related generic quality of life, patient experiences and degree of variation; cost effectiveness of the care pathway; and the variation between hospitals in the aforementioned outcomes in the baseline period. Outcomes will be measured every 6 months. The study started on 1 December 2020 and a minimum of 200 patients will be included.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The study was deemed not to be subject to Dutch law (WMO; Medical Research Involving Human Subjects Act) by the Medical Ethics Committee of the Erasmus MC, the Netherlands (registration number: MEC-2020-075) and a waiver was provided. Results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals and presented at (inter)national conferences.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NL8276.

Impact of the Coronavirus Disease Pandemic on Health-Related Quality of Life of Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

BACKGROUND

To learn from the crisis caused by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and be prepared for future pandemics, it is important to investigate the impact of this period on the wellbeing of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

AIMS

To describe the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and disease control of IBD patients during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in The Netherlands.

METHODS

Between March 17 and July 1, 2020, patients aged 18 years and older with IBD from the Erasmus MC (Rotterdam, The Netherlands) were invited to complete online questionnaires at week 0, 2, 6 and 12. The Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (IBDQ), the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Control-8 (IBD-control-8) and the numeric rating scale on fatigue were used. The evolution of the different outcomes over time was measured using mixed models.

RESULTS

Of 1151 invited patients, 851 patients (67% CD and 33% UC or IBD-U) participated in the study (response rate 74%). No relevant changes in total scores were found over time for the IBDQ (effect estimate 0.006, 95% CI [- 0.003 to 0.015]) and IBD-control-8 (effect estimate 0.004, 95% CI [0.998-1.011]). There was a slight, increasing trend in fatigue scores over time (effect estimate 0.011, 95% CI [0.004, 0.019]).

CONCLUSIONS

This first lock down due to the COVID-19 pandemic in The Netherlands did not impact on the HRQoL and disease control of patients with IBD. Up to date information may have contributed to a stable HRQoL in IBD patients even in an extreme period with restrictions and insecurities.

Is It a Gut Feeling? Bodily Sensations Associated With the Experience of Valence and Arousal in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have shown dysfunctional emotion processing in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), characterized by a hypersensitivity to negative emotions and a hyposensitivity to positive emotions. Models of emotion processing emphasize the importance of bodily sensations to the experience of emotions. Since there have been no studies on whether emotion-associated bodily sensations are changed in IBD, we investigated the experience of bodily sensations related to valence and arousal, together with their links to emotional awareness, as one domain of interoceptive sensibility relevant to emotion processing.

METHODS

Using a topographical self-report measure, 41 IBD patients in clinical remission and 44 healthy control (HC) participants were asked to indicate where and how intensely in their body they perceive changes when experiencing emotions of positive and negative valence, as well as relaxation and tension. Additionally, we used self-report questionnaires to assess emotional awareness as one domain of an individual's interoceptive sensibility, gastrointestinal-specific anxiety (GSA), and psychological distress.

RESULTS

Patients with IBD reported higher emotional awareness but lower intensities of perceived changes in their bodily sensations related to valence and arousal of emotional processing. IBD patients reported less intense bodily activation during positive emotions and less intense bodily deactivation during negative emotional states in comparison to HC participants. Higher emotional awareness and psychological distress were linked to stronger experiences of emotion-related bodily sensations in IBD patients.

CONCLUSION

Inflammatory bowel diseases patients exhibited alterations in how they link bodily sensations to their emotional experience. Such persistent changes can affect a patient's wellbeing and are related to higher levels of anxiety and depression among IBD patients, even in remission.

Development and Validation of the Gastrointestinal Unhelpful Thinking Scale (GUTs): A Brief Self-Report Measure for Clinical and Research Settings

This article describes the development and validation of the Gastrointestinal Unhelpful Thinking scale. The purpose of the research was to develop the Gastrointestinal Unhelpful Thinking scale to assess in tandem the primary cognitive-affective drivers of brain-gut dysregulation, gastrointestinal-specific visceral anxiety, and pain catastrophizing. The research involved 3 phases which included undergraduate and community samples. In the first phase, an exploratory factor analysis revealed a 15-item 2-factor (visceral sensitivity and pain catastrophizing) scale (N= 323), which then was confirmed in the second phase: N = 399, χ2(26) = 2.08, p = .001, Tucker-Lewis Index = 0.94, comparative fit index = 0.96, standardized root mean square residual = 0.05, and root mean square error of approximation = 0.07. Demonstrating convergent validity, Gastrointestinal Unhelpful Thinking scale total and subscales were strongly correlated with the modified Manitoba Index, Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptom Severity Scale scores, Visceral Sensitivity Index, and the Pain Catastrophizing Scale. A third phase (N = 16) established test-retest reliability for the Gastrointestinal Unhelpful Thinking scale (total and subscales). The test-retest reliability correlation coefficient for the Gastrointestinal Unhelpful Thinking scale total score was .93 (p < .001) and for the subscales was .86 (p < .001) and .94 (p < .001), respectively. The Gastrointestinal Unhelpful Thinking scale is a brief psychometrically valid measure of visceral anxiety and pain catastrophizing that can be useful for both clinicians and researchers who wish to measure these thinking patterns and relate them to changes in gastrointestinal and psychological symptoms.

