Innate immune receptor genetic polymorphisms in pouchitis: is CARD15 a susceptibility factor?

The aetiology of pouchitis in patients with inflammatory bowel disease

Restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis is a treatment option for patients with refractory ulcerative colitis. Pouchitis is the most common complication, representing a spectrum of diseases ranging from acute antibiotic-responsive type to chronic antibiotic-refractory. Early accurate diagnosis using a combined assessment of symptoms, endoscopy and histology is important for both treatment and prognostication. Most patients respond well to antibiotic therapy; however, management of chronic antibiotic-refractory pouchitis remains a challenge, and treatment options are based on small studies. Pouchitis is thought to be driven by the interaction between genetics, the immune system and the environment but as yet a causal relationship has yet to be identified. Further longitudinal assessment of the pouch integrating new technologies may help us understand the factors driving pouchitis. This review outlines the currently understood risk factors and aetiology of pouchitis.

Medical management of chronic pouch inflammation

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Microbiome Analysis of Mucosal Ileoanal Pouch in Ulcerative Colitis Patients Revealed Impairment of the Pouches Immunometabolites

The pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC) is unknown, although genetic loci and altered gut microbiota have been implicated. Up to a third of patients with moderate to severe UC require proctocolectomy with ileal pouch ano-anastomosis (IPAA). We aimed to explore the mucosal microbiota of UC patients who underwent IPAA.

METHODS

For microbiome analysis, mucosal specimens were collected from 34 IPAA individuals. Endoscopic and histological examinations of IPAA were normal in 21 cases, while pouchitis was in 13 patients. 19 specimens from the healthy control (10 from colonic and 9 from ileum) were also analyzed. Data were analyzed using an ensemble of software packages: QIIME2, coda-lasso, clr-lasso, PICRUSt2, and ALDEx2.

RESULTS

IPAA specimens had significantly lower bacterial diversity as compared to normal. The microbial composition of the normal pouch was also decreased also when compared to pouchitis. Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Gemmiger formicilis, Blautia obeum, Ruminococcus torques, Dorea formicigenerans, and an unknown species from Roseburia were the most uncommon in pouch/pouchitis, while an unknown species from Enterobacteriaceae was over-represented. Propionibacterium acnes and Enterobacteriaceae were the species most abundant in the pouchitis and in the normal pouch, respectively. Predicted metabolic pathways among the IPAA bacterial communities revealed an important role of immunometabolites such as SCFA, butyrate, and amino acids.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings showed specific bacterial signature hallmarks of dysbiosis and could represent bacterial biomarkers in IPAA patients useful to develop novel treatments in the future by modulating the gut microbiota through the administration of probiotic immunometabolites-producing bacterial strains and the addition of specific prebiotics and the faecal microbiota transplantation.

Pouchitis: Clinical Features, Diagnosis, and Treatment

Procto-colectomy with an ileal pouch anal anastomosis is the procedure of choice for ulcerative colitis patients that require colectomy. Pouchitis is a non-specific inflammation of the ileal reservoir, and the most common, inflammatory and long-term, complication after pouch surgery for ulcerative colitis. The aetiology is still unknown, but many risk factors have been individuated. Pouchitis can be classified based on aetiology, duration, clinical course, and response to antibiotic therapy. Accurate diagnosis and classification is the key factor for an adequate management, and exclusion of secondary causes of pouchitis is pivotal. Most of the patients consistently respond to antibiotic therapy, but management of the subgroup of patients with chronic-antibiotic-resistant-pouchitis is still challenging, being this entity one of the major causes of pouch failure.

Medical treatment of pouchitis: a guide for the clinician

Pouchitis is the most common complication in patients who have undergone restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA). Up to 81% of IPAA patients experience pouchitis, with 40% of patients presenting within the first year of surgery. Common risk factors include genetic mutations, extensive colitis, rheumatologic disorders, and primary sclerosing cholangitis. Currently, there are no medications with approved indications for pouchitis. As such, the conventional treatment of pouchitis is entirely off-label. This paper is intended to be a practical and up-to-date review of available therapies used for the management of pouchitis. The mainstay of treatment for acute pouchitis remains antibiotics, but newer therapeutics have also shown promise in the treatment of chronic pouchitis. Common lifestyle considerations that may play a role in pouchitis are also reviewed.

PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY

Medical treatment of pouchitis: a guide for the clinician The ileal pouch-anal anastomosis ("pouch") is the most common way patients who require surgery to remove their colon are able to avoid a permanent ileostomy ("ostomy"). This pouch, created from the small intestines, serves as a reservoir to hold stool. The most common complication after pouch surgery is pouchitis. Pouchitis symptoms include more frequent bowel movements, urgency to defecate, blood in the stool, incontinence, and abdominal pain. This paper is intended to be a practical review of available therapies including medications and lifestyle changes that can be considered for the management of acute pouchitis, chronic pouchitis, and cuffitis.

Chronic Antibiotic-Refractory Pouchitis: Management Challenges

Background

Pouchitis is the most common long-term complication in patients with ulcerative colitis who underwent restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis. The incidence of acute pouchitis is 20% after 1 year and up to 40% after 5 years. Chronic antibiotic-refractory pouchitis develops in approximately 10% of patients.

Aim

To present a narrative review of published literature regarding the management of chronic antibiotic-refractory pouchitis.

Methods

Current relevant literature was summarized and critically evaluated.

Results

Clear definitions should be used to classify pouchitis into acute versus chronic, and responsive versus dependent versus refractory to antibiotics. Before treatment is started for chronic antibiotic-refractory pouchitis, secondary causes should be ruled out. There is a need for validated scoring systems to measure the severity of the disease. Because chronic antibiotic-refractory pouchitis is a rare condition, only small studies with often a poor study design have been performed. Treatments with antibiotics, aminosalicylates, steroids, immunomodulators and biologics have shown to be effective and safe for chronic antibiotic-refractory pouchitis. Also, treatments with AST-120, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, tacrolimus enemas, and granulocyte and monocyte apheresis suggested some efficacy.

