Placebo-controlled clinical trial of mesalazine in the prevention of early endoscopic recurrences after resection for Crohn's disease. Groupe d'Etudes Thérapeutiques des Affections Inflammatoires Digestives (GETAID)

Management of Post-Operative Crohn's Disease: Knowns and Unknowns

Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract characterized by relapsing-remission phases. CD often requires surgical intervention during its course, mainly ileo-cecal/ileo-colonic resection. However, surgery in CD is not curative and post-operative recurrence (POR) can happen. The management of CD after surgery presents challenges. Ensuring timely, effective, and safe therapy to prevent POR is essential but difficult, considering that approximately 20-30% of subjects may not experience endoscopic POR and that 40-50% will only exhibit intermediate lesions, which carry a low risk of mid- and long-term clinical and surgical POR. Currently, there are two accepted intervention strategies: early post-operative prophylactic therapy (systematically or based on the patient's risk of recurrence) or starting therapy after confirming endoscopic POR 6-12 months after surgery (endoscopy-driven prophylactic therapy). The risk of overtreatment lies in exposing patients to undesired adverse events, along with the costs associated with medications. Conversely, undertreatment may lead to missed opportunities to prevent bowel damage and the necessity for additional surgery. This article aims to perform a comprehensive review regarding the optimal strategy to reduce the risk of POR in CD patients and the current therapeutic options.

Results of the Eighth Scientific Workshop of ECCO: Prevention and Treatment of Postoperative Recurrence in Patients With Crohn's Disease Undergoing an Ileocolonic Resection With Ileocolonic Anastomosis

Despite the introduction of biological therapies, an ileocolonic resection is often required in patients with Crohn's disease [CD]. Unfortunately, surgery is not curative, as many patients will develop postoperative recurrence [POR], eventually leading to further bowel damage and a decreased quality of life. The 8th Scientific Workshop of ECCO reviewed the available scientific data on both prevention and treatment of POR in patients with CD undergoing an ileocolonic resection, dealing with conventional and biological therapies, as well as non-medical interventions, including endoscopic and surgical approaches in case of POR. Based on the available data, an algorithm for the postoperative management in daily clinical practice was developed.

hucMSC-Ex Alleviates IBD-Associated Intestinal Fibrosis by Inhibiting ERK Phosphorylation in Intestinal Fibroblasts

Background

Intestinal fibrosis, one of the complications of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), is associated with fistula and intestinal stricture formation. There are currently no treatments for fibrosis. Mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes have been proven to exert inhibitory and reversal effects in IBD and other organ fibrosis. In this study, we explored the role of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes (hucMSC-Ex) in IBD-related fibrosis and its associated mechanism to provide new ideas for the prevention and treatment of IBD-related intestinal fibrosis.

Methods

We established a DSS-induced mouse IBD-related intestinal fibrosis model and observed the effect of hucMSC-Ex on the mouse model. We also used the TGF-induced human intestinal fibroblast CCD-18Co to observe the role of hucMSC-Ex in the proliferation, migration, and activation of intestinal fibroblasts. Having observed that the extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway in intestinal fibrosis can be inhibited by hucMSC-Ex, we treated intestinal fibroblasts with an ERK inhibitor to emphasize the potential target of ERK phosphorylation in the treatment of IBD-associated intestinal fibrosis.

Results

In the animal model of IBD-related fibrosis, hucMSC-Ex alleviated inflammation-related fibrosis as evident in the thinning of the mice's intestinal wall and decreased expression of related molecules. Moreover, hucMSC-Ex inhibited TGF-β-induced proliferation, migration, and activation of human intestinal fibroblasts, and ERK phosphorylation played a key role in IBD-associated fibrosis. The inhibition of ERK decreased the expression of fibrosis-related indicators such as α-SMA, fibronectin, and collagen I.

Conclusion

hucMSC-Ex alleviates DSS-induced IBD-related intestinal fibrosis by inhibiting profibrotic molecules and intestinal fibroblast proliferation and migration by decreasing ERK phosphorylation.

Intestinal Fibrosis in Inflammatory Bowel Disease and the Prospects of Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy

Intestinal fibrosis is an important complication of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In the course of the development of fibrosis, certain parts of the intestine become narrowed, significantly destroying the structure and function of the intestine and affecting the quality of life of patients. Chronic inflammation is an important initiating factor of fibrosis. Unfortunately, the existing anti-inflammatory drugs cannot effectively prevent and alleviate fibrosis, and there is no effective anti-fibrotic drug, which makes surgical treatment the mainstream treatment for intestinal fibrosis and stenosis. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are capable of tissue regeneration and repair through their self-differentiation, secretion of cytokines, and secretion of extracellular vesicles. MSCs have been shown to play an important therapeutic role in the fibrosis of many organs. However, the role of MSC in intestinal fibrosis largely remained unexplored. This review summarizes the mechanism of intestinal fibrosis, including the role of immune cells, TGF-β, and the gut microbiome and metabolites. Available treatment options for fibrosis, particularly, MSCs are also discussed.

Interventions for maintenance of surgically induced remission in Crohn's disease: a network meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic disease of the gut. About 75% of people with CD undergo surgery at least once in their lifetime to induce remission. However, as there is no known cure for the disease, patients usually experience a recurrence even after surgery. Different interventions are routinely used in maintaining postsurgical remission. There is currently no consensus on which treatment is the most effective.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effects and harms of interventions for the maintenance of surgically induced remission in Crohn's disease and rank the treatments in order of effectiveness.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane IBD Group Specialized Register, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, and Embase from inception to 15 January 2019. We also searched reference lists of relevant articles, abstracts from major gastroenterology meetings, ClinicalTrials.gov, and the WHO ICTRP. There was no restriction on language, date, or publication status.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We considered for inclusion randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that compared different interventions used for maintaining surgically induced remission in people with CD who were in postsurgical remission. Participants had to have received maintenance treatment for at least three months. We excluded studies assessing enteral diet, diet manipulation, herbal medicine, and nutritional supplementation.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently selected relevant studies, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias. Any disagreements were resolved by discussion or by arbitration of a third review author when necessary. We conducted a network meta-analysis (NMA) using a Bayesian approach through Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulation. For the pairwise comparisons carried out in Review Manager 5, we calculated risk ratios (RR) with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). For the NMA, we presented hazard ratios (HR) with corresponding 95% credible intervals (95% CrI) and reported ranking probabilities for each intervention. For the NMA, we focused on three main outcomes: clinical relapse, endoscopic relapse, and withdrawals due to adverse events. Data were insufficient to assess time to relapse and histologic relapse. Adverse events and serious adverse events were not sufficiently or objectively reported to permit an NMA. We used CINeMA (Confidence in Network Meta-Analysis) methods to evaluate our confidence in the findings within networks, and GRADE for entire networks.

MAIN RESULTS

We included 35 RCTs (3249 participants) in the review. The average age of study participants ranged between 33.6 and 38.8 years. Risk of bias was high in 18 studies, low in four studies, and unclear in 13 studies. Of the 35 included RCTs, 26 studies (2581 participants; 9 interventions) were considered eligible for inclusion in the NMA. The interventions studied included 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA), adalimumab, antibiotics, budesonide, infliximab, probiotics, purine analogues, sulfasalazine, and a combination of sulfasalazine and prednisolone. This resulted in 30 direct contrasts, which informed 102 mixed-treatment contrasts.The evidence for the clinical relapse network (21 studies; 2245 participants) and endoscopic relapse (12 studies; 1128 participants) were of low certainty while the evidence for withdrawal due to adverse events (15 studies; 1498 participants) was of very low certainty. This assessment was due to high risk of bias in most of the studies, inconsistency, and imprecision across networks. We mainly judged individual contrasts as of low or very low certainty, except 5-ASA versus placebo, the evidence for which was judged as of moderate certainty.We ranked the treatments based on effectiveness and the certainty of the evidence. For clinical relapse, the five most highly ranked treatments were adalimumab, infliximab, budesonide, 5-ASA, and purine analogues. We found some evidence that adalimumab (HR 0.11, 95% Crl 0.02 to 0.33; low-certainty evidence) and 5-ASA may reduce the probability of clinical relapse compared to placebo (HR 0.69, 95% Crl 0.53 to 0.87; moderate-certainty evidence). However, budesonide may not be effective in preventing clinical relapse (HR 0.66, 95% CrI 0.27 to 1.34; low-certainty evidence). We are less confident about the effectiveness of infliximab (HR 0.36, 95% CrI 0.02 to 1.74; very low-certainty evidence) and purine analogues (HR 0.75, 95% CrI 0.55 to 1.00; low-certainty evidence). It was unclear whether the other interventions reduced the probability of a clinical relapse, as the certainty of the evidence was very low.Due to high risk of bias and limited data across the network, we are uncertain about the effectiveness of interventions for preventing endoscopic relapse. Whilst there might be some evidence of prevention of endoscopic relapse with adalimumab (HR 0.10, 95% CrI 0.01 to 0.32; low-certainty evidence), no other intervention studied appeared to be effective.Due to high risk of bias and limited data across the network, we are uncertain about the effectiveness of interventions for preventing withdrawal due to adverse events. Withdrawal due to adverse events appeared to be least likely with sulfasalazine (HR 1.96, 95% Crl 0.00 to 8.90; very low-certainty evidence) and most likely with antibiotics (HR 53.92, 95% Crl 0.43 to 259.80; very low-certainty evidence). When considering the network as a whole, two adverse events leading to study withdrawal (i.e. pancreatitis and leukopenia) occurred in more than 1% of participants treated with an intervention. Pancreatitis occurred in 2.8% (11/399) of purine analogue participants compared to 0.17% (2/1210) of all other groups studied. Leukopenia occurred in 2.5% (10/399) of purine analogue participants compared to 0.08% (1/1210) of all other groups studied.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Due to low-certainty evidence in the networks, we are unable to draw conclusions on which treatment is most effective for preventing clinical relapse and endoscopic relapse. Evidence on the safety of the interventions was inconclusive, however cases of pancreatitis and leukopenia from purine analogues were evident in the studies. Larger trials are needed to further understand the effect of the interventions on endoscopic relapse.