The personality traits activity, self-reproach, and negative affect jointly predict clinical recurrence, depressive symptoms, and low quality of life in inflammatory bowel disease patients

BACKGROUND

The bidirectional "gut-brain axis" has been implicated in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). While the influence of stress and depressive symptoms on IBD is well-characterized, the role of personality remains insufficiently investigated.

METHODS

Personality was assessed in 1154 Swiss IBD cohort study (SIBDCS) patients via the NEO-Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) as well as in 2600 participants of the population-based CoLaus¦PsyCoLaus cohort study (NEO-FFI-revised). The NEO-FFI subcomponents activity, self-reproach and negative affect were associated with higher IBD disease activity and were combined to a NEO-FFI risk score. This risk score was validated and its effect on clinical IBD course and psychological endpoints was analysed in time-to-event and cumulative incidence analyses.

RESULTS

In time-to-event analyses, a high NEO-FFI risk score was predictive for the clinical endpoints of new extraintestinal manifestation [EIM, adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 1.64, corrected p value (q) = 0.036] and two established composite flare endpoints (aHR = 1.53-1.63, q = 0.003-0.006) as well as for the psychological endpoints depressive symptoms (aHR = 7.06, q < 0.001) and low quality of life (aHR = 3.06, q < 0.001). Furthermore, cumulative incidence analyses showed that patients at high NEO-FFI risk experienced significantly more episodes of active disease, new EIMs, one of the flare endpoints, depressive episodes and low disease-related quality of life. Personalities of IBD patients showed only minor differences from the general population sample (Pearson's r = 0.03-0.14).

CONCLUSIONS

Personality assessed by the NEO-FFI contained considerable predictive power for disease recurrence, depressive symptoms and low quality of life in IBD patients. Nevertheless, the personalities of IBD patients did not substantially differ from the general population.

Quality of Life in Cohabitants of Patients Suffering Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study

(1) Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory condition with a significant impact on patients' general health perception. No studies have considered consequences of IBD on cohabitants. (2) Aims: The aims of this study were to address the influence of IBD on cohabitants' quality of life (QoL) and the factors potentially conditioning this impact. (3) Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in which IBD patients and their cohabitants were invited to participate. Validated questionnaires were used to measure QoL in patients and cohabitants. Main clinical and sociodemographic variables were collected. (4) Results: A total of 56 patients and 82 cohabitants with significant QoL impairment were included. A direct association was found between Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (IBDQ32) score in patients and the Household Members Quality of Life-Inflammatory Bowel Disease (HHMQoL-IBD). IBDQ32 was related to the number of flares in the last 12 months, number of hospital admissions and Mayo Score. (5) Conclusions: HHMQoL-IBD score was related to patients IBDQ32 score and the presence of extraintestinal disease. We identified CRP, a marker of disease activity, as a factor related to cohabitants' quality of life, pointing to a direct relationship of patients' disease activity and their cohabitants' quality of life.

Prevalence and Impact of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in Gastrointestinal Conditions: A Systematic Review

Psychological distress is often observed in patients with gastrointestinal illness. To date, there has been limited research conducted to assess the prevalence and impact of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in gastrointestinal cohorts. The aim of this systematic review is to review the evidence for the prevalence of PTSD in gastrointestinal cohorts versus comparator groups (healthy controls and chronic illness groups), predictive factors associated with the development and management of PTSD and the impact on patient outcomes. Adult studies were identified through systematic searches of eight databases (MEDLINE, Embase, Emcare, PsycINFO, Ovid Nursing, CINAHL, Informit Health Collection, and Cochrane Library) in February 2020. The overall pooled prevalence rate of PTSD in GI cohorts was 36%; however, the prevalence rate in non-veteran-specific gastrointestinal cohorts of 18% across all GI classification groups is likely to be the more representative rate. The non-gastrointestinal chronic illness cohort PTSD prevalence rate was 11%. Predictors identified in the development of post-traumatic stress in gastrointestinal cohorts include: female gender, poor social support, life adversity, subjective pain, and dietary choices. Post-traumatic stress was found to exacerbate gastrointestinal symptoms in a Crohn's Disease sample, whereby disease exacerbation was four times in those who met the criteria for probable PTSD. Post-traumatic stress symptoms affect around one in five individuals (non-veteran status) with a gastrointestinal condition. Further research is needed to understand the psychological and biological mechanisms by which PTSD increases the risk of developing and exacerbating gastrointestinal symptoms.

A meta-analysis on sleep quality in inflammatory bowel disease

Evidence of poor sleep quality in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD, i.e., Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis) has been reported but never systematically reviewed or meta-analysed. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of pairwise comparisons that included 1) IBD patients/controls, 2) Crohn's disease/ulcerative colitis, 3) active/inactive IBD on standardised measures of sleep quality. PubMed, Medline, PsycINFO, Scopus, and CINAHL were searched up to March 2021. Forty-two studies met the inclusion criteria. Results showed poorer subjective sleep quality in IBD patients than in controls, with moderate effect sizes (g = .49, [95% CI = .32 - .66], p < .001). No differences within IBD subtypes were found (g = -.07, [95% CI = -.17-.05], p = .208). Individuals with an active IBD reported poorer sleep quality than those in remission, with a large effect size (g = .66, [95% CI = .35 - .98], p < .001). Results on objectively recorded sleep were mixed, with no clear evidence of objective sleep impairments in individuals with IBD. Results support the view of subjective poor sleep quality as a relevant comorbidity in IBD. As a potential factor affecting immune and inflammatory responses as well as patients' quality of life, sleep quality should be taken into account in the treatment of IBD.