Conclusion

The available data are weak but suggest that therapeutic options for chronic antibiotic-refractory pouchitis are similar to the treatment strategies for inflammatory bowel diseases. However, randomized controlled trials are warranted to further identify the best treatment options in this patient population.

Pouchitis in pediatric ulcerative colitis: A multicenter study on behalf of Italian Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition

BACKGROUND

Data on the epidemiology and risk factors for pouchitis following restorative proctocolectomy and ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) in pediatric patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) are scarce.

AIMS

To determine incidence, risk factors and clinical outcome of pouchitis following IPAA in children.

METHODS

This multicenter, retrospective cohort study, included all pediatric UC patients who underwent colectomy and IPAA from January 2010 to December 2016.

RESULTS

Eighty-five patients were enrolled. During a median post-surgical period of 24.8 (range: 1.0-72.0) months following IPAA, 38 (44.7%) patients developed pouchitis, including 6 (15.8%) who developed chronic pouchitis. Kaplan-Meier survival estimates of the cumulative probability for pouchitis were 14.6% at 1 year and 27.3% and 51.5% at 2 and 5 years, respectively. Multiple Cox regression model showed that older age at colectomy (hazard ratio, HR: 0.89, p = 0.008) was a protective factor, whereas chronic active colitis as indication for surgery (HR: 4.45, p < 0.001), and a 3-stage IPAA (HR: 2.86, p = 0.028) increased the risk for pouchitis.

CONCLUSIONS

Long-term risk for pouchitis is significantly high in pediatric-onset UC after IPAA. Younger age at colectomy, chronic active colitis as indication for surgery and 3-stage IPAA may increase the risk for pouchitis.

Predictors for Pouchitis After Ileal Pouch-Anal Anastomosis for Pediatric-Onset Ulcerative Colitis

BACKGROUND

The predictive factors for the development of pouchitis after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) in pediatric-onset ulcerative colitis (UC) have not been well investigated. The present study aimed to determine the predictive factors for the development of pouchitis after IPAA in the pediatric UC population.

METHODS

The data from 54 patients with pediatric-onset UC who underwent IPAA in Mie University Hospital between 2000 and 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. A modified pouchitis disease activity index of ≥5 was defined as pouchitis. Potential preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative predictors for pouchitis including various demographic and clinical variables were analyzed using Cox regression analysis, Students' t-tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, and Kaplan-Meier curves. The optimal cutoff value for continuous variables was determined using the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.

RESULTS

Pouchitis was identified in 17 (31.5%) patients within 5 y of follow-up. In multivariable analysis, the independent predictors for pouchitis were preoperative cumulative steroid dose of >10,000 mg (P = 0.0056) and >65% neutrophils just before IPAA (P = 0.032). Multivariate analysis revealed that the independent predictors of pouchitis were a total steroid dose of >10,000 mg (P = 0.0002) and a neutrophil percentage of >65% (P = 0.0078). No patient for whom both of these independent predictors were negative developed pouchitis, whereas >40% of patients who had one or both predictors developed pouchitis.

CONCLUSIONS

In pediatric patients with UC, the predictive factors for pouchitis development are a greater cumulative total dose of steroids and a greater percentage of neutrophils before IPAA.

A Personalized Approach to Managing Patients With an Ileal Pouch-Anal Anastomosis

Quality of life after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) surgery is generally good. However, patients can be troubled by pouch-related symptoms and pouch disorders that can be inflammatory, mechanical/surgical, and functional. Management of patients with IPAA begins with measures to maintain a healthy pouch such as optimizing pouch function, providing tailored advice on a healthy diet and lifestyle, screening for and addressing metabolic complications of IPAA, pouch surveillance, and risk stratification for risk of pouchitis and pouch failure. Pouchitis is the most common inflammatory disorder. Primary pouchitis is a spectrum currently classified into three progressive phases-an antibiotic-responsive, an antibiotic-dependent, and an antibiotic-refractory phase. It is predominately microbially mediated in acute antibiotic-responsive pouchitis and predominately immune mediated in chronic antibiotic-refractory pouchitis (CARP). Secondary prophylaxis is recommended for recurrent antibiotic-responsive and for antibiotic-dependent pouchitis. Secondary causes of antibiotic-refractory pouchitis should be ruled out before a diagnosis of CARP is made. CARP is best classified as primary sclerosing cholangitis associated, immunoglobulin G4-associated, and autoimmune. Primary sclerosing cholangitis-associated CARP can be treated with budesonide or oral vancomycin. Early recognition of immunoglobulin G4-associated pouchitis minimizes ineffective antibiotic use. Autoimmune CARP can be managed in a manner similar to UC. The current place of immunosuppressives in the treatment algorithm depends on availability and early access to biological agents. Vedolizumab and ustekinumab are the preferred first- and second-line biologics for autoimmune CARP owing to their efficacy, better side effect profile, and low immunogenicity and need for concomitant immunomodulatory therapy. Antitumor necrosis factor should be reserved for autoimmune CARP failing the above and for CD of the pouch. There are no guidelines for the surveillance of pouches for dysplasia. Incidence varies based on a patient's risk. Since incidence is low, a risk-stratified approach is recommended.

Management of Paediatric Ulcerative Colitis, Part 1: Ambulatory Care-An Evidence-based Guideline From European Crohn's and Colitis Organization and European Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition

BACKGROUND

The contemporary management of ambulatory ulcerative colitis (UC) continues to be challenging with ∼20% of children needing a colectomy within childhood years. We thus aimed to standardize daily treatment of pediatric UC and inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD)-unclassified through detailed recommendations and practice points.

METHODS

These guidelines are a joint effort of the European Crohn's and Colitis Organization (ECCO) and the Paediatric IBD Porto group of European Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN). An extensive literature search with subsequent evidence appraisal using robust methodology was performed before 2 face-to-face meetings. All 40 included recommendations and 86 practice points were endorsed by 43 experts in Paediatric IBD with at least an 88% consensus rate.