Oral 5-aminosalicylic acid for maintenance of surgically-induced remission in Crohn's disease

BACKGROUND

Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder that can involve any part of the gastrointestinal tract. 5-Aminosalicylates (5-ASAs) are locally acting, anti-inflammatory compounds that reduce inflammation of the colonic mucosa with release profiles that vary among various commercially available formulations. This updated Cochrane review summarizes current evidence on the use of 5-ASA formulations for maintenance of surgically-induced remission in CD.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the efficacy and safety of 5-ASA agents for the maintenance of surgically-induced remission in CD.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL, the Cochrane IBD Group Specialized Register from inception to 16 July 2018. We also searched references, conference abstracts, and trials registers.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that included participants with CD in remission following surgery and compared 5-ASAs to no treatment, placebo or any other active intervention with duration of at least three months were considered for inclusion.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We used standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane. The primary outcome was clinical relapse. Secondary outcomes included endoscopic recurrence, radiologic and surgical relapse, adverse events, serious adverse events and withdrawal due to adverse events.

MAIN RESULTS

Fourteen RCTs (1867 participants) were included in the review. Participants (15 to 70 years) were recruited from gastroenterology hospitals and medical clinics in Europe and North America and followed up between 3 and 72 months. The risk of bias was assessed as 'low' in one study, 'unclear' in seven and as 'high' in six.At 12 months, 36% (20/55) of participants in the 5-ASA group experienced clinical relapse compared to 51% (28/55) in the no treatment control group (RR 0.71, 95% CI 0.46 to 1.10; low certainty evidence). Moderate certainty evidence suggests that 5-ASAs are more effective for preventing clinical relapse than placebo. During a follow-up period of 12 to 72 months, 36% (131/361) of 5-ASA participants relapsed compared to 43% (160/369) of placebo participants (RR 0.83, 95% CI 0.72 to 0.96; I² = 0%; moderate certainty evidence). At 12 months, 17% (17/101) of the 4 g/day mesalamine group relapsed compared to 26% (27/105) of the 2.4 g/day group (RR 0.65, 95% CI 0.38 to 1.13; moderate certainty evidence). There was no evidence of a difference in clinical relapse rates when 5-ASA compounds were compared to purine antimetabolites. At 24 months, 61% (103/170) of mesalamine participants relapsed compared to 67% (119/177) of azathioprine participants (RR 0.90, 95% CI 0.76 to 1.07; I² = 28%; low certainty evidence). During 24 months, 50% (9/18) of 5-ASA participants had clinical relapse compared to 13% (2/16) of adalimumab participants (RR 4.0, 95% CI 1.01 to 15.84; low certainty evidence). The effects of sulphasalazine compared to placebo on clinical relapse rate is uncertain. After 18 to 36 months, 66% (95/143) of participants treated with sulphasalazine relapsed compared to 71% (110/155) in the placebo group (RR 0.88, 95% CI 0.56 to 1.38; I² = 38%; low certainty evidence).The effect of 5-ASA drugs on safety was uncertain. During 24 months follow-up, 4% (2/55) of 5-ASA participants experienced adverse events compared to none (0/55) in the no treatment control group (RR 5.00, 95% CI 0.25 to 101.81; very low certainty evidence). An equal proportion of 5-ASA participants (10%; 23/241) and placebo (9%; 20/225) groups experienced an adverse event during a follow-up of 3 to 72 months (RR 1.07, 95% CI 0.60 to 1.91; I² = 0%; low certainty evidence). Adverse event rates were similar in the 5-ASA and purine analogues groups. However, serious adverse events and withdrawals due to adverse events were more common in participants who received purine analogues than 5-ASA. At 52 weeks to 24 months, 52% (107/207) of 5-ASA participants had an adverse event compared to 47% (102/218) of purine analogue participants (RR 1.11, 95% CI 0.97 to 1.27, I² = 0%; low certainty evidence). Four per cent (6/152) of 5-ASA participants had a serious adverse event compared to 17% (27/159) of purine analogue participants (RR 0.30, 95% CI 0.11 to 0.80; very low certainty evidence). Eight per cent (17/207) of 5-ASA participants withdrew due to an adverse event compared to 19% (42/218) of purine analogue participants (RR 0.48, 95% CI 0.28 to 0.83; low certainty evidence). Adverse event rates were similar in high and low dose mesalamine participants. After 12 months, 2% (2/101) of 4 g/day mesalamine participants had an adverse event compared to 2% (2/105) of 2.4 g/day participants (RR 1.04, 95% CI 0.15 to 7.24; low certainty evidence). The proportion of participants who experienced adverse events over a 24 month follow-up in the mesalamine group was 78% (14/18) compared to 69% (11/16) of adalimumab participants (RR 1.13, 95% CI 0.75 to 1.71; very low certainty evidence). None (0/32) of the sulphasalazine participants had an adverse event at 18 months follow-up compared to 3% (1/34) of the placebo group (RR 0.35, 95% CI 0.01 to 8.38; very low certainty evidence). Commonly reported adverse events in the included studies were diarrhoea, nausea, increased liver function tests, pancreatitis, and abdominal pain.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

5-ASA preparations are superior to placebo for the maintenance of surgically-induced clinical remission in patients with CD (moderate certainty). The number needed to treat to prevent one relapse was 13 patients. The evidence for endoscopic remission is uncertain. The sulphasalazine class of 5-ASA agents failed to demonstrate superiority against placebo, 5-ASAs failed to demonstrate superiority compared to no treatment (very low and low certainty). The efficacy of two different doses of the same 5-ASA and the efficacy of 5-ASA compared to purine antimetabolites (azathioprine or 6-mercaptopurine) in maintaining surgically-induced remission of CD remains unclear. However, purine analogues lead to more serious adverse events and discontinuation due to adverse events. There is a low certainty that 5-ASA is inferior for maintaining surgically-induced remission of CD compared to biologics (anti TNF-ɑ). 5-ASA formulations appear to be safe with no difference in the occurrence of adverse events or withdrawal when compared with placebo, no treatment or biologics.

NASPGHAN Clinical Report on Postoperative Recurrence in Pediatric Crohn Disease

Pediatric Crohn disease is characterized by clinical and endoscopic relapses. The inflammatory process is considered to be progressive and may lead to strictures, fistulas, and penetrating disease that may require surgery. In addition, medically refractory disease may be treated by surgical resection of inflamed bowel in an effort to reverse growth failure. The need for surgery in childhood suggests severe disease and these patients have an increased risk for recurrent disease and potentially more surgery. Data show that up to 55% of patients had clinical recurrence in the first 2 years after initial surgery. The current clinical report on postoperative recurrence in pediatric Crohn disease reviews the risk factors for early surgery and postoperative recurrence, operative risk factors for recurrence, and prevention and monitoring strategies for postoperative recurrence. We also propose an algorithm for postoperative management in pediatric Crohn disease.

Surgical Management of Crohn Disease in Children: Guidelines From the Paediatric IBD Porto Group of ESPGHAN

The incidence of Crohn disease (CD) has been increasing and surgery needs to be contemplated in a substantial number of cases. The relevant advent of biological treatment has changed but not eliminated the need for surgery in many patients. Despite previous publications on the indications for surgery in CD, there was a need for a comprehensive review of existing evidence on the role of elective surgery and options in pediatric patients affected with CD. We present an expert opinion and critical review of the literature to provide evidence-based guidance to manage these patients. Indications, surgical options, risk factors, and medications in pre- and perioperative period are reviewed in the light of available evidence. Risks and benefits of surgical options are addressed. An algorithm is proposed for the management of postsurgery monitoring, timing for follow-up endoscopy, and treatment options.

Perioperative use of immunosuppressive medications in patients with Crohn's disease in the new "biological era"

Crohn’s disease (CD) is characterized by transmural inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract leading to inflammatory, stricturing and/or and fistulizing disease. Once a patient develops medically refractory disease, mechanical obstruction, fistulizing disease or perforation, surgery is indicated. Unfortunately, surgery is not curative in most cases, underscoring the importance of bowel preservation and adequate perioperative medical management. As many of the medications used to treat CD are immunosuppressive, the concern for postoperative infectious complications and anastomotic healing are particularly concerning; these concerns have to be balanced with preventing and treating residual or recurrent disease. We herein review the available literature and make recommendations regarding the preoperative, perioperative and postoperative administration of immunosuppressive medications in the current era of biological therapy for CD. Standardized algorithms for perioperative medical management would greatly assist future research for optimizing surgical outcomes and preventing disease recurrence in the future.