Predictors of health-related quality of life in patients with Crohn's disease receiving biological therapy

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is impaired in patients with Crohn's disease (CD). This study aimed to identify the impact of clinical disease activity on HRQoL in CD patients treated with biological agents.

METHODS

Patients with moderate to severe active CD treated with biological agents in Denmark were included from 2016-2018. Disease related symptoms were assessed via the Harvey Bradshaw Index. HRQoL was measured on the Short Health Scale (SHS). Multivariable linear regression models were conducted separately for each SHS item and average SHS score stratified for sex, adjusting for clinical manifestation and age.

RESULTS

In total, 1,181 CD patients were included. The mean age was 33 years and 56% were women. Abdominal pain (range of regression coefficients 1.18-1.42), number of liquid stools (0.33-0.58), and the appearance of a new rectal fistula (0.91-1.32) affected all domains in the SHS negatively for men and women. Arthralgia (0.47-0.67) and abdominal mass (0.54-0.62) affected 4 out of 5 items on SHS negatively for women and men, respectively. Female sex was found a predictor of lower HRQoL across all SHS items, whereas age and fistulizing disease, as phenotype, were not associated with lower HRQoL.

CONCLUSIONS

Abdominal pain, number of liquid stools, a new rectal fistula, arthralgia for women, clinically assessed abdominal mass for men as well as female sex, were all found to be predictors of decreased HRQoL.

Inflammatory bowel disease negatively impacts household and family life

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has a major impact on different aspects of life of patients with IBD, but functioning in the home environment is under-reported in literature. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of IBD on household and/or family life.

METHOD

Adult patients with IBD from the outpatient clinic of the Erasmus MC (Rotterdam, the Netherlands) were invited to participate in this cross-sectional study between September and December 2020. A questionnaire was composed to measure the impact of IBD on functioning in the household and family life. In addition, the IBD Disability Index and Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire were used. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression modelling.

RESULTS

Of 308 invited patients, 229 patients were included (response rate 74%). Sixty-eight per cent of patients were diagnosed with Crohn's disease, 69% were female and median age was 38.0 years. Many patients reported difficulties with domestic activities (55.0%), leisure (53.9%), parenting (50.6%), sexual activities (48.4%) and interpersonal relationships (39.1%). Fatigue was associated with the experience of more severe difficulties in domestic activities (OR 16.160, 95% CI 6.053 to 43.141). Furthermore, 32.7% of patients felt that IBD influenced their desire to have children.

CONCLUSION

IBD has a markedly negative impact on household and/or family life in many patients. To optimise patient care, household and family related difficulties need to be considered in a holistic treatment approach.

Quality of life in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: the role of positive psychological factors

OBJECTIVE

To identify differences in quality of life (QoL) of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) between diagnosis (Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis), gender (male and female), treatment condition (with and without surgery), and attachment styles (secure, preoccupied, and disconnected); to examine associations between QoL, sociodemographic, clinical, and positive psychological variables; to determine whether sociodemographic, clinical, and positive psychological variables predict QoL.

METHOD

The sample included 70 participants diagnosed with IBD (Mage = 43.37 years, SD = 12.81), of whom 71.4% were females and 67.1% had Crohn's Disease. Positive psychological variables (meaning in life, positive body image, and attachment styles), sociodemographic (age, education, gender) and clinical variables (diagnosis, disease duration, surgery) were assessed as independent variables. QoL was the dependent variable, analyzed through four domains (physical, psychological, social, environment).

RESULTS

Participants with a secure attachment style reported higher QoL (physical, psychological, and social) than participants with a preoccupied attachment style. Strong positive correlations were found between positive psychological variables and QoL. Body appreciation was a significant predictor of three QoL domains (physical, psychological, and environment). Meaning in life made a unique contribution to the social QoL regression model, and it was also a significant predictor of psychological QoL. Body acceptance by others was a significant predictor of physical QoL, whereas disease duration and education predicted environment QoL. Attachment styles did not predict any QoL domain.

CONCLUSION

The most significant predictors of QoL in patients with IBD were body appreciation and meaning in life. Body acceptance by others and body appreciation were the main predictors of physical QoL. Psychological interventions for patients who suffer from IBD should address body appreciation and meaning in life.

Long COVID in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

SARS-CoV-2-infected patients can experience long-lasting symptoms even after the resolution of the acute infection. This condition, defined as Long COVID, is now recognized as a public health priority and its negative impact on the quality of life of the patients could be more relevant in individuals with debilitating pathologies. We here evaluated the frequency of Long COVID in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD).

METHODS

IBD patients afferent for scheduled visits to our tertiary referral center at the Tor Vergata University Hospital, Rome, were recruited from 7 September to 22 October 2021. During the visits, patients were investigated about previous COVID-19 infection and the possible development of Long COVID.