RESULTS

These guidelines discuss how to optimize the use of mesalamine (including topical), systemic and locally active steroids, thiopurines and, for more severe disease, biologics. The use of other emerging therapies and the role of surgery are also covered. Algorithms are provided to aid therapeutic decision-making based on clinical assessment and the Paediatric UC Activity Index (PUCAI). Advice on contemporary therapeutic targets incorporating the use of calprotectin and the role of therapeutic drug monitoring are presented, as well as other management considerations around pouchitis, extraintestinal manifestations, nutrition, growth, psychology, and transition. A brief section on disease classification using the PIBD-classes criteria and IBD-unclassified is also part of these guidelines.

CONCLUSIONS

These guidelines provide a guide to clinicians managing children with UC and IBD-unclassified management to provide modern management strategies while maintaining vigilance around appropriate outcomes and safety issues.

NOD2 Genetic Variants Predispose One of Two Familial Adenomatous Polyposis Siblings to Pouchitis Through Microbiome Dysbiosis

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Individuals with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) may undergo a total proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) to surgically treat their disease. Inflammation of the ileal pouch, termed pouchitis, is uncommon in FAP patients but prevalent in patients who received IPAA for ulcerative colitis, a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

METHODS AND RESULTS

We report on two FAP siblings, living in the same household, who underwent IPAA surgery within one week of each other. Their mother also had an IPAA for FAP. One sibling developed pouchitis while his brother and mother have remained pouchitis-free. We investigated the genetic and microbial factors that might explain the development of pouchitis in the one sibling. We surveyed DNA isolated from the two brothers and their parents for NOD2 IBD risk variants by Sanger sequencing. The composition of mucosa-associated bacteria was analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing on terminal ileum and rectal tissue collected at the time of surgical resection from the two brothers. The sibling with pouchitis inherited the IBD-associated risk alleles for NOD2 (rs17221417 and rs2076756) from his healthy father. Both the mother and unaffected brother lacked these variants. Microbiome sequencing of the terminal ileum and rectum found reduced levels of potentially 'beneficial' bacteria (Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Bacteroides, and Ruminococcaceae) in the sibling with pouchitis relative to his brother.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that the NOD2 signaling pathway may contribute to intrinsic bacterial dysbiosis which is pre-existing and which may then predispose individuals to pouchitis after IPAA surgery.

Predictors of Pouchitis After Ileal Pouch-Anal Anastomosis in Children

OBJECTIVES

Predictive factors for the development of pouchitis after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) in children have not been well studied. In this retrospective study, the incidence and risk factors that predict pouchitis in children with IPAA will be identified.

METHODS

The records of patients who underwent IPAA surgery at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin between January 2000 and December 2013 were reviewed retrospectively. Patients with clinical, endoscopic, and histological findings consistent with pouchitis were identified. The groups of patients with and without pouchitis or chronic pouchitis were compared to determine which demographic, pathological, or disease characteristics may serve as predictive factors for the development of pouchitis or chronic pouchitis.

RESULTS

Out of a total of 60 patients who underwent IPAA, preoperative diagnosis was ulcerative colitis (UC) in 43 and familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) in 17. Pouchitis was identified in 24 (56%) patients with UC and 2 (12%) patients with FAP. Subgroup analysis of patients with UC revealed that chronic pouchitis occurred in 15 (35%) patients. The median follow-up period from construction of the IPAA was 35 months (range 4.59-104.26 months). The study analysis revealed that a higher Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis Activity Index score at the time of diagnosis was a significant predictive factor for both pouchitis (P = 0.001) and chronic pouchitis (P = 0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with UC and a higher PUCAI score at the time of diagnosis have a higher risk for developing pouchitis.

The therapeutic potential of antibiotics and probiotics in the treatment of pouchitis

Pouchitis is the most frequent long-term complication of pouch surgery for ulcerative colitis. There is consistent evidence on the implication of bacterial flora in the pathogenesis of pouchitis, and there is evidence for a therapeutic role of antibiotics and probiotics in therapy of this disease. Antibiotics, particularly ciprofloxacin and metronidazole, are the mainstay of treatment for acute pouchitis. In chronic refractory pouchitis, after having excluded other diagnoses (infections, Crohn's disease of the pouch, ischemia and irritable pouch), antibiotic combination therapy is the treatment of choice. The highly concentrated probiotic mixture VSL#3 has been shown to be effective in prevention of pouchitis onset and in maintaining antibiotic-induced remission.

The current place of probiotics and prebiotics in the treatment of pouchitis

Pouchitis is a common complication in patients undergoing restorative proctocolectomy for ulcerative colitis. Therapeutic attempts include manipulations of pouch flora composition. In this review, we bring together the evidence supporting the use of probiotics and prebiotics in pouchitis patients, to clarify the place of these treatments in current therapeutic regimens.

The use of prognostic factors in inflammatory bowel diseases

The disease spectrum and natural course of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are highly variable. The majority of Crohn's disease patients will require surgery at a certain stage in their disease compared to only a fraction of the ulcerative colitis patients. Similarly, some patients are destined to experience an indolent disease course while others will require early intensive therapy. Ideally, these subtypes of patients should be identified as early as possible with the help of reliable prognostic factors in order to guide personalized therapeutic decisions. In this review, the authors focused on the most relevant reports on the use of different prognostic factors to predict disease course, postoperative recurrence and response to therapy in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. The last 15 years have seen a wealth of novel genetic and serological markers of disease severity. Nevertheless, none of these markers have proven to be superior to careful clinical phenotyping and endoscopic features early in the disease course. Future attempts should apply an integrated approach that unites clinical, serological and (epi)genetic information with environmental influences, with a clear focus on the microbiome to ultimately identify molecular-based and clinically relevant subgroups.

Comparison of long-term outcomes of S and J pouches and continent ileostomies in ulcerative colitis patients with restorative proctocolectomy-experience in subspecialty pouch center

BACKGROUND

There are no published studies comparing pouch configurations and long-term adverse outcomes.