Surgical Considerations in the Treatment of Small Bowel Crohn's Disease

Surgery remains a cornerstone of the management of Crohn's disease (CD). Despite the rise of biologic therapy, most CD patients require surgery for penetrating, obstructing, or malignant complications. Optimal surgical therapy requires sophisticated operative judgment and medical optimization. Intraoperatively, surgeons must balance treatment of CD complications against bowel preservation and functional outcome. This demands mastery of multiple techniques for anastomosis and strictureplasty, accurate assessment of bowel integrity for margin minimization, and a comprehensive skillset for navigating adhesions and altered anatomy, controlling thickened mesentery, and safely managing the hostile abdomen. Outside of the operating room, a multi-disciplinary team is critical for pre-operative optimization, patient support, and medical management. Postoperatively, prevention and surveillance of recurrence remain a matter of research and debate, and medical options include older drugs with limited efficacy and tolerability versus biologic agents with greater effect sizes and shorter track records. The evidence base for current management is limited by the inherent challenges of studying a chronic disease marked by heterogeneity and recurrence, but also by a lack of prospective trials incorporating both medical and surgical therapies.

Endoscopic Evaluation and Management of the Postoperative Crohn's Disease Patient

Approximately 70% of patients with Crohn's disease (CD) undergo surgical resection for the treatment of medically refractory disease or its complications. The sickest cohort of CD patients experience rapid postoperative relapse at the anastomotic site. Over the past 2 decades, the types of surgical anastomoses used in CD reconstruction have changed; end-to-side and end-to-end anastomoses have been surpassed by the more rapidly created side-to-side anastomoses. This article provides a review of the timing and purpose of endoscopic evaluation in postoperative CD patients and pragmatic information regarding interpretation of endoscopic findings at the different types of surgical anastomoses after ileocecal resection.

IOIBD technical review on endoscopic indices for Crohn's disease clinical trials

BACKGROUND

Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic disabling and progressive IBD. Only strategies looking beyond symptoms and based on tight monitoring of objective signs of inflammation such as mucosal lesions may have the potential for disease modification. Endoscopic evaluation is currently the gold standard to assess mucosal lesions and has become a major therapeutic endpoint in clinical trials. Several endoscopic indices have been proposed to evaluate disease activity; unvalidated and arbitrary definitions have been used in clinical trials for defining endoscopic response and endoscopic remission in CD.

METHODS

In these recommendations from the International Organization for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, we first reviewed all technical aspects of available endoscopic scoring systems in the literature. Second, in order to achieve consensus on endoscopic definitions of remission and response in trials, a two-round vote based on a Delphi method was performed among 14 specialists in the field of IBDs.

RESULTS

At the end of the voting process, the investigators ranked first a >50% decrease in Simple Endoscopic Score for Crohn's Disease (SES-CD) or Crohn's Disease Endoscopic Index of Severity for the definition of endoscopic response, and an SES-CD 0-2 for the definition of endoscopic remission in CD. All experts agreed on a Rutgeerts' score i0-i1 for the definition of endoscopic remission after surgery.

Aminosalicylates for induction of remission or response in Crohn's disease

BACKGROUND

Randomized trials investigating the efficacy of aminosalicylates for the treatment of mildly to moderately active Crohn's disease have yielded conflicting results. A systematic review was conducted to critically examine current available data on the efficacy of sulfasalazine and mesalamine for inducing remission or clinical response in these patients.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the efficacy of aminosalicylates compared to placebo, corticosteroids, and other aminosalicylates (alone or in combination with corticosteroids) for the treatment of mildly to moderately active Crohn's disease.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE and the Cochrane Central Library from inception to June 2015 to identify relevant studies. There were no language restrictions. We also searched reference lists from potentially relevant papers and review articles, as well as proceedings from annual meetings (1991-2015) of the American Gastroenterological Association and American College of Gastroenterology.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomized controlled trials that evaluated the efficacy of sulfasalazine or mesalamine in the treatment of mildly to moderately active Crohn's disease compared to placebo, corticosteroids, and other aminosalicylates (alone or in combination with corticosteroids) were included.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Data extraction and assessment of methodological quality was independently performed by the investigators and any disagreement was resolved by discussion and consensus. We assessed methodological quality using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. The overall quality of the evidence supporting the outcomes was evaluated using the GRADE criteria. The primary outcome measure was a well defined clinical endpoint of induction of remission or response to treatment. Secondary outcomes included mean Crohn's disease activity index (CDAI) scores, adverse events, serious adverse events and withdrawal due to adverse events. For dichotomous outcomes we calculated the pooled risk ratio (RR) and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) using a random-effects model. For continuous outcomes we calculated the mean difference (MD) and 95% CI using a random-effects model. Sensitivity analyses based on a fixed-effect model and duration of therapy were conducted where appropriate.

MAIN RESULTS

Twenty studies (2367 patients) were included. Two studies were judged to be at high risk of bias due to lack of blinding. Eight studies were judged to be at high risk of bias due to incomplete outcomes data (high drop-out rates) and potential selective reporting. The other 10 studies were judged to be at low risk of bias. A non-significant trend in favour of sulfasalazine over placebo for inducing remission was observed, with benefit confined mainly to patients with Crohn's colitis. Forty-five per cent (63/141) of sulfasalazine patients entered remission at 17-18 weeks compared to 29% (43/148) of placebo patients (RR 1.38, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.89, 2 studies). A GRADE analysis rated the overall quality of the evidence supporting this outcome as moderate due to sparse data (106 events). There was no difference between sulfasalazine and placebo in adverse event outcomes. Sulfasalazine was significantly less effective than corticosteroids and inferior to combination therapy with corticosteroids (RR 0.64, 95% CI 0.47 to 0.86, 1 study, 110 patients). Forty-three per cent (55/128) of sulfasalazine patients entered remission at 17 to 18 weeks compared to 60% (79/132) of corticosteroid patients (RR 0.68, 95% CI 0.51 to 0.91; 2 studies, 260 patients). A GRADE analysis rated the overall quality of the evidence supporting this outcome as moderate due to sparse data (134 events). Sulfasalazine patients experienced significantly fewer adverse events than corticosteroid patients (RR 0.43, 95% CI 0.22 to 0.82; 1 study, 159 patients). There was no difference between sulfasalazine and corticosteroids in serious adverse events or withdrawal due to adverse events. Olsalazine was less effective than placebo in a single trial (RR 0.36, 95% CI 0.18 to 0.71; 91 patients). Low dose mesalamine (1 to 2 g/day) was not superior to placebo for induction of remission. Twenty-three per cent (43/185) of low dose mesalamine patients entered remission at week 6 compared to 15% (18/117) of placebo patients (RR = 1.46, 95% CI 0.89 to 2.40; n = 302). A GRADE analysis indicated that the overall quality of the evidence supporting this outcome was low due to risk of bias (incomplete outcome data) and sparse data (61 events). There was no difference between low dose mesalamine and placebo in the proportion of patients who had adverse events (RR 1.33, 95% CI 0.91 to 1.96; 3 studies, 342 patients) or withdrew due to adverse events (RR 1.21, 95% CI 0.75 to 1.95; 3 studies, 342 patients). High dose controlled-release mesalamine (4 g/day) was not superior to placebo, inducing a clinically non significant reduction in CDAI (MD -19.8 points, 95% CI -46.2 to 6.7; 3 studies, 615 patients), and was also inferior to budesonide (RR 0.56, 95% CI 0.40 to 0.78; 1 study, 182 patients, GRADE = low). While high dose delayed-release mesalamine (3 to 4.5 g/day) was not superior to placebo for induction of remission (RR 2.02, 95% CI 0.75 to 5.45; 1 study, 38 patients, GRADE = very low), no significant difference in efficacy was found when compared to conventional corticosteroids (RR 1.04, 95% CI 0.79 to 1.36; 3 studies, 178 patients, GRADE = moderate) or budesonide (RR 0.89, 95% CI 0.76 to 1.05; 1 study, 307 patients, GRADE = moderate). However, these trials were limited by risk of bias (incomplete outcome data) and sparse data (small numbers of events). There was a lack of good quality clinical trials comparing sulfasalazine with other mesalamine formulations. Adverse events that were commonly reported included headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Sulfasalazine is only modestly effective with a trend towards benefit over placebo and is inferior to corticosteroids for the treatment of mildly to moderately active Crohn's disease. Olsalazine and low dose mesalamine (1 to 2 g/day) are not superior to placebo. High dose mesalamine (3.2 to 4 g/day) is not more effective than placebo for inducing response or remission. However, trials assessing the efficacy of high dose mesalamine (4 to 4.5 g/day) compared to budesonide yielded conflicting results and firm conclusions cannot be made. Future large randomized controlled trials are needed to provide definitive evidence on the efficacy of aminosalicylates in active Crohn's disease.