RESULTS

Fifty-three out of 528 IBD patients (10%) have had a SARS-CoV-2 infection. Of these, 21 patients (40%) developed Long COVID, and asthenia was the more frequent symptom as it occurred in nearly two-thirds of patients. Patients with Long COVID were more frequently females, while other clinical and demographic characteristics did not differ between patients with Long COVID and those without Long COVID. In particular, the IBD relapses occurred with the same frequency in the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Long COVID appears to be common in IBD patients even though it does not influence the IBD course.

A Single Educational Intervention Improves Pregnancy-Related Knowledge and Emotional Health Among Women With IBD Who Are Pregnant or Wish to Conceive

BACKGROUND

There is considerable interest in improving the education and care of women with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) to improve pregnancy outcomes. Despite increased awareness, not all women with IBD have access to pregnancy-related education and the quality of counseling is variable. We aimed to assess the effectiveness of a simple educational intervention for improving pregnancy-related knowledge and to evaluate the effect of education on patient outcomes including anxiety, depression, and quality of life in women with IBD.

METHODS

This prospective study of women with IBD who were pregnant or planning a pregnancy evaluated the effectiveness of a single gastroenterologist-led educational intervention in improving pregnancy-related knowledge, measured using the Crohn's and Colitis Pregnancy Knowledge score 1 month postintervention. Secondary outcomes included the effect on anxiety and depression, quality of life, medication adherence, and patient satisfaction.

RESULTS

One hundred women with IBD were recruited. Fifty percent were pregnant at the time of the intervention. Baseline knowledge scores were similar independent of the patients' pregnancy status or whether they had previously received counseling from their gastroenterologist. Median Crohn's and Colitis Pregnancy Knowledge scores postintervention (n = 82) were higher than preintervention scores (14/17 vs 10/17; P < 0.001). In addition, 32% of patients had poor knowledge at baseline (score ≤7/17), compared to only 5% after the intervention (P < 0.001). There was a significant improvement in total anxiety and depression and quality of life scores postintervention. Medication adherence and patient satisfaction were excellent.

CONCLUSIONS

Uptake of this gastroenterologist-led educational intervention has the potential to improve pregnancy knowledge, promote medication adherence, and enhance quality of life for women with IBD globally.

Acceptance and Perceived Control are Independently Associated With Quality of Life in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Introduction of a New Segmentation Model

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Segmentation of patients based on psychological determinants of subjective health may provide new ways to personalized care. The cross-disease segmentation model developed by Bloem & Stalpers discriminates patients based on disease acceptance and perceived control. We aimed to validate the segmentation model, compare segments and evaluate whether segments independently correlate with quality of life in inflammatory bowel disease [IBD].

METHODS

A cross-sectional study of adult IBD patients was performed with questionnaires on quality of life [32-item inflammatory bowel disease questionnaire], acceptance and perceived control [six items with 7-point Likert scale]. Four segments were formed [cut-off > 5]: [I] high acceptance, high control; [II] high acceptance, low control [III]; low acceptance, high control and; [IV] low acceptance, low control.

RESULTS

We included 686 patients. The acceptance and perceived control scales were unidimensionally structured and internally consistent. Segments differed significantly in age, smoking behaviour, diagnosis, disease duration, extra-intestinal manifestations, IBD medication, clinical disease activity and quality of life. High acceptance (standardized beta coefficient [ß] 0.25, p < 0.001), high perceived control [ß 0.12, p < 0.001] or both [ß 0.53, p < 0.001], were associated with a significantly better health-related quality of life compared with low acceptance and low perceived control. Sociodemographic and clinical factors explained 25% of the variance in quality of life. The explained variance significantly increased to 45% when the patients' segment was added to the model [ΔR2 20%, p < 0.001].

CONCLUSIONS

The segmentation model based on disease acceptance and perceived control is valid in IBD patients and discriminates different segments that correlate independently with quality of life. This may open new strategies for patient care.

Cross-Sectional Analysis of Quality of Life in Pediatric Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease in British Columbia, Canada

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate quality of life (QoL) in a large cohort of pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and to identify the clinical factors that influence QoL.

STUDY DESIGN

This cross-sectional study analyzes a quality improvement initiative in 351 pediatric patients with IBD in British Columbia, Canada using the self-reported Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) 4.0 generic scale. The questionnaire was completed at outpatient clinic and biologic infusion appointments. Statistical analysis included the t test, ANOVA, and multilinear regressions to evaluate the relationships between clinical factors and QoL.

RESULTS

Mean (SE) QoL scores (79.95 [0.84]) fell between previously described healthy and chronically ill populations. Disease activity was the most significant predictor of QoL, with patients in remission scoring similar (84.42 [0.87]) to well established healthy norms, and those with moderately or severely active disease having some of the lowest published PedsQL scores (63.13 [3.27]), lower than most other chronic pediatric conditions. Twenty-five patients with moderately or severely active disease at the time of survey completion had follow-up surveys identified 1 year later and had a significant improvement of both their disease activity (P < .005) and their PedsQL scores (follow-up survey mean 76.13 [3.11]). Additional clinical factors independently associated with poor QoL were school nonattendance (15.5% decrease in QoL, P < .001), immune-modulator selection (methotrexate conferring a 9.5% lower mean QoL score than azathioprine, P = .005), and female gender (P = .031).

CONCLUSION

Pediatric patients with IBD experience a QoL significantly impacted by multiple clinical factors including current severity of IBD symptoms.