AIM

To evaluate outcomes of ulcerative colitis (UC) patients undergoing restorative proctocolectomy with S-, J- pouches or continent ileostomy (CI).

METHODS

We conducted a historical cohort study from the prospectively maintained Pouch Registry. Demographic and clinical variables were evaluated with univariate and multivariable analyses.

RESULTS

Fourty-five patients with S pouches and 36 with CI (33 K pouches and 3 Barnett continent ileal reservoirs) were compared with 215 J pouches serving as controls (ratio 1:2.5). In multivariable analysis, patients with S pouches were 93% less likely to develop chronic antibiotic-refractory pouchitis (CARP) than subjects with J pouches (odds ratio [OR]=0.07; 95% confidence interval: <0.001, 0.54; p<0.001). However, no significant difference in the frequency of CARP was found between the CI and J pouch groups (OR=0.68; 95% confidence interval: 0.17, 2.00, p=0.40). Patients with S pouches were 8 times more likely (95% confidence interval: 3.7, 17.5; p<0.001) and patients with CI 5.6 had times more likely (95% confidence interval: 2.4, 13.3; p<0.001) to have pouch surgery-related complications than those with J pouches. There was no difference in the rate of CD of the pouch, pouch-associated hospitalization and pouch failure between the S- pouch, CI and J- pouch groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with J pouches appeared to have a greater risk for chronic pouchitis than those with S-pouches and but had a lower risk for developing pouch surgery-related complications than those with S pouches or CI.

Managing intractable proctitis and the problematic pouch

Proctitis accounts for a significant proportion of cases of ulcerative colitis (UC), and some patients subsequently develop more extensive disease. However, most patients continue to have limited inflammation, although the changes in the distal colon and rectum can occasionally be severe, and symptoms of increased frequency, rectal bleeding and urgency can be as disabling as they are for patients with more extensive colitis. Furthermore, although symptoms are typically well controlled with standard medications, medically refractory proctitis poses particular problems. Patients generally are not systemically unwell, and there is no added fear of cancer. Therefore, the prospect of colectomy for such limited disease is resisted by patients, physicians and surgeons alike. Unusual therapies, often delivered locally by enema or suppository, have been tested in small case series without definitive outcomes. The pathogenesis of such limited, yet intractable inflammation remains unclear, and the differential diagnosis should be carefully reviewed to ensure that local disease, whether it is infectious, vascular, or a result of injury or degeneration, is not overlooked. Ileo-anal pouch formation is the surgery of choice for about 20% of patients with UC who undergo colectomy. In the majority of cases, this surgery results in an acceptable quality of life and freedom from a stoma. However, in a sizeable minority of cases, pouch dysfunction can cause intractable problems. The causes of pouch dysfunction are varied and must all be considered carefully, particularly in refractory cases. Pouchitis is a common issue and is usually transient and easily treated. However, refractory and chronic pouchitis can be challenging. Ischaemia, injury, infection and Crohn's disease can all cause refractory pouch dysfunction. In a minority of cases, there appears to be no apparent organic pathology, and the presumptive diagnosis is that of a functional pouch disorder. Although it is much rarer, neoplastic changes in the pouch must also be considered, and the risk managed appropriately. The management of both intractable proctitis and the problematic pouch is made more challenging by the wide differential diagnosis that must be considered and by the paucity of high-quality clinical trials to support any one therapy. Key strategies to overcoming these limitations include methodical and systematic investigation and review, and a willingness to tailor therapy to the individual patient. Clinical trials of new treatments should be supported, and data from the experience with small cohorts of patients should be meticulously collected, critically analysed and widely disseminated.

Advances in IBD genetics

IBD is a spectrum of chronic disorders that constitute an important health problem worldwide. The hunt for genetic determinants of disease onset and course has culminated in the Immunochip project, which has identified >160 loci containing IBD susceptibility genes. In this Review, we highlight how genetic association studies have informed our understanding of the pathogenesis of IBD by focusing research efforts on key pathways involved in innate immunity, autophagy, lymphocyte differentiation and chemotaxis. Several of these novel genetic markers and cellular pathways are promising candidates for patient stratification and therapeutic targeting.

Clostridium difficile enteritis: a new role for an old foe

BACKGROUND

Small bowel involvement of Clostridium difficile is increasingly encountered. Data on many management aspects are lacking.

AIM

To synthesis existing reports and assess the frequency, pathophysiology, outcomes, risk factors, diagnosis and management of C. difficle enteritis.

METHODS

A systematic review of the literature was conducted to evaluate evidence regarding frequency, pathophysiology, risk factors, optimal diagnosis, management and outcomes for C. difficle enteritis. Three major databases (PubMed, MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library) were searched. The review included original articles reporting C. difficle enteritis from January 1950 to December 2012.

RESULTS

C. difficle enteritis is rare but increasingly encountered. Presentation is variable and distinct predisposing factors include emergency surgery, white race and increased age. Diagnosis generally involves a sensitive but often non specific screening test for C. difficile antigens. Oral metronidazole represents first line therapy and surgery may be required for complications. Outcomes are inconsistent but may be improving.

CONCLUSIONS

A high index of clinical suspicion, early diagnosis and treatment are vital. Further prospective studies are needed to determine the significance of asymptomatic small bowel C. difficile infections.

Pouchitis: what every gastroenterologist needs to know

Pouchitis is the most common complication among patients with ulcerative colitis who have undergone restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis. Pouchitis is actually a spectrum of diseases that vary in etiology, pathogenesis, phenotype, and clinical course. Although initial acute episodes typically respond to antibiotic therapy, patients can become dependent on antibiotics or develop refractory disease. Many factors contribute to the course of refractory pouchitis, such as the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, infection with Clostridium difficile, pouch ischemia, or concurrent immune-mediated disorders. Identification of these secondary factors can help direct therapy.