A Practical Approach to Preventing Postoperative Recurrence in Crohn's Disease

Postoperative Crohn's disease recurrence remains common, and preventing additional surgery remains a challenge. A critical step to postoperative management of Crohn's disease is being able to identify patients who should receive immediate postoperative therapy from the patients who can wait for recurrence prior to starting medications. All patients, regardless of their risk for recurrence, are advised to undergo a colonoscopy at 6 to 12 months after surgery to evaluate for endoscopic evidence of Crohn's disease. Further management of patients depends on symptoms and the presence or absence of endoscopic recurrence.

Comparative efficacy of pharmacologic interventions in preventing relapse of Crohn's disease after surgery: a systematic review and network meta-analysis

BACKGROUND & AIMS

There are several drugs that might decrease the risk of relapse of Crohn's disease (CD) after surgery, but it is unclear whether one is superior to others. We estimated the comparative efficacy of different pharmacologic interventions for postoperative prophylaxis of CD, through a network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic search of the literature through March 2014. We identified randomized controlled trials that compared the abilities of mesalamine, antibiotics, budesonide, immunomodulators, anti-tumor necrosis factor α (anti-TNF) (started within 3 months of surgery), and/or placebo or no intervention to prevent clinical and/or endoscopic relapse of CD in adults after surgical resection. We used Bayesian network meta-analysis to combine direct and indirect evidence and estimate the relative effects of treatment.

RESULTS

We identified 21 trials comprising 2006 participants comparing 7 treatment strategies. In a network meta-analysis, compared with placebo, mesalamine (relative risk [RR], 0.60; 95% credible interval [CrI], 0.37-0.88), antibiotics (RR, 0.26; 95% CrI, 0.08-0.61), immunomodulator monotherapy (RR, 0.36; 95% CrI, 0.17-0.63), immunomodulator with antibiotics (RR, 0.11; 95% CrI, 0.02-0.51), and anti-TNF monotherapy (RR, 0.04; 95% CrI, 0.00-0.14), but not budesonide (RR, 0.93; 95% CrI, 0.40-1.84), reduced the risk of clinical relapse. Likewise, compared with placebo, antibiotics (RR, 0.41; 95% CrI, 0.15-0.92), immunomodulator monotherapy (RR, 0.33; 95% CrI, 0.13-0.68), immunomodulator with antibiotics (RR, 0.16; 95% CrI, 0.04-0.48), and anti-TNF monotherapy (RR, 0.01; 95% CrI, 0.00-0.05), but neither mesalamine (RR, 0.67; 95% CrI, 0.39-1.08) nor budesonide (RR, 0.86; 95% CrI, 0.61-1.22), reduced the risk of endoscopic relapse. Anti-TNF monotherapy was the most effective pharmacologic intervention for postoperative prophylaxis, with large effect sizes relative to all other strategies (clinical relapse: RR, 0.02-0.20; endoscopic relapse: RR, 0.005-0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

Based on Bayesian network meta-analysis combining direct and indirect treatment comparisons, anti-TNF monotherapy appears to be the most effective strategy for postoperative prophylaxis for CD.

Inter-observer agreement in endoscopic scoring systems: preliminary report of an ongoing study from the Italian Group for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IG-IBD)

BACKGROUND

Endoscopic activity has become a therapeutic endpoint in inflammatory bowel disease. Aim of this study was to evaluate inter-observer agreement for endoscopic scores in a real-life setting.

METHODS

14 gastroenterologists with experience in inflammatory bowel disease care and endoscopic scoring reviewed videos of ulcerative colitis (n=13) and postoperative (n=10) and luminal (n=8) Crohn's disease. The Mayo subscore for ulcerative colitis, Rutgeerts score for postoperative Crohn's disease, Crohn's disease endoscopic index of severity (CDEIS), and the simple endoscopic score-Crohn's disease (SES-CD) for luminal Crohn's disease were calculated. A subset of five endoscopic clips were assessed by 30 general gastroenterologists without specific experience in endoscopic scores. Kappa statistics and intraclass correlation coefficients were used to measure agreement.

RESULTS

Mayo subscore agreement was suboptimal: kappas were 0.53 (95% confidence interval 0.47-0.56) and 0.71 (0.67-0.76) for the two groups. Rutgeerts score agreement was fair: kappas were 0.57 (0.51-0.65) and 0.67 (0.60-0.72). Agreements for CDEIS and SES-CD were good: intraclass correlation coefficients for the two groups were 0.83 (0.54-1.00) and 0.67 (0.36-0.97) for CDEIS and 0.93 (0.76-1.00) and 0.68 (0.35-0.97) for SES-CD, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The reproducibility of endoscopic scores in inflammatory bowel disease remains suboptimal, which could potentially have major effects on therapeutic choices.

Early post-operative endoscopic recurrence in Crohn's disease patients: data from an Italian Group for the study of inflammatory bowel disease (IG-IBD) study on a large prospective multicenter cohort

INTRODUCTION

The incidence of endoscopic recurrence (ER) in Crohn's disease following curative resection is up to 75% at 1 year. Endoscopy is the most sensitive method to detect the earliest mucosal changes and the severe ER at 1 year seems to predict a clinical relapse.

METHODS

The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the incidence of early ER 6 months after curative resection. Secondary outcome was to evaluate the role of 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) in the prevention of ER at 6 months. A total of 170 patients were included in the study. They were carried-out from the evaluation of the appearance of ER during a trial performed to assess the role of azathioprine vs. 5-ASA as early treatment of severe ER. All the patients started 5-ASA treatment 2 weeks after surgery.

RESULTS

Six months after surgery ER was observed in 105 patients (62%). The endoscopic score was reported as severe in 78.1% of them (82 out of 105). At univariable analysis only ileo-colonic disease influenced the final outcome associating to a lower risk of severe ER (p=0.04; OR 0.52, 95% CI 0.277-0.974).

CONCLUSION

In this prospective Italian multicenter IG-IBD study a great proportion of ER occur within 6 months from ileo-colonic resection, with a significant rate of severe ER. Furthermore this study confirms the marginal role of 5-ASA in the prevention of ER. This suggests that post-surgical endoscopic evaluation should be performed at 6 months instead of 1 year to allow an adequate early treatment.

A systematic review of measurement of endoscopic disease activity and mucosal healing in Crohn's disease: recommendations for clinical trial design

BACKGROUND

Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic idiopathic inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract. Recently, mucosal healing has been proposed as a goal of therapy because clinical symptoms are subjective. Evaluative indices that measure endoscopic disease activity are required to define mucosal healing for clinical trials. The primary objective of this systematic review was to assess the existing evaluative indices that measure disease activity in CD and evaluate their role as outcome measures in clinical trials.

METHODS

A systematic literature review was performed using MEDLINE (Ovid), EMBASE (Ovid), PubMed, the Cochrane Library (CENTRAL), and DDW abstracts to identify randomized controlled trials and controlled clinical trials that used a relevant evaluative index from inception to February 2013. The data obtained from these trials were reviewed and summarized.

RESULTS

The initial literature searches identified 2300 citations. After duplicates were removed, 1454 studies remained. After application of the apriori inclusion and exclusion criteria, 109 articles were included and 3 were identified with handsearches. In total, 9 evaluative indices for CD were identified and reviewed. The Crohn's Disease Endoscopic Index of Severity (CDEIS) and the Simple Endoscopic Score in Crohn's Disease (SES-CD) are indices with the most extensively described operating properties.

CONCLUSIONS

Both the endoscopic evaluative instrument selected and the definition chosen for mucosal healing affect the validity of assessing endoscopic disease activity during a clinical trial for CD. Currently, the CDEIS and SES-CD have the most data regarding operating properties; however, further validation is required.

Preventing postoperative recurrence in Crohn's disease: what does the future hold?

Despite an increasing use of immunosuppressants and anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) agents, approximately half of the patients with Crohn's disease will require surgery within 10 years after diagnosis. Postoperative relapse is frequent and should be systematically assessed within the first year by endoscopy. Absence of prophylactic treatment is associated with a higher risk of relapse. Other risk factors include smoking, prior intestinal surgery, penetrating disease behavior, perianal location, and extensive small bowel resection. Pooled data indicate that 5-aminosalicylic acid and thiopurines have only slight efficacy to prevent postoperative recurrence in Crohn's disease. Nitroimidazole antibiotics are modestly effective, but long-term toxicity limits their use in clinical practice. Recently, anti-TNF agents in this setting have demonstrated efficacy and dramatically contrast with other interventions, but rising costs are concerning. Anti-TNF agents are highly effective in the prevention of postoperative recurrence in these patients. A therapeutic strategy based on a risk stratification of patients, with further treatment step-up and adjustment if relapse occurs on the basis of ileocolonoscopy, is recommended in clinical practice. Should we move towards top-down strategies based on a wider use of anti-TNF agents even in patients who are not at high risk of postoperative recurrence? Ongoing clinical trials addressing this issue will dramatically change our clinical practice.