Interferon Lambda in the Pathogenesis of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

Interferon λ (IFN-λ) is critical for host viral defense at mucosal surfaces and stimulates immunomodulatory signals, acting on epithelial cells and few other cell types due to restricted IFN-λ receptor expression. Epithelial cells of the intestine play a critical role in the pathogenesis of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), and the related type II interferons (IFN-γ) have been extensively studied in the context of IBD. However, a role for IFN-λ in IBD onset and progression remains unclear. Recent investigations of IFN-λ in IBD are beginning to uncover complex and sometimes opposing actions, including pro-healing roles in colonic epithelial tissues and potentiation of epithelial cell death in the small intestine. Additionally, IFN-λ has been shown to act through non-epithelial cell types, such as neutrophils, to protect against excessive inflammation. In most cases IFN-λ demonstrates an ability to coordinate the host antiviral response without inducing collateral hyperinflammation, suggesting that IFN-λ signaling pathways could be a therapeutic target in IBD. This mini review discusses existing data on the role of IFN-λ in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease, current gaps in the research, and therapeutic potential of modulating the IFN-λ-stimulated response.

Development of a Theoretically Informed Web-Based Mind-Body Wellness Intervention for Patients With Primary Biliary Cholangitis: Formative Study

Background

Mind-body interventions have the potential to positively impact the symptom burden associated with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). Interventions are more likely to be effective if they are informed by a theoretical framework. The Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) and the behaviour change technique taxonomy version 1 (BCTv1) provide frameworks for intervention development.

Objective

This study describes how theory has guided the development of a 12-week multicomponent mind-body wellness intervention for PBC.

Methods

The steps involved in developing the BCW intervention included specifying the target behavior; explaining barriers and facilitators using the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, and Behaviour and the theoretical domains framework; identifying intervention functions to target explanatory domains; and selecting relevant behavior change techniques to address intervention functions. Qualitative data from patients with inflammatory bowel disease using an earlier version of the program and feedback from a PBC patient advisory team were used to guide intervention development.

Results

Barriers and facilitators to intervention participation associated with capability, opportunity, and motivation were identified. Intervention functions and behavior change techniques were identified to target each barrier and facilitator.

Conclusions

The Peace Power Pack PBC intervention was developed to help individuals with PBC manage their symptom burden. The theoretical frameworks employed in this intervention provide direction on targeting antecedents of behavior and allow standardized reporting of intervention components.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04791527; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04791527

Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients' Perspectives of Clinical Trials: A Global Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis

Background

Despite recent progress, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) therapies with pronounced long-term efficacy and improved safety are needed. IBD clinical trials face challenges with patient recruitment because of study designs, competitive or overlapping trials, and limited numbers of eligible patients. We aimed to better understand patients' awareness of, attitudes toward, and experience with IBD clinical trials.

Methods

This multinational, cross-sectional cohort study of adults with IBD recruited online consisted of 2 components: a quantitative 15-minute online survey completed by all participants and a qualitative 30-minute telephone interview completed by a subset of patients from the United States.

Results

Quantitative survey respondents (N = 226) included patients with ulcerative colitis (52%) and Crohn's disease (48%) from the United States (n = 100, 21 of whom were interviewed), Brazil (n = 26), Canada (n = 25), France (n = 25), Germany (n = 25), and Spain (n = 25); 96% of respondents reported at least a basic understanding of clinical trials. Patients rated conversations with health care providers most helpful for researching trials, but during interviews patients discussed their desire for increased patient-physician communication about trials. Major barriers to participation included invasive screening/monitoring (35% of quantitative responses) and concern over receiving placebo (35%) or suboptimal treatment (33%). Most respondents (68%) reported that clinical trial participants are "guinea pigs" for an experimental treatment.

Conclusions

Opportunities to improve participation in IBD trials include improved communication with health care providers, further patient education, and alternative trial designs. Ultimately, a better understanding of the patient perspective will be important for more informed patients and more successful recruitment and enrollment.

Psychological mediators of psychological distress and quality of life in inflammatory bowel disease

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Using the Common Sense Model (CSM), this study aimed to examine the extent to which illness beliefs, coping styles, self-efficacy, and mindfulness mediate this relationship.

METHODS

Two hundred and sixty-one adults (198 females; 169 with Crohn's Disease) with IBD participated in this cross-sectional study. Measures used in this study were the short Crohn's Disease Activity Index, Ulcerative Colitis Lichtiger Index, Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire, New General Self-Efficacy Scale, Carver Brief COPE scale, Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, Brief Illness Perceptions Questionnaire, and the Depression and Anxiety Stress Scales.

RESULTS

Using structural equation modelling, the final model indicated IBD symptoms had a significant direct influence only on illness perceptions (β = 0.66, p < .001). In turn, illness perceptions had a significant direct influence on depression and anxiety (β = 0.34, p < .001) and QoL (β = -0.67, p < .001), and was also linked to higher maladaptive coping (β = 0.28, p < .001) and lower self-efficacy (β = -0.49, p < .001), but not with mindfulness or adaptive coping (p > .05). Maladaptive coping (β = 0.46, p < .001) and mindfulness (β = 0.23, p < .001) were linked with increased distress. QoL was influenced by distress (β = -0.40, p < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Consistent with the predictions of the CSM, the relationships between IBD symptoms and depression and anxiety, and between IBD symptoms and quality of life, are statistically mediated via psychological variables including illness perceptions and maladaptive coping.