The NOD2insC polymorphism is associated with worse outcome following ileal pouch-anal anastomosis for ulcerative colitis

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory complications after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) for ulcerative colitis (UC) are common.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether genetic factors are associated with adverse pouch outcomes such as chronic pouchitis (CP) and a Crohn's disease-like (CDL) phenotype.

DESIGN

866 patients were recruited from three centres in North America: Mount Sinai Hospital (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), the Cleveland Clinic (Cleveland, Ohio, USA) and Penn State Milton S Hershey Medical Center (Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA). DNA and clinical and demographic information were collected. Subjects were classified into post-surgical outcome groups: no chronic pouchitis (NCP), CP and CDL phenotype.

RESULTS

Clinical and genetic data were available on 714 individuals. 487 (68.2%) were classified as NCP, 118 (16.5%) CP and 109 (15.3%) CDL. The presence of arthritis or arthropathy (p=0.02), primary sclerosing cholangitis (p=0.009) and duration of time from ileostomy closure to recruitment (p=0.001) were significantly associated with outcome. The NOD2insC (rs2066847) risk variant was the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) most significantly associated with pouch outcome (p=7.4×10(-5)). Specifically, it was associated with both CP and CDL in comparison with NCP (OR=3.2 and 4.3, respectively). Additionally, SNPs in NOX3 (rs6557421, rs12661812), DAGLB (rs836518) and NCF4 (rs8137602) were shown to be associated with pouch outcome with slightly weaker effects. A multivariable risk model combining previously identified clinical (smoking status, family history of inflammatory bowel disease), serological (anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibody IgG, perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody and anti-CBir1) and genetic markers was constructed and resulted in an OR of 2.72 (p=8.89×10(-7)) for NCP versus CP/CDL and 3.22 (p=4.11×10(-8)) for NCP versus CDL, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Genetic polymorphisms, in particular, the NOD2insC risk allele, are associated with chronic inflammatory pouch outcomes among patients with UC and IPAA.

Evaluation of preoperative predictors of development of pouchitis after ileal-pouch-anastomosis in ulcerative colitis

INTRODUCTION

In this retrospective study, we aimed to evaluate preoperative predictive risk factors for development of pouchitis in the ulcerative colitis (UC) patients with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA).

METHODS

The records of UC patients who underwent IPAA surgery and were under follow-up in the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) clinic of our hospital between January 1994 and September 2009 were retrieved. Preoperative clinical, biochemical, and endoscopic findings, as well as preoperative endoscopic activity index (EAI), preoperative disease activity index (DAI) and operative characteristics were recorded. Patients with endoscopic, histological and clinical findings consistent with pouchitis were identified.

RESULTS

Out of a total of 49 patients who underwent IPAA for UC, pouchitis was identified in 20 (40.8%) of them. Overall, 37 (75.5%) patients had chronic active disease, eight (16.3%) patients had chronic intermittent disease with frequent relapses, and four (8.2%) patients had fulminant colitis prior to surgery. There was a statistically significant difference (P=0.02) among these patients for the development of pouchitis in postoperative period. The mean EAI (10.1 vs. 8.7, P=0.02) and DAI (10.0 vs. 8.6, P<0.01) in patients with pouchitis were significantly higher than that of patients who did not develop pouchitis. Multivariate analysis revealed steroid dependency (P=0.02), and a higher DAI (P=0.02) to be independent risk factors for the development of pouchitis.

CONCLUSION

A more severe preoperative clinical course and steroid dependency, as well as higher endoscopic and disease activity scores may be useful as preoperative predictors of subsequent pouchitis in UC patients undergoing IPAA surgery.

Evaluating pouch problems

IPAA is a technically demanding procedure that requires appropriate skills and expertise. Adverse sequelae of IPAA are common. Accurate diagnosis and classification of pouch disorders and associated complications are important for proper management and prognosis. Based on presenting symptoms, appropriate and combined diagnostic modalities should apply. A multidisciplinary approach involving gastroenterologists, colorectal surgeons, gastrointestinal pathologists, and gastrointestinal radiologists is advocated for diagnosis and treatment of pouch disorders.

Etiology of pouchitis

Restorative proctocolectomy with ileal-pouch anal anastomosis (RPC) is the operation of choice for ulcerative colitis (UC) patients requiring surgery. It is also used for patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). Pouchitis accounts for 10% of pouch failures. It is an idiopathic inflammatory condition that may occur in up to 50% of patients after RPC for UC. It is rarely seen in FAP patients after RPC. The etiology of pouchitis remains unclear. An overlap with UC is suggested by the frequency with which pouchitis affects patients with UC compared with FAP patients. There is significant clinical evidence implicating bacteria in the pathogenesis of pouchitis. Studies using culture and molecular methods demonstrate a dysbiosis of the pouch microbiota in pouchitis. Risk factors, genetic associations, and serological markers of pouchitis suggest that the interactions between the host immune responses and the pouch microbiota underlie the etiology of this idiopathic inflammatory condition. Here we present a detailed review of the data focusing on the pouch microbiota and the immune responses that support this hypothesis. We also discuss the contribution of luminal metabolic factors and the epithelial membrane in the etiology of this inflammatory process. The ileoanal pouch offers a unique opportunity to study the inter-relationships between the gut microbiota and host immune responses from before the onset of disease. For this reason the study of pouchitis could serve as a human model that significantly enhances our understanding of inflammatory bowel diseases in general.

ASCA IgG and CBir antibodies are associated with the development of Crohn's disease and fistulae following ileal pouch-anal anastomosis

BACKGROUND

For ulcerative colitis (UC) patients undergoing ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA), postoperative complications include chronic pouchitis and development of Crohn's disease (CD) of the pouch.

AIMS

The aim of this study was to determine if serologic markers obtained postoperatively are associated with the development of complications in UC patients after IPAA.

METHODS

A retrospective chart review was conducted of UC patients with IPAA were tested for expression of serologic markers. Complications abstracted from medical records included postoperative fistula, CD of the pouch, chronic pouchitis, and diversion or excision of the pouch.