Comparison of the effectiveness of infliximab and adalimumab in preventing postoperative recurrence in patients with Crohn's disease: an open-label, pilot study

BACKGROUND

Endoscopic and clinical recurrence of Crohn's disease (CD) appears in up to 80 and 30 % of patients, respectively, 1 year after surgery. Both infliximab (IFX) and adalimumab (ADA) have been demonstrated to be effective in reducing the possibility of recurrence after surgery, but head-to-head studies have not been performed so far. The aim of this open-label prospective study was to compare endoscopic, histological and clinical recurrence after 1 year of treatment with IFX or ADA as postoperative prophylaxis in CD patients with a high risk of recurrence.

METHODS

Consecutive CD patients who underwent curative ileocolonic resection were randomized to receive IFX or ADA for 1 year. Co-primary endpoints were endoscopic, histological and clinical recurrence after 12 months of therapy.

RESULTS

Twenty consecutive CD patients (9 males and 11 females; median age 32.5 years, range 20-39 years) were enrolled after undergoing curative ileocolonic resection. Among the 10 patients treated with IFX, 2 (20 %) had endoscopic recurrence compared to 1 (10 %) in the group of 10 ADA patients (p = 1.0). Three out of 10 (30 %) IFX patients and 2 out of 10 (20 %) ADA patients had histological recurrence (p = 1.0). No significant clinical differences were found between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

IFX and ADA were similar in preventing histological, endoscopic and clinical recurrence after curative ileocolonic resection in high risk CD patients.

A network meta-analysis on the efficacy of 5-aminosalicylates, immunomodulators and biologics for the prevention of postoperative recurrence in Crohn's disease

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

A number of agents have been evaluated in clinical trials to reduce the risk of postoperative recurrence in Crohn's disease (CD). The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of 5-aminosalicylates, immunomodulators and biologics for postoperative prophylaxis of CD recurrence by using a network meta-analytical approach.

METHODS

PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched (update to November 2013) to identify randomized placebo-controlled, or head-to-head trials among the three drug classes for prevention of postoperative CD relapse. The primary endpoint for efficacy was endoscopic recurrence, and the secondary outcomes were clinical recurrence and adverse events. We conducted a Bayesian network meta-analysis with a mixed treatment comparisons to combine both direct and indirect evidences.

RESULTS

Fifteen trials involving 1507 patients were included in this analysis. Biological agents were associated with a large and significant reduction of both endoscopic and clinical recurrence compared with placebo, 5-aminosalicylates, or immunomodulators. Immunomodulators showed greater efficacy in terms of endoscopic and clinical recurrence prophylaxis compared with 5-aminosalicylates or placebo, but with higher incidence of adverse events. 5-aminosalicylates were superior to placebo for prevention of clinical recurrence, without increasing the rate of side effect.

CONCLUSIONS

5-aminosalicylates, immunomodulators, and biologics are more efficacious than placebo for postoperative CD prevention. Biologics are found to be the most effective medications to prevent CD recurrence.

Prevention of post-operative recurrence of Crohn’s disease

Endoscopic and clinical recurrence of Crohn’s disease (CD) is a common occurrence after surgical resection. Smokers, those with perforating disease, and those with myenteric plexitis are all at higher risk of recurrence. A number of medical therapies have been shown to reduce this risk in clinical trials. Metronidazole, thiopurines and anti-tumour necrosis factors (TNFs) are all effective in reducing the risk of endoscopic or clinical recurrence of CD. Since these are preventative agents, the benefits of prophylaxis need to be weighed-against the risk of adverse events from, and costs of, therapy. Patients who are high risk for post-operative recurrence should be considered for early medical prophylaxis with an anti-TNF. Patients who have few to no risk factors are likely best served by a three-month course of antibiotics followed by tailored therapy based on endoscopy at one year. Clinical recurrence rates are variable, and methods to stratify patients into high and low risk populations combined with prophylaxis tailored to endoscopic recurrence would be an effective strategy in treating these patients.

Prevention of postoperative recurrence with azathioprine or infliximab in patients with Crohn's disease: an open-label pilot study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Patients with Crohn's disease (CD) often require surgery over their clinical course. However, endoscopic and clinical recurrence of disease appear respectively in up to 80% and 30% of patients after one year. Thus, a prophylactic treatment is needed to reduce the possibility of recurrence. Both azathioprine and infliximab have been demonstrated to be effective, but head to head studies have not been performed so far. Aim of this open-label prospective study was to analyse endoscopic, histological and clinical recurrence after one year of treatment with azathioprine or infliximab as postoperative therapies in CD patients with "high risk" of recurrence.

METHODS

Consecutive CD patients who underwent curative ileocolonic resection were randomized (1:1) to receive infliximab (standard induction and maintenance schedule) or azathioprine (2.5 mg/kg/day) for 1 year. Co-primary endpoints were endoscopic, histological and clinical recurrence after 12 months of therapy.

RESULTS

Twenty-two consecutive CD patients (15 male; median age 32 years, IQR 22-38) were enrolled after curative ileocolonic resection. Eleven patients were treated with infliximab and 11 received azathioprine. Among patients treated with azathioprine, 4/10 (40%) had endoscopic recurrence compared to 1/11 (9%) in the infliximab group (p=0.14). Eight out of 10 (80%) among those who received azathioprine had severe histological activity, whereas 2/11 (18%) in the infliximab group presented histological recurrence (p=0.008). No significant clinical differences were found between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Infliximab was more effective than azathioprine in reducing histological, but not endoscopic and clinical recurrence after curative ileocolonic resection in "high risk" CD patients.

Adalimumab is more effective than azathioprine and mesalamine at preventing postoperative recurrence of Crohn's disease: a randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVES

Postsurgical recurrence of Crohn's disease (CD) is very frequent and, to date, only infliximab has been shown to be useful in preventing it. The efficacy of adalimumab (ADA) is poorly known. We evaluated whether the administration of ADA after resective intestinal surgery reduces postoperative CD recurrence.

METHODS

We randomly assigned 51 patients with CD who had undergone ileocolonic resection to receive after 2 weeks from surgery ADA at the dose of 160/80/40 mg every two weeks, azathioprine (AZA) at 2 mg/kg/day, or mesalamine at 3 g/day, and they were followed up for 2 years. The primary end point was the proportion of patients with endoscopic and clinical recurrence. Secondary end point was the assessment of quality of life by means of a previously validated questionnaire.

RESULTS

The rate of endoscopic recurrence was significantly lower in ADA (6.3%) compared with the AZA (64.7%; odds ratio (OR)=0.036 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.004-0.347)) and mesalamine groups (83.3%; OR=0.013 (95% CI 0.001-0.143)). There was a significantly lower proportion of patients in clinical recurrence in the ADA group (12.5%) compared with the AZA (64.7%; OR=0.078 (95% CI 0.013-0.464)) and mesalamine groups (50%; (OR=0.143 (95% CI 0.025-0.819)). The quality of life was higher in the ADA (202) than in the AZA (90; OR=0.028 (95% CI 0.004-0.196)) and mesalamine groups (98; OR=0.015 (95% CI 0.002-0.134)).

CONCLUSIONS

The administration of ADA after intestinal resective surgery was greatly effective in preventing endoscopic and clinical recurrence of CD. Further larger studies are necessary to confirm the therapeutic advantage and to show the economic implications of biologic therapy in this field.

The evolving management of postoperative Crohn's disease

Two-thirds to three-quarters of Crohn's disease patients require intestinal surgery for medically refractory disease or complications. Surgery is not a cure and most patients develop recurrent Crohn's disease and require additional intestinal resections. There are a number of medications that have been investigated for preventing and treating recurrence. Risk factors for postoperative disease recurrence help guide the physician in determining the appropriate treatment strategy after Crohn's disease surgery. The approach to Crohn's disease treatment has evolved over the years. No longer should surgery be considered a failure of treatment, rather an important intervention to correct irreversible disease. In combination with a better understanding of postoperative medication strategies, patients with Crohn's disease may achieve longer term remission than previously realized. This review elucidates current understanding of the natural course of postoperative Crohn's disease, monitoring for recurrence, the risk factors for recurrence, and provides insight into an evolving new paradigm for postoperative Crohn's disease treatment.

Prevention of postoperative recurrence of Crohn's disease

BACKGROUND

Up to 75% of patients with Crohn's disease (CD) will have intestinal resection during their life. Most patients will, however, develop postoperative recurrence (endoscopic, clinical or surgical). Several medical and surgical strategies have been attempted to prevent postoperative recurrence. This review evaluates the efficacy of different drug regimens and surgical techniques in the prevention of clinical, endoscopic and surgical postoperative recurrence of CD.

METHODS

A literature search for randomized controlled trials on medical or surgical interventions was performed. The endpoints for efficacy were clinical, endoscopic and surgical recurrence. Meta-analyses were performed in case two or more RCTs evaluated the same drug or surgical technique.

RESULTS

Mesalamine is more effective in preventing clinical recurrence than placebo (P=0,012), as well as nitroimidazolic antibiotics at one year follow-up (P<0.001) and thiopurines (P=0.018). Nitroimidazolic antibiotics are also more effective than placebo in preventing endoscopic recurrence (P=0.037), as well as thiopurines (P=0.015) and infliximab (P=0.006). Budenoside, probiotics, Interleukin-10 nor any of the different surgical procedures showed any significant difference compared to placebo in postoperative recurrence rates of CD.