Anemia in Crohn's Disease-The Unseen Face of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Background and Objectives: Anemia is the most frequent complication of inflammatory bowel diseases. Clinically, anemia can affect important quality-of-life (QoL) components, such as exercise capacity, cognitive function, and the ability to carry out social activities. The disease activity has a significant impact on QoL, mainly due to clinical manifestations, which are more severe during the periods of disease activity. Our aim was to estimate the impact of anemia on QoL in patients with Crohn's disease. Material and Methods. We made a prospective study on 134 patients with Crohn's disease (CD) in a Romanian tertiary center. The CD diagnosis was established by colonoscopy and histopathological examination. In particular cases, additional examinations were required (small bowel capsule endoscopy, computed tomography enterography, and magnetic resonance enterography). Anemia was defined according to the World Health Organization's definition, the activity of the disease was assessed by Crohn's disease activity index (CDAI) score, and the QoL was evaluated by Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire 32 (IBDQ 32). Results: 44.8% patient had anemia, statistically related to the activity of the disease and corticoids use. We found a strong association between QoL and disease activity on all four sub-scores: patients with more severe activity had a significantly lower IBDQ (260.38 ± 116.96 vs. 163.85 ± 87.20, p = 0.001) and the presence of anemia (127.03 vs. 148.38, p = 0.001). In multiple regression analyses, both disease activity and anemia had an impact on the QoL. Conclusions: Anemia has high prevalence in the CD in northeastern region of Romania. Anemia was more common in female patients, in patients undergoing corticosteroid treatment, and in those with active disease. Both anemia and disease activity had a strong negative and independent impact on QoL.

Assessing effectiveness and patient perceptions of a novel electronic medical record for the management of inflammatory bowel disease

Background and Aim

There is an increasing prevalence of chronic disease worldwide, resulting in multiple management challenges. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an exemplar chronic disease requiring coordinated longitudinal care. We propose that Crohn's Colitis Care (CCCare), a novel IBD-specific, structured electronic medical record is effective at improving data capture and is acceptable to patients.

Methods

A comparison was made between IBD-data completeness in usual records and CCCare. CCCare's acceptability to patients was assessed in two independent IBD patient cohorts and included:• Overall ratings of acceptability.• Factors associated with pre-exposure acceptability ratings.• Whether exposure and security concerns influenced acceptability ratings.• Direct patient feedback through CCCare's patient portal.

Results

In all cases reviewed, there was data gain using structured CCCare fields compared with IBD documentation in usual medical records. The overall acceptability in the combined cohort (n = 310) was very high. More than three-quarters of patients rated acceptability as >7 of 10. Self-reported information technology (IT) literacy positively associated with acceptability. Exposure had a small positive affect on acceptability, whereas security concerns had little impact on acceptability. Patient portal feedback revealed that most patients are very likely to recommend CCCare to others (8.56 ± 2.2 [out of 10]).

Conclusion

CCCare is effective in supporting more complete IBD-specific data capture compared with usual medical records. It is highly acceptable to patients, especially those with reasonable IT literacy. Patient concerns about privacy and security of electronic medical records (EMRs) did not significantly affect acceptability.

Patient perspectives on digital patient reported outcomes in routine care of inflammatory bowel disease

Background

Digital patient reported outcomes are used increasingly in daily care and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. Their purpose includes increased focus on patient wellbeing, reduction in avoidable follow-up consultations and increased patient self-management. However, implementation issues occur and studies indicate patients may have concerns, particularly regarding having fewer face-to-face consultations. This study aims to explore patients’ perspectives of use and non-use of digital patient reported outcomes and to understand the mechanisms underpinning patient reluctance to engage with this health technology.

Results

Sixteen patients with inflammatory bowel disease at a regional hospital in Denmark were interviewed about their experiences of, and perspectives on, digital patient reported outcomes. A certain level of eHealth literacy was found to be a fundamental condition for use, while other factors were barriers or facilitators for use of digital PROs. Patients’ main concerns were about potential consequences for their care and relationship with the clinic. Most patients in stable remission were satisfied with the hospital being a “life-line” if their symptoms worsened, and perceived digital patient reported outcomes to be an efficient tool to establish that “life-line”. Patients with severe symptoms and a high degree of emotional distress related to their disease valued the potential for digital patient reported outcomes to increase their clinicians’ focus on mental health and extra-intestinal symptoms.

Conclusion

This study found that if patients had sufficient digital literacy, they perceived digital patient reported outcomes to be a useful replacement for face-to-face consultations. However, they were concerned about digital patient reported outcomes’ effect on the patient–clinician relationship and its ability to detect worsening of symptoms. These concerns may be mitigated by good patient–clinician relationships, and the option for patients to maintain direct telephone contact with their gastroenterology specialist.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s41687-021-00366-2.