RESULTS

142 patients were enrolled, 44 of whom developed complications. Positive serologic profiles for ASCA IgG and anti-CBir1 markers were found to be associated with the development of any complication, (P = 0.017 and P = 0.002, respectively). A positive anti-CBir1 test was also found to be associated with CD of the pouch and/or fistula formation (P < 0.001). Similarly, both ASCA IgG and anti-CBir1 titers were significantly associated with postoperative IPAA complications (P = 0.034 and P = 0.001, respectively), and anti-CBir1 titers were associated with CD of the pouch and/or fistula formation (P < 0.001). Complications developed after a median follow-up of 216 months (range 1-264).

CONCLUSIONS

ASCA IgG and anti-CBir1 markers were associated with the development of complications after IPAA, specifically fistulae and/or CD of the pouch. The ability to identify patients at high risk for adverse outcomes may allow for early aggressive therapy, which may decrease the rate of pouch failure. A prospective study of patients with preoperative serology is ongoing.

Antimicrobial antibodies are associated with a Crohn's disease-like phenotype after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Pouchitis and Crohn's disease (CD)-like (CDL) complications of the pouch occur at rates near 50% and 20%, respectively, after colectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) for ulcerative colitis (UC). We investigated whether antimicrobial antibodies are associated with pouch outcome after IPAA.

METHODS

We studied clinical and endoscopic data from 399 individuals with UC who underwent colectomy with IPAA at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, Canada; patients were classified as no pouchitis (NP), chronic pouchitis (CP), or CDL. Serum samples were analyzed from 341 patients for antibodies against Saccharomyces cerevisiae (ASCA), OmpC, CBir1, and perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (pANCA).

RESULTS

Of the subjects, 70.7% had NP, 16.8% developed CP, and 12.5% developed CDL. Smoking was associated with CDL (P = .003). Ashkenazi Jewish individuals more commonly had CP (P = .008). Of patients with CDL, 53.5% and 14.0% had positive test results for anti-CBir1 and ASCA (immunoglobulin G), respectively, compared with 21.4% and 3.8% of those with NP and 28.3% and 5.0% of those with CP (P < .0001 and P = .03). Anti-CBir1 was associated with CDL, compared with NP (P = 2.8 × 10(-5); odds ratio [OR], 4.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.2-8.3) or CP (P = .011; OR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.3-6.6). ASCA immunoglobulin G was associated with CDL, compared with patients with NP (P = .01; OR, 4.1; 95% CI, 1.4-12.3). In a combined model, pANCA and the antimicrobial antibodies were associated with CP (P = .029) and CDL (P = 4.7 × 10(-4)).

CONCLUSIONS

Antimicrobial antibodies and pANCA are associated with inflammatory complications of the pouch. The CDL phenotype is associated with factors that characterize Crohn's disease, including smoking, anti-CBir1, and ASCA.

Diagnosis and management of postoperative ileal pouch disorders

Although restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) has become the surgical treatment of choice for patients with refractory ulcerative colitis (UC) or UC with dysplasia, surgical, inflammatory, and noninflammatory adverse sequelae are common. Pouchitis, representing a spectrum of disease phenotypes, is the most common long-term complication of IPAA. De novo Crohn disease (CD) of the pouch can occur in patients with a preoperative diagnosis of UC. Differential diagnosis between fibrostenotic or fistulizing CD and surgery-associated strictures, sinuses, and fistulas often requires a combined assessment of symptom, endoscopy, histology, radiography, and examination under anesthesia. There is a role for endoscopic therapy for stricturing complications of IPAA. Chronic antibiotic-refractory pouchitis, refractory cuffitis, as well as fibrostenotic or fistulizing CD of the pouch are the leading late-onset causes for pouch failure.

Acute and chronic pouchitis--pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment

Restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis has become the procedure of choice for the majority of patients with ulcerative colitis who require surgical treatment. Pouchitis, the most common long-term complication of the procedure, involves a spectrum of disease processes with heterogeneous risk factors, clinical features, disease courses and prognoses. In addition, clinical symptoms of pouchitis are not specific and often overlap with those of other inflammatory and functional pouch disorders, such as Crohn's disease of the pouch and irritable pouch syndrome. Pouchoscopy and biopsy, along with laboratory and radiographic evaluations, are often required for accurate diagnosis in patients with symptoms indicative of pouchitis. Dysbiosis has been implicated as a triggering factor for pouchitis, and concurrent infection with pathogens, such as Clostridium difficile, might contribute to disease relapse and exacerbation. Antibiotic therapy is the main treatment modality. However, the management of antibiotic-dependent and antibiotic-refractory pouchitis remains challenging. Secondary causes of pouchitis, such as ischaemia, NSAID use, the presence of concurrent primary sclerosing cholangitis and other systemic immune-mediated disorders, should be evaluated and properly managed.

Evaluation of upper and lower gastrointestinal histology in patients with ileal pouches

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory complications of ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA), including pouchitis and Crohn's disease (CD) of the pouch, are common in patients with restorative proctocolectomy for ulcerative colitis. It is not clear whether these inflammatory conditions can affect upper GI tract. The aim of the study was to evaluate correlation between duodenal and pouch histology in patients with healthy and diseased pouches.

METHODS

All IPAA patients who had esophagogastroduodenoscopy with biopsy after colectomy (N = 96) were included. H&E slides of gastric, duodenal, neo-terminal ileum, and pouch body biopsies were blindly re-reviewed by an expert GI pathologist for acute and chronic inflammation. Demographic and clinical variables and pouch outcome were analyzed.

RESULTS

There was a significant correlation between acute inflammation in the duodenum as measured by neutrophil infiltration score and the presence of chronic pouchitis (kappa coefficient = 0.21, P < 0.05). Intraepithelial lymphocytosis of the duodenum, though uncommon, only occurred in patients with irritable pouch syndrome, chronic pouchitis, or CD of the pouch. Crypt distortion of duodenal epithelium was only seen in patients with inflammatory or structural diseases of the pouch, including acute (18.2%) and chronic (5%) pouchitis, CD of the pouch (14.3%), and surgical complications of the pouch (14.4%).