CONCLUSION

Among the different drug regimens and surgical techniques, only thiopurines and nitroimidazolic antibiotics are able to reduce postoperative clinical as well as endoscopic recurrence of CD. Mesalamine and infliximab also seem to be superior to placebo in preventing clinical recurrence and endoscopic recurrence, respectively. There is a paucity of trials evaluating long-term follow-up and prevention of surgical recurrence of CD.

Diagnosis, prevention and treatment of postoperative Crohn's disease recurrence

Ileocolonoscopy remains the gold standard in diagnosing postoperative recurrence. After excluding stricture, wireless capsule endoscopy seemed accurate in small series, but no validated score is available. Ultrasonography is a non-invasive diagnostic method reducing radiation exposure and emerging as an alternative tool for identifying post-operative recurrence. Computed tomography enteroclysis yields objective morphologic criteria that help differentiate between recurrent disease and fibrostenosis at the anastomotic site, but ionising radiation exposure limits its use. Magnetic resonance imaging may be as powerful as ileocolonoscopy in diagnosing postoperative recurrence and in predicting the clinical outcome using specific MR-scores. Biomarkers such as faecal calprotectin and faecal lactoferrin showed promising results, but their specificity in the postoperative period will require further investigation. Numerous medications have been tested to prevent and/or to treat postoperative recurrence. Efficacy of mesalamine is very low and comparable to placebo in most series. Thiopurines have modest efficacy in the postoperative setting and are associated with a high rate of adverse events leading to drug withdrawal. Antibiotics such as metronidazole or ornidazole may be effective, but toxicity and drug resistance prevent their long-term use. Anti-Tumour Necrosis Factor therapy is the most potent drug class to prevent and to treat postoperative recurrence in Crohn's disease.

Review article: the natural history of postoperative Crohn's disease recurrence

BACKGROUND

Surgical resection of the diseased bowel in Crohn's disease is unfortunately not curative, and postoperative recurrence remains a problem in these patients.

AIM

To review the rates of and risk factors for clinical and endoscopic recurrence in population-based studies, referral centres and randomised controlled trials.

METHODS

We searched MEDLINE (source PUBMED, 1966 to September, 2011).

RESULTS

In randomised controlled trials, clinical recurrence in the first year after surgery occurred in 10-38% of patients, whereas endoscopic recurrence in the first year was reported in 35-85% of patients. In population-based studies, approximately half of patients experienced clinical recurrence at 10 years. In referral centres, 48-93% of the patients had endoscopic lesions (Rutgeerts' score ≥1) in the neoterminal ileum within 1 year after surgery, whereas 20-37% had symptoms suggestive of clinical recurrence. Three years after surgery, the endoscopic postoperative recurrence rate increased to 85-100%, and symptomatic recurrence occurred in 34-86% of patients. Smoking is the strongest risk factor for postoperative recurrence, increasing by twofold, the risk of clinical recurrence. Prior intestinal resection, penetrating behaviour, perianal disease and extensive bowel disease (>50 cm) are established risk factors for postoperative recurrence. Risk factors for postoperative recurrence remain poorly defined in population-based cohorts.

CONCLUSION

Endoscopic and clinical postoperative recurrence remains common in patients with Crohn's disease, and the identification of risk factors may allow targeted strategies to reduce this recurrence rate.

Risk of postoperative recurrence and postoperative management of Crohn’s disease

Crohn’s disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the digestive tract with systemic manifestations. Etiology is unknown, even if immunological, genetic and environmental factors are involved. The majority of CD patients require surgery during their lifetime due to progressive bowel damage, but, even when all macroscopic lesions have been removed by surgery, the disease recurs in most cases. Postoperative management represents therefore a crucial mean for preventing recurrence. Several drugs and approaches have been proposed to achieve this aim. Endoscopic inspection of the ileocolic anastomosis within 1 year from surgery is widely encouraged, given that endoscopic recurrence is one of the greatest predictors for clinical recurrence. A strategy should be planned only after stratifying patients according to their individual risk of recurrence, avoiding unnecessary therapies when possible benefits are reduced, and selecting high-risk patients for more aggressive intervention.

Predicting, treating and preventing postoperative recurrence of Crohn's disease: the state of the field

The majority of patients diagnosed with Crohn's disease eventually require surgical intervention. Unfortunately, postsurgical remission tends to be short lived; a significant number of patients experience clinical relapse and many require additional operations. The pathogenesis of this postoperative recurrence is poorly understood and, currently, there are no reliable tools to predict when and in whom the disease will recur. Furthermore, the postoperative prophylaxis profiles of available Crohn's disease therapeutic agents such as 5-aminosalicylates, immunomodulators, steroids and probiotics have been disappointing. Recently, the combination of antibiotics and azathioprine in selected high-risk patients has demonstrated some potential for benefit. The goal of the present article is to provide a coherent summary of previous and new research to guide clinicians in managing the challenging and complex problem of postoperative Crohn's disease recurrence.

Oral 5-aminosalicylic acid for maintenance of surgically-induced remission in Crohn's disease

BACKGROUND

The use of 5-aminosalicylates (5-ASAs) in Crohn's disease (CD) is controversial.  A recent Cochrane review found that 5-ASAs are not effective for the maintenance of medically-induced remission in CD, but their role in the maintenance of surgically-induced remission is unclear.

OBJECTIVES

The objectives were to evaluate the efficacy and safety of 5-ASA agents for the maintenance of surgically-induced remission in CD.

SEARCH STRATEGY

The search was standardised and not limited by language and included electronic searching (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Inflammatory Bowel Disease Group Specialized Trials Register), reference searching of all included studies, abstracts from major meetings, personal contacts and drug companies.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) which compared 5-ASAs with either placebo or another intervention, with treatment durations of at least 6 months were considered for inclusion. Participants were patients of any age with CD in remission following surgery. Primary outcome measures were clinical relapse or endoscopic recurrence as defined by the primary studies. Secondary endpoints were the occurrence of adverse events.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Relevant papers were identified and the authors independently assessed the eligibility of trials. Methodological quality was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool.The Cochrane RevMan software was used for analyses. Patients with final missing outcomes were assumed to have relapsed. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated based on the fixed effects model. The chi square and I(2) statistics were used to assess statistical heterogeneity.

MAIN RESULTS

Nine RCTs were included in the review. Seven studies compared oral 5-ASA with placebo and two compared oral 5-ASA with purine antimetabolites (azathioprine or 6-mercaptopurine). 5-ASA was significantly more effective than placebo for preventing relapse (OR 0.68, 95% CI, 0.52 to 0.90). There was no statistically significant heterogeneity among the 8 trials comparing 5-ASA with placebo (P=0.47). No statistically significant difference in adverse events was found for 5-ASA versus placebo (OR 1.02, 95%CI, 0.60 to 1.76). No statistically significant difference was found between 5-ASA and purine antimetabolites for preventing relapses (OR 1.08 95% CI, 0.63 to 1.85).

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

The pooled analyses suggest that 5-ASA preparations may be superior to placebo for the maintenance of surgically-induced remission in patients with CD. The results of the pooled analyses should be interpreted with caution because adequately powered studies demonstrated no difference and publication bias (failure to publish negative studies) may be an issue. The potential benefit provided by 5-ASA drugs is modest with a number needed to treat of approximately 16 to 19 patients to avoid one relapse which raises issues about the cost-effectiveness of this therapy. However, 5-ASA drugs are safe and well tolerated. The incidence of adverse events was not different in patients receiving 5-ASA compared with those receiving placebo. There is insufficient evidence to allow any conclusions on how 5-ASA preparations compare with azathioprine or 6-mercaptopurine.

Aminosalicylates for induction of remission or response in Crohn's disease

BACKGROUND

Controlled clinical trials investigating the efficacy of aminosalicylates for the treatment of mildly to moderately active Crohn's disease have yielded conflicting results. A systematic review was conducted to critically examine current available data on the efficacy of sulfasalazine and mesalamine for inducing remission or clinical response in patients with mildly to moderately active Crohn's disease.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the efficacy of aminosalicylates compared to placebo, corticosteroids, and other aminosalicylates (alone or in combination with corticosteroids) for the treatment of mildly to moderately active Crohn's disease.

SEARCH STRATEGY

Separate MEDLINE (1966-July 2010), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL; Issue 3, 2010) and EMBASE database searches (1985-July 2010) of all relevant English and non-English language articles were performed, followed by manual searches of the reference list from potentially relevant papers and review articles, as well as proceedings from annual meetings (1991-2010) of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) and American College of Gastroenterology (ACG).

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomized controlled trials that evaluated the efficacy of sulfasalazine or mesalamine in the treatment of mildly to moderately active Crohn's disease compared to placebo, corticosteroids, and other aminosalicylates (alone or in combination with corticosteroids) were included.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Data extraction and assessment of methodological quality of each selected study was independently performed by the investigators and any disagreement was resolved by discussion and consensus. The primary outcome measure was a well defined clinical endpoint of induction of remission or response to treatment. Nineteen studies met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Pooled relative risks (RR) for inducing remission or clinical response and their 95% confidence intervals were calculated (random effects model) where appropriate.