‘Digital patient reported outcomes’ refer to systems by which health professionals collect health information from patients between consultations, mostly via self-completed online questionnaires. This approach aims to support treatment and disease management, and reduce avoidable face-to-face consultations between doctor and patient. However, patients may have concerns about using digital systems to communicate with their clinicians, particularly regarding having fewer face-to-face consultations. To find out more, we interviewed sixteen patients at an Inflammatory Bowel Disease outpatient clinic in Denmark, where digital Patient Reported Outcomes have been used since 2017. We found out that patients needed to have enough familiarity with technology to be able to use these online systems. Patients were worried about how this new way of communicating with the clinic affected their care and their relationship with their doctors and nurses. People with Inflammatory Bowel Disease can have long periods of time with very little disease activity, and in these stable periods, a lot of patients found that a digital Patient Reported Outcomes system was a good way to stay in touch with the clinic and keep reporting their symptoms online– as long as they still had the possibility of contacting the clinic by telephone if needed. During disease flare-ups, patients believed that digital patient reported outcomes’ could be used to give broader insight into their health situation, and trusted their clinicians to use their self-reported data to improve their care.

Increased incidence of inflammatory bowel disease on etanercept in juvenile idiopathic arthritis regardless of concomitant methotrexate use

Objective

To describe risk factors for IBD development in a cohort of children with JIA.

Methods

JIA patients who developed IBD were identified from the international Pharmachild register. Characteristics were compared between IBD and non-IBD patients and predictors of IBD were determined using multivariable logistic regression analysis. Incidence rates of IBD events on different DMARDs were calculated, and differences between therapies were expressed as relative risks (RR).

Results

Out of 8942 patients, 48 (0.54% ) developed IBD. These were more often male (47.9% vs 32.0%) and HLA-B27 positive (38.2% vs 21.0%) and older at JIA onset (median 8.94 vs 5.33 years) than patients without IBD development. They also had more often a family history of autoimmune disease (42.6% vs 24.4%) and enthesitis-related arthritis (39.6% vs 10.8%). The strongest predictors of IBD on multivariable analysis were enthesitis-related arthritis [odds ratio (OR): 3.68, 95% CI: 1.41, 9.40] and a family history of autoimmune disease (OR: 2.27, 95% CI: 1.12, 4.54). Compared with methotrexate monotherapy, the incidence of IBD on etanercept monotherapy (RR: 7.69, 95% CI: 1.99, 29.74), etanercept with methotrexate (RR: 5.70, 95% CI: 1.42, 22.77) and infliximab (RR: 7.61, 95% CI: 1.27, 45.57) therapy was significantly higher. Incidence on adalimumab was not significantly different (RR: 1.45, 95% CI: 0.15, 13.89).

Conclusion

IBD in JIA was associated with enthesitis-related arthritis and a family history of autoimmune disease. An increased IBD incidence was observed for etanercept therapy regardless of concomitant methotrexate use.

Factors associated with quality of life in Italian children and adolescents with IBD

Improving the quality of life (QoL) is crucial in the management of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We aimed to (1) Validate the IMPACT-III questionnaire in Italian IBD children; (2) explore factors associated to QoL in pediatric IBD. Internal consistency, concurrent validity, discriminant validity and reproducibility of the Italian version of the IMPACT-III questionnaire was measured in IBD children/adolescents in 8 centers. Associations between patient and disease characteristics and the IMPACT-III domains were analyzed through quantile regression analysis. The IMPACT-III questionnaire, collected in 282 children with IBD (median age: 14.8 years; IQR 12.4-16.4) showed a median total score of 76 (IQR 67-83). Female gender, active disease and age were negatively associated with the total IMPACT-III score. Specifically, female gender was negatively associated with the Bowel/Systemic Symptoms, Emotional and Treatment domain scores, while disease activity was significantly associated with Bowel Symptoms and Treatment/Interventions reported QoL. The IMPACT- III showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha coefficient = 0.87, 95% CI 0.85-0.89) and reproducibility (Concordance Correlation Coefficient = 0.66, 95% CI 0.57-0.74). In Italian children with IBD active disease, female gender and adolescence are associated to a worse QoL, indicating the need of more attention in this subgroup of young patients. IMPACT-III questionnaire is a reliable instrument to measure QoL in Italian children.

Improving the care of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients: perspectives and strategies for IBD center management

The incidence and prevalence rates of inf lammatory bowel disease (IBD) have been increasing in East Asian countries over the past few decades. Accordingly, the general understanding and awareness of IBD among healthcare professionals has increased considerably in this region. This increase is ultimately associated with the evolving focus of IBD clinicians devoted to comprehensive patient care, especially in establishing IBD clinics/centers capable of providing multidisciplinary counseling. Comprehensive IBD care at IBD clinics/centers usually includes surgical and medication decision-making, transition from pediatric to adult clinics, care of extraintestinal manifestations, care of infectious diseases in patients undergoing immunomodulatory or biologic therapies, and nutritional, psychosocial, socioeconomic, and pharmacological care. Team members comprise specialists from various departments related to IBD and can be divided into core and ad hoc members. Usually, the scope of work in IBD clinics/centers involves patient care, patient outreach, and system management. Considering the environmental changes in IBD treatment, it is necessary to perform comprehensive IBD patient care in the form of a program based on competencies, rather than simply following the organization of previous IBD centers. The present review summarizes recent trends in IBD patient care and offers perspectives regarding IBD center management.

Burden of comorbid anxiety and depression in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: a systematic literature review

INTRODUCTION

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, often have comorbid anxiety and depression that affects their quality of life (QoL) and management of their IBD.