CONCLUSION

Histologic evaluation of duodenal biopsy may provide additional information in patients with ileal pouches, as patients with normal histology of the pouch may have an abnormal duodenal histology.

Surgical prophylaxis of pouchitis in ulcerative colitis

Ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) is now the procedure of choice for most patients requiring proctocolectomy for ulcerative colitis. The J-shaped pouch, usually 15-20 cm in length, is easiest to construct and has functional outcomes identical to those of the more complex designs. IPAA is a complex procedure, and complications occur frequently. Despite the significant improvements this surgical advance has made on the quality of life in these patients, inflammation of the surgically created ileal pouch or pouchitis remains a major late postoperative complication that can often overshadow the benefits of this otherwise curative operation. Several inflammatory and noninflammatory complications can occur after IPAA. Pouchitis is the most common, occurring in ≈50% of patients. Whereas acute pouchitis can be treated rapidly and successfully in the majority of patients, refractory and chronic pouchitis remain therapeutic challenges to patients and physicians. The problem is believed to be caused by stasis of feces in the pouch with overgrowth of aerobic and anaerobic organisms. The size of the pouch has a significant influence on the incidence of pouchitis: a smaller pouch usually empties better than a larger pouch and so may be less susceptible to pouchitis.

NOD2/CARD15 mutations correlate with severe pouchitis after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis

PURPOSE

Pouchitis and Crohn's-like complications can plague patients after IPAA. NOD2 is an intracellular sensor for bacterial cell wall peptidoglycan. NOD2 mutations compromise host response to enteric bacteria and are increased in Crohn's disease. We hypothesize that IPAA patients with complications (Crohn's disease-like/pouchitis) have a higher rate of NOD2 mutations compared with asymptomatic IPAA patients.

METHODS

Patients were retrospectively subclassified into the following groups: 1) IPAA with Crohn's-like complications (n = 28, perianal fistula, pouch inlet stricture/upstream small-bowel disease, or biopsies showing granulomata) occurring at least 6 months after ileostomy closure; 2) IPAA with mild pouchitis (n = 33, ≤3 episodes/y for 2 consecutive years); 3) IPAA with severe pouchitis (n = 9, ≥4 episodes/y for 2 consecutive years or need for continuous antibiotics); 4) IPAA without complications or pouchitis (n = 37); 5) patients with Crohn's disease with colitis undergoing total proctocolectomy/ileostomy (n = 11); and 6) healthy controls (n = 269). The 3 NOD2 single-nucleotide polymorphism mutations (rs2066844, rs2066845, and rs2066847) previously identified as associated with Crohn's disease were genotyped using polymerase chain reaction. Groups were compared by use of χ with Yates continuity correction.

RESULTS

NOD2 mutations were found in 8.5% of healthy controls. NOD2 mutations were significantly higher in the severe pouchitis group (67%) compared with both asymptomatic IPAA (5.4%, P < .001) and IPAA with Crohn's disease-like complications (14.3%, P = .008) groups.

CONCLUSIONS

1) Asymptomatic IPAA patients have a low incidence of NOD2 mutations not significantly different from patients with mild pouchitis or healthy controls. 2) Patients with severe pouchitis had the highest incidence of NOD2 mutations, suggesting that this group may have a compromised host defense mechanism to enteric bacteria. 3) Patients with Crohn's-like complications after IPAA have a significantly lower incidence of NOD2 mutations than patients with severe pouchitis, suggesting a different genetic makeup in these 2 patient groups. Preoperative assessment of NOD2 in the equivocal IPAA candidate may predict severe pouchitis and might assist in preoperative surgical decision making.

Asymmetric endoscopic inflammation of the ileal pouch: a sign of ischemic pouchitis?

BACKGROUND

Pouchitis is associated with dysbiosis and dysregulated mucosal immunity, although secondary pouchitis with special etiologic factors, such as ischemia, can occur. The aim was to describe a disease phenotype of the ileal pouch with an endoscopic appearance suggestive of ischemia.

METHODS

We identified consecutive patients with endoscopic asymmetric inflammation of the pouch (inflammation of side of the pouch with a completely normal other limb of the pouch one limb and a sharp demarcation along the staple suture line). Patients with Crohn's disease (CD) of the pouch or antibiotic-responsive pouchitis, matched for duration of the pouch, served as controls. Histology slides of mucosal biopsies were re-reviewed independently by 2 blinded gastrointestinal pathologists. Demographic, clinical, endoscopic, histologic, and imaging characteristics were compared between the groups.

RESULTS

Ten patients with "ischemic" pouchitis, 15 with CD of the pouch, and 15 with antibiotic-responsive pouchitis were studied. Pyloric gland metaplasia was observed only in the groups with CD of the pouch (23.1%) or antibiotic-responsive pouchitis (13.3%). Of patients with "ischemic" pouchitis, 80% had extracellular hemosiderin or hematoidin deposits (versus 30.8% those with CD of the pouch and 13.3% of those with pouchitis, P = 0.003). The majority of patients (80%) with "ischemic" pouchitis did not respond to conventional antibiotic therapy. It appeared that subsequent abdominal surgeries after pouch construction and a history of postoperative portal vein thrombi were associated with "ischemic" pouchitis.

CONCLUSIONS

Endoscopic asymmetric inflammation of the pouch may represent an ischemia-associated pouchitis with characteristic clinical, radiographic, and histologic features. Its hemodynamic, cellular, and molecular basis of mechanism warrants further study.

The future of molecular approaches to inflammatory bowel disease

Technological advances in genomics and transcriptomics have resulted in the introduction of molecular tests into the clinical arena. Despite established uses of such tests in the oncology field, their integration into the management of complex diseases has not been widely evaluated. Progress in the field of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) genetics has been rapid in recent years, and these advances have provided more urgent impetus to investigating the role of molecular tests in IBD. This article summarizes the current state of molecular testing available for IBD, and the potential utility of such tests as research in the area widens.