MAIN RESULTS

Sulfasalazine was more likely to induce remission (RR 1.38; 95% CI 1.02 to 1.87; n = 263) compared to placebo with benefit confined mainly to patients with colitis. Sulfasalazine was less effective than corticosteroids (RR 0.66; 95% CI 0.53 to 0.81; n = 260). Olsalazine was less effective than placebo in a single trial. Low dose mesalamine (1 to 2 g/day) was not superior to placebo (RR = 1.46, 95% CI 0.89-2.40; n = 302) and was less effective than corticosteroids. High dose mesalamine (3 to 4.5 g/day) was not superior to placebo for induction of remission (RR 2.02; 95% CI 0.75 to 5.45) or response (Weighted Mean Difference -19.8 points; 95% CI -46.2 to 6.7; n = 615). In a single randomized controlled trial, 5-ASA was inferior to budesonide (RR 0.56; 95% CI 0.40 to 0.78). No statistically significant difference was found between high dose mesalamine and conventional corticosteroids (RR 1.04; 95% CI 0.79 to 1.36; n = 178). However, relatively few patients were available for analysis. There was a lack of good quality clinical trials comparing sulfasalazine with other mesalamine formulations.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Sulfasalazine has modest efficacy compared to placebo and is inferior to corticosteroids for the treatment of mild to moderately active Crohn's disease. Olsalazine and low dose mesalamine (1 to 2 g/day) are not superior to placebo. High dose mesalamine (3 to 4.5 g/day) is not more effective than placebo for inducing response or remission. High dose mesalamine was inferior to budesonide for inducing remission in a single trial. In conclusion, sulfasalazine shows modest efficacy for the treatment of active Crohn's disease. However, the existing data show little benefit for 5-aminosalicylates.

Postoperative management of Crohn disease

Crohn disease often recurs after surgical resection. Despite extensive research in the prevention of postoperative Crohn disease, optimal management strategies have yet to be defined. Risk of disease recurrence needs to be carefully balanced against potential risks associated with treatment. Patients with low risk of postoperative recurrence may not require medication, whereas those at moderate risk may benefit from antibiotics or immunomodulators. Those at highest risk of recurrence may benefit from biologic therapy for maintenance of surgical remission. Postoperative colonoscopy within 1 year of resective surgery is important for identification of disease recurrence and modification of medications.

Postoperative management of crohn disease

Crohn disease often recurs after surgical resection. Despite extensive research in the prevention of postoperative Crohn disease, optimal management strategies have yet to be defined. Risk of disease recurrence needs to be carefully balanced against potential risks associated with treatment. Patients with low risk of postoperative recurrence may not require medication, whereas those at moderate risk may benefit from antibiotics or immunomodulators. Those at highest risk of recurrence may benefit from biologic therapy for maintenance of surgical remission. Postoperative colonoscopy within 1 year of resective surgery is important for identification of disease recurrence and modification of medications.

Interventions for prevention of post-operative recurrence of Crohn's disease

BACKGROUND

Recurrence of Crohn's disease is common after intestinal resection. A number of agents have been studied in controlled trials with the goal of reducing the risk of endoscopic or clinical recurrence of Crohn's disease following surgery.

OBJECTIVES

To undertake a systematic review of the use of medical therapies for the prevention of post-operative recurrence of Crohn's disease

SEARCH STRATEGY

MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) were searched to identify relevant studies. References from selected papers and abstracts from Digestive Disease Week were also searched.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised controlled trials that compared medical therapy to placebo or other medical agents for the prevention of recurrence of intestinal Crohn's disease were selected for inclusion.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two authors reviewed all abstracts containing search terms, and those meeting inclusion criteria were selected for full data abstraction. Dichotomous data were summarised using relative risk and 95% confidence intervals. A fixed-effects model was used, and sensitivity analysis performed.

MAIN RESULTS

Twenty-three studies were identified for inclusion. Probiotics were not superior to placebo for any outcome measured. The use of nitroimidazole antibiotics appeared to reduce the risk of clinical (RR 0.23; 95%CI 0.09 to 0.57, NNT=4) and endoscopic (RR 0.44; 95%CI 0.26 to 0.74, NNT = 4) recurrence relative to placebo. However, these agents were associated with higher risk of serious adverse events (RR 2.39, 95% CI 1.5 to 3.7). Mesalamine therapy was associated with a significantly reduced risk of clinical recurrence (RR 0.76; 95% CI 0.62 to 0.94, NNT = 12), and severe endoscopic recurrence (RR 0.50; 95% CI 0.29 to 0.84, NNT = 8) when compared to placebo. Azathioprine/6MP was also associated with a significantly reduced risk of clinical recurrence (RR 0.59; 95% CI 0.38 to 0.92, NNT = 7), and severe endoscopic recurrence (RR 0.64; 95% CI 0.44 to 0.92, NNT = 4), when compared to placebo. Neither agent had a higher risk than placebo of serious adverse events. When compared to azathioprine/6MP, mesalamine was associated with a higher risk of any endoscopic recurrence (RR 1.45, 95% CI 1.03 to 2.06), but a lower risk of serious adverse events (RR 0.51; 95% CI 0.30 to 0.89). There was no significant difference between mesalamine and azathioprine/6MP for any other outcome.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

There are insufficient randomised controlled trials of infliximab, budesonide, tenovil and interleukin-10 to draw conclusions. Nitro-imidazole antibiotics, mesalamine and immunosuppressive therapy with azathioprine/6-MP or infliximab all appear to be superior to placebo for the prevention of post-operative recurrence of Crohn's disease. The cost, toxicity and tolerability of these approaches require careful consideration to determine the optimal approach for post-operative prophylaxis.

Endpoints for clinical trials evaluating disease modification and structural damage in adults with Crohn's disease

The management of Crohn's disease is rapidly changing. The advent of potent immunomodulatory and biologic therapies has led to more demanding endpoints for clinical trials than only clinical response and remission. Complete withdrawal of corticosteroids, healing of endoscopically visible lesions, and prevention of structural damage are only a few new endpoints that are finding their way into the clinical trials of today and those that are being developed for the future. Given the importance of selecting the most appropriate and relevant endpoints, the International Organization for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IOIBD) decided to develop guidelines that could be used by individual researchers, the pharmaceutical industry, and the regulatory bodies. The current document is to be read as a "position paper," which is the result of several years of discussion and consensus finding that was finally approved by the entire membership of the group. The proposed instruments will need further validation and standardization to demonstrate that they are reliable in stable disease and responsive to change, and to determine the cutoff points for response and remission.

Management and prevention of postoperative Crohn's disease

Postoperative Crohn's disease (CD) recurrence is a common occurrence after intestinal resection. Currently, the optimal management of patients who have undergone surgical resection is unknown and treatment remains subjective. Clinicians in conjunction with patients must balance the risks of recurrence against the potential risks associated with treatment. For those at very low risk of recurrence, no therapy may be needed; however, for patients at moderate risk immunomodulators should be considered. For those at highest risk of recurrence, biologic therapy, specifically antitumor necrosis factor agents, have emerged as appropriate treatment. Any postoperative management strategy should include a colonoscopy 6-12 months after surgery to identify recurrence. This review discusses current evidence for various pharmacologic approaches in the prevention of postoperative recurrence and provides guidance for clarifying patient risk.

Use of azathioprine and 6MP in postoperative Crohn's: changing natural history or just along for the ride?

There is currently no standard of care for the management of postoperative Crohn's disease (CD), partly because data from definitive trials are lacking. Despite the absence of such data, many experts advocate the selective use of azathioprine (AZA) or 6-mercaptopurine (6MP) in the prevention of postoperative recurrence in patients with risk factors for recurrence. In the current issue of The American Journal of Gastroenterology, Peyrin-Biroulet and colleagues quantified the efficacy of AZA/6MP in this setting by performing a meta-analysis of AZA/6MP trials. The implications of this work, both for the current management of postoperative Crohn's and the future design of clinical trials that are definitive in this group of patients, are discussed.

Postoperative Crohn's disease: prevention and treatment

Crohn's disease is a chronic, relapsing-remitting inflammatory disease of the intestinal tract that commonly requires surgical treatment. Unfortunately, the majority of patients will ultimately develop postoperative disease recurrence and require subsequent surgery. A number of medications have been researched for the maintenance of postoperative remission. Of these, few have demonstrated consistent efficacy. A recently published randomized, controlled trial indicated that infliximab is effective in the maintenance of postoperative remission.

Meta-analysis of medical treatment and placebo treatment for preventing postoperative recurrence in Crohn's disease (CD)

INTRODUCTION

We performed a meta-analysis to compare the clinical and endoscopic recurrence of medical treatment and placebo treatment for preventing postoperative recurrence in Crohn's disease.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Trials were located through Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Ovid, Sciencedirect, and Ingenta electronic databases. From 124 articles screened, 14 were identified as randomized placebo-controlled trials and were included for data extraction. Main outcome measures were clinical recurrence, endoscopic recurrence, and severe endoscopic recurrence. The meta-analysis was performed with the fixed-effects model.