AREAS COVERED

A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted to identify articles and conference abstracts on comorbid anxiety and depression in IBD patients using MEDLINE® and Embase® (January 2003 - June 2018). The impact of these psychological comorbidities on QoL and economic burden was examined. Non-pharmacologic interventions and disease-specific unmet clinical needs associated with these comorbidities were also evaluated.

EXPERT OPINION

There is evidence that individual and group-based cognitive behavioral therapy can reduce rates of anxiety and depression in adults and adolescents with IBD. Patients with IBD and anxiety or depression had an increased risk of hospitalization, emergency department visits, readmission, and used outpatient services more often than people without these conditions. Several disease-specific unmet clinical needs for IBD patients were identified. These included lack of reimbursement for mental-health care, inconsistent screening for psychological comorbidities and patients not consulting mental-health professionals when needed. IBD patients may benefit from integrated medical and psychological treatment, and should be considered for behavioral treatment.Plain Language Summary.

BACKGROUND

People with IBD may have mental-health conditions, such as anxiety and depression. These conditions can affect people's quality of life and how they manage their IBD.

WHAT DID THIS REVIEW LOOK AT?

We found 79 publications on anxiety or depression in people with IBD, published between January 2003 and June 2018. In people with IBD and anxiety or depression, researchers looked at: the impact on health-related quality of life and healthcare utilization, including access to and reimbursement for mental-health services how effective interventions that do not involve the use of medicines were (known as non-pharmacologic therapy).

WHAT WERE THE MAIN FINDINGS FROM THIS REVIEW?

People with IBD and anxiety or depression were more likely to be admitted to hospital and visit emergency departments than people without these conditions. Access to mental-health care varied and some people with IBD were not screened for depression.Individual and group-based talking therapy (known as cognitive behavioral therapy) reduced rates of anxiety and depression in some people with IBD.

WHAT WERE THE MAIN CONCLUSIONS FROM THIS REVIEW?

We found evidence that people with IBD and anxiety or depression may benefit from certain non-pharmacologic interventions. However, many people with IBD and anxiety or depression did not have access to mental-health services. Healthcare professionals should address gaps in patient care to improve outcomes in people with IBD and anxiety or depression.See Additional file 1 for an infographic plain language summary.

Prevalence, predictors and age-related sexual and erectile dysfunction in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: A tertiary centre experience

INTRODUCTION

The impact of sexuality and quality of life (QOL) is one of the main concerns of IBD. Despite the obvious relevance of this problem, knowledge of the extent of sexual dysfunction (SD) in IBD is limited. Aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of SD and erectile dysfunction (ED), QOL their predictors, and their age-related dynamic in IBD patients.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, 202 IBD patients [122 male, 80 female, 133 Crohn's disease (CD), 69 ulcerative colitis (UC)] fulfilled International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) or Female Sexual Functioning Index (FSFI). QOL was assessed using IBDQ-32 through bowel, systemic, emotional and social domains.

RESULTS

Prevalence of SD in men was 18%, ED 30.3% and SD in women 75%. Low QOL was present in 34.6% without gender difference (P = .253). In men, SD and ED were highest among 21-30 years and raising after 51 years of age. In women, SD was constantly highly prevalent, showing no decline over time. In multivariate analysis significant predictors of SD in men were CD phenotype, disease duration and emotional domain of IBDQ, of ED depression, emotional and bowel domain of IBDQ, and of SD in women emotional IBDQ domain.

CONCLUSION

Quality of sex life is a serious concern among IBD patients and is age related. Components that play a role in sexual functioning in IBD require more clarification and further development of screening and treatment guidelines for SD to provide better care in the IBD population.

Prevalence and risk factors of sexual dysfunction in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE

Sexual dysfunction (SD) is increasingly identified in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but there are few systematic reviews and meta-analyses of the studies of SD in IBD patients. The purpose of the study is to further quantify the association between IBD and SD.

METHODS

MEDLINE (OVID), EMBASE (OVID), and the Cochrane Library (OVID) were searched (until August 2020) to identify observational studies that reported the prevalence and risk factors of SD in IBD patients. Pooled prevalence, odds ratios (ORs), and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated.

RESULTS

Of the 945 citations evaluated, 18 studies (including 36,676 subjects) reporting the prevalence of SD in the IBD population were included for analysis. The overall pooled prevalence was 39% (95% CI 37-40%, P < 0.001). The prevalence of SD in women was 53% (95% CI 50-55%, P < 0.001), and it was 27% (95% CI 25-29%, P < 0.001) in men. The prevalence was higher in conjunction with operation (OR, 1.33, 95% CI 1.22-1.45, P < 0.001), depression (OR 6.14, 95% CI 3.51-10.76, P < 0.001), disease activity (OR 2.73, 95% CI 1.32-5.64, P = 0.007), comorbidities (OR 3.21, 95% CI 2.06-5.00, P < 0.001), age < 50 years (OR 3.85, 95% CI 2.41-6.14, P < 0.001), and the need for corticosteroids (OR 2.62, 95% CI 1.48-4.66, P = 0.001).

CONCLUSION

SD occurred frequently in the IBD population. Operation, depression, disease activity, comorbidities, age < 50 years, and the need for corticosteroids were risk factors for SD in IBD patients. SD screening might be recommended in IBD patients with the aforementioned factors.