RESULT

Fourteen studies with 1,497 participants were analyzed. In the intention-to-treat analysis, medical treatment was associated with a significantly lower incidence of clinical recurrence (relative risk of 0.74, 95% confidence interval 0.64-0.87, P = 0.000], but there were no significant differences in endoscopic recurrence (0.94, 0.83-1.07, P = 0.353) and severe endoscopic recurrence (0.83, 0.60-1.16, P = 0.281) between the two groups. When using per-protocol analysis, the results is similar, medical treatment was associated with a significantly lower incidence of clinical recurrence (0.84, 0.72-0.97, P = 0.020), but there were no significant differences in endoscopic recurrence (0.94, 0.85-1.05, P = 0.268) or severe endoscopic recurrence (0.76, 0.55-1.04, P = 0.084) between the two groups of patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Medical treatment has a sufficiently beneficial effect on decreasing the risk of clinical postoperative recurrence in patients with CD.

Postoperative therapy for Crohn's disease

Prevention of the postoperative recurrence of Crohn's disease (CD) remains a challenging clinical problem. The majority of patients with CD will need surgery for treatment of the disease, most of these patients will develop recurrent symptoms within 5 years postoperatively, and many patients will need reoperation within 10 years. In patients with an ileocolic anastomosis, endoscopic recurrence precedes clinical recurrence and the severity of endoscopic recurrence correlates with the risk of clinical recurrence. Despite multiple studies, the best postoperative prophylactic therapy remains uncertain. Numerous randomized controlled trials of 5-aminosalicylates have shown only modest effect. Antibiotics, including metronidazole and ornidazole, decrease short-term, but not long-term endoscopic recurrence and are limited by side effects. Immunomodulators have yet to be extensively evaluated, although limited data suggest possible efficacy in preventing postoperative recurrence, particularly in high-risk patients. This review will evaluate the current state of the art therapy for postoperative prophylaxis in CD, with an emphasis on critical analysis of the available randomized controlled trials.

Meta-analysis of the placebo rates of clinical relapse and severe endoscopic recurrence in postoperative Crohn's disease

BACKGROUNDS & AIMS

The benefit of therapy for prevention of postoperative recurrence of Crohn's disease (CD) is limited. Clinical relapse and severe endoscopic recurrence are the main outcomes in the evaluation of trials on prevention of recurrence. The aim of this meta-analysis was to focus on knowledge of the placebo rates of relapse and recurrence in postoperative CD and to identify factors influencing these rates.

METHODS

We performed a meta-analysis of placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trials, evaluating therapies for postoperative maintenance of CD identified on MEDLINE from 1990 to 2006. Primary outcomes were clinical relapse and severe endoscopic recurrence.

RESULTS

The pooled estimate of the placebo relapse rate was 23.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 13-35; range 0-78). There was a statistically significant heterogeneity among studies (P < .0001). Heterogeneity in clinical relapse was present even if the trials were stratified according to the time of outcome. The pooled estimate of the severe endoscopic recurrence rate was 50.2% (95% CI, 28-73; range, 30-79). There was significant heterogeneity among the studies (P = .00038). This heterogeneity was less apparent in studies carried out within 12 months. The logistic analysis identified only duration of follow-up as a variable associated with different placebo relapse rates. No variable was identified as a predictor of a placebo endoscopic recurrence rate.

CONCLUSIONS

There is significant heterogeneity among placebo rates in postoperative CD. No single design variable was identified that explained the heterogeneity in placebo outcomes for clinical or endoscopic recurrence.

Meta-analysis: factors predicting post-operative recurrence with placebo therapy in patients with Crohn's disease

BACKGROUND

The use of placebo in randomized clinical trials (PC-RCTs) is often required to evaluate drug efficacy in maintenance of Crohn's disease (CD).

AIM

To determine pooled estimates of placebo rates of maintaining clinical remission and endoscopic recurrence following surgery for CD and identify factors that influenced placebo outcomes.

METHODS

We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of PC-RCTs evaluating post-operative maintenance therapies for CD identified from MEDLINE from 1966 to 2005.

RESULTS

Twelve studies met our inclusion criteria. The pooled placebo rate of maintaining clinical remission was 56% (95% CI 47-64%; range 34-89%) during a median follow-up of 52 weeks (range 12-156 weeks), but significant heterogeneity existed among the studies (P < 0.001). Prior steroid therapy was the only factor found to be associated with maintaining remission (P = 0.04). The pooled placebo endoscopic recurrence rate was 58% (95% CI 51-65%; range 36-80%) during a median follow-up of 52 weeks (range 12-156 weeks), with significant heterogeneity noted (P = 0.0003). Prior surgery, concomitant small bowel and colonic disease, fistulizing phenotype, or prior immunomodulator therapy influenced endoscopic recurrence (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Placebo rates in PC-RCTs evaluating post-operative clinical and endoscopic recurrence demonstrate significant variability, which is influenced by specific study characteristics.

Wireless capsule endoscopy and small intestine contrast ultrasonography in recurrence of Crohn's disease

BACKGROUND

The best available tool to assess recurrence of Crohn's disease (CD) is ileocolonoscopy (CC). Small intestine contrast ultrasonography (SICUS) and wireless capsule endoscopy (WCE) are noninvasive techniques able to detect small bowel lesions. In a prospective longitudinal study, we aimed to investigate the usefulness of SICUS and WCE for assessing postoperative recurrence of CD 1 year after surgery, using CC as the gold standard.

METHODS

Twenty-two patients (11 men, median age 33 years, range 22-67 years) undergoing ileocolonic resection for CD were prospectively followed from July 2003 to May 2006, with the Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) used for clinical assessment every 3 months for 1 year. At 1 year, recurrence was assessed by SICUS and CC, followed by WCE. CD recurrence was assessed by CC (Rutgeerts score). SICUS was performed after ingestion of polyethylene glycol, and WCE was performed with Given M2A equipment.

RESULTS

At 1 year, all 22 patients had inactive CD (CDAI < 150). In 5 patients, WCE was not performed because of luminal narrowing or stenosis. Seventeen of the 22 patients had all 3 techniques performed. CC detected recurrence in 21 of 22 patients. Lesions compatible with recurrence were detected by SICUS in all 22 patients (1 false positive). When considering only the 17 patients studied by all 3 techniques, recurrence was detected by CC in 16 of 17 patients, whereas lesions compatible with recurrence were detected by SICUS in all 17 patients (16 true positives [TPs], 1 FP) and by WCE in 16 of 17 patients (16 TPs, 1 true negative).

CONCLUSIONS

The present findings suggest that SICUS and WCE may be used as noninvasive techniques for the assessment of recurrence of CD in patients being regularly followed up after ileocolonic resection.

Review article: can post-operative recurrence in Crohn's disease be prevented?

The decision regarding prophylactic treatment after surgery in Crohn's disease (CD) requires a good estimation of the risk of recurrence. It is also important to consider the consequences of recurrence for the patient, and the risks and benefits of treatment, bearing in mind that it will be given over a long period. Several drugs have been tried to decrease the risk of recurrence. Corticosteroids and budesonide have proved to be ineffective. Mesalazine has significant efficacy in some, but not all trials, and a meta-analysis has established that it decreases the absolute risk by 10-15% after 1-2 years. Mercaptopurine seemed to be effective in a recent study. Metronidazole and ornidazole have significant efficacy, but cannot be tolerated for long periods. Probiotics represent a new approach, but evidence for their efficacy in CD is still lacking. In the past, the strategy was to give no treatment until clinical recurrence. Another approach is to give no treatment, and then to treat the patient according to severity of endoscopic recurrence. Alternative strategies include treating all patients with mesalazine until either severe endoscopic or clinical recurrence occurs, and then to use azathioprine/mercaptopurine, or to give azathioprine/mercaptopurine immediately, especially in high-risk patients.

Early and frequent histological recurrence of Crohn's disease in small intestinal allografts

BACKGROUND

Recurrence of Crohn's disease in small intestinal allografts, although rarely described, can cause serious morbidity and jeopardize graft survival among transplant recipients with Crohn's disease. However, systematic studies to determine the frequency, predictors, and clinical implications of recurrent Crohn's disease have not been reported

METHODS

We analyzed our transplant program's experience with small intestinal allografts in patients with Crohn's disease based on retrospective review of clinical and pathological records and corresponding pathology slides.

RESULTS

Of 67 patients undergoing 70 transplantations between 1998 and 2004, six adults (three males, three females; mean age 48.1 years) had Crohn's disease complicated by short gut syndrome and total parenteral nutrition failure. Four survivors surveyed endoscopically for a mean 29 (range, 20-40) months and underwent a mean 37 endoscopic examinations with biopsies (range, 31-44) while on maintenance immunosuppression. Despite absence of any endoscopic or clinical manifestations of Crohn's disease throughout this period, two patients had granulomatous enteritis characteristic of Crohn's disease in multiple biopsies, one patient in 8/44 examinations (18%) ranging from 34 days to 20 months postoperatively and the other in 6/32 examinations (19%) ranging from 20 days to 22 months postoperatively. No comparable changes occurred in 57 other patients without Crohn's disease followed endoscopically under the same protocol

CONCLUSIONS

Histological recurrence of Crohn's disease may occur in small intestinal allografts despite the absence of endoscopic and clinical disease manifestations. Such recurrences are probably not rare, may occur as early as 3 weeks after transplantation, and do not necessarily portend early clinical recurrence or mandate aggressive therapy to prevent allograft loss.