Pouchitis and pouch dysfunction

Restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis has become the surgical treatment of choice for most patients with ulcerative colitis who require surgery. Although the surgical procedure offers a cure in some patients, postoperative inflammatory and noninflammatory complications are common. Pouchitis is the most common long-term complication of the procedure. Pouchitis represents a spectrum of disease processes with heterogeneous risk factors, clinical phenotypes, natural history, and prognosis. Accurate diagnosis and classification are important for proper treatment and prognosis.

Pouchitis and pouch dysfunction

Restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis has become the surgical treatment of choice for most patients with ulcerative colitis who require surgery. Although the surgical procedure offers a cure in some patients, postoperative inflammatory and noninflammatory complications are common. Pouchitis is the most common long-term complication of the procedure. Pouchitis represents a spectrum of disease processes with heterogeneous risk factors, clinical phenotypes, natural history, and prognosis. Accurate diagnosis and classification are important for proper treatment and prognosis.

Restorative proctocolectomy. Does ethnicity affect outcome?

OBJECTIVE

Restorative proctocolectomy (RPC) with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) is well-established in the management of ulcerative colitis (UC) and familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). We review outcome of pouch surgery from a single centre, comparing non-South Asian and South Asian Caucasian populations.

METHOD

Patients undergoing RPC for UC and FAP during a 10-year period between January 1997 and January 2007 were identified from hospital records. Data were collected retrospectively from case notes on early and long-term results.

RESULTS

A total of 107 patients underwent pouch formation for UC (94%) or FAP (6%) and 22 (21%) were from the Asian subcontinent. Eighty-seven (81%) underwent a three-stage procedure and 20 (19%) a two-stage procedure. Postoperative complications occurred in 40 (37%) patients, being major in 11 (10%) patients with relaparotomy required in 9 (8%) with no difference between South Asian and non-South Asian Caucasian patients. Long-term pouch function, with a median of five times over 24 h (range 2-15), was similar between the two groups. The incidence of pouchitis was 57 (53%) and this was significantly greater in the South Asian population [17/21 (77%); 39/86 (46%); P = 0.006].

CONCLUSION

Surgical results were similar in South Asian and non-South Asian Caucasian patients, but the incidence of pouchitis was greater in the former group.

Laboratory tests for patients with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis: clinical utility in predicting, diagnosing, and monitoring pouch disorders

Restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) is the surgical treatment of choice for patients with medically refractory ulcerative colitis (UC) or UC-associated dysplasia, and for the majority of patients with familial adenomatous polyposis. Pouchitis and other complications of IPAA are common. There are scant data on laboratory markers for the evaluation and diagnosis of pouch disorders. The presence of immunogenotypic markers such as genetic polymorphisms of interleukin-1 (IL-1) receptor antagonist, NOD2/CARD15, Toll-like receptor, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha has been reported to be associated with pouchitis. Immunophenotypic/serologic markers such as perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody and anti-CBir1 have been investigated as possible markers for predicting and diagnosing pouchitis. Fecal markers including lactoferrin and calprotectin seem to be useful in distinguishing inflammatory from noninflammatory pouch disorders. In our practice, we have encountered a large number of pouch patients with Clostridium difficile infection. Laboratory evaluation provides information on the etiology and pathogenesis of pouchitis, and it also helps practicing clinicians with accurate diagnosis, differential diagnosis, disease stratification, and management of ileal pouch disorders.

Clinical guidelines for the management of pouchitis

When surgery is necessary in patients with ulcerative colitis, total proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) is the procedure of choice. Several inflammatory and noninflammatory complications can occur after IPAA. Pouchitis is the most common, occurring in approximately 50% of patients. Whereas "acute" pouchitis can be treated rapidly and successfully in the majority of patients, "refractory" and "chronic pouchitis" remain therapeutic challenges to patients and physicians. This article reviews the literature and offers consensus guidelines on issues related to the epidemiology, diagnosis, pathogenesis, risk factors, and treatment of pouchitis.

Pouchitis: lessons for inflammatory bowel disease

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

One of the significant limitations to the investigation of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in humans is the impossibility of studying this condition from the beginning of the disease process to understand the individual contribution of the various microbiological and immunological components to its pathogenesis. Pouchitis can serve as a human model for IBD, as the time of the pouch creation is known, which allows to prospectively study the events that might eventually lead to the development of a form of intestinal inflammation (i.e., pouchitis) that mimics IBD.

RECENT FINDINGS

A considerable amount of progress has been made in the last few years on the mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of pouchitis. Recent literature suggests that pouchitis may present a spectrum of disease processes, with a wide range of causes, risk factors, clinical phenotypes, disease courses, and prognoses. Genetic, microbiological, and immunological profiles in pouchitis were evaluated.

SUMMARY

Ileal pouch and pouchitis represent a valuable human model to study the evolution of bacterial communities and host-bacteria interactions in IBD by sequentially monitoring microbiological and immunological profile before, during, and after pouch construction and before and after development and treatment of pouchitis.

Pathogenesis of and unifying hypothesis for idiopathic pouchitis

Ileal pouch-anal anastomosis is the procedure of choice in the surgical management of refractory ulcerative colitis. Pouchitis affects up to 60% of patients following ileal pouch-anal anastomosis for ulcerative colitis. It overlaps significantly with ulcerative colitis such that improvements in our understanding of one will impact considerably on the other. The symptoms are distressing and impinge significantly on patients' quality of life. Despite 30 years of scientific and clinical investigation, the pathogenesis of pouchitis is unknown; however, recent advances in molecular and cell biology make a synergistic hypothesis possible. This hypothesis links interaction between epithelial metaplasia, changes in luminal bacteria (in particular sulfate-reducing bacteria), and altered mucosal immunity. Specifically, colonic metaplasia supports colonization by sulfate-reducing bacteria that produce hydrogen sulfide. This causes mucosal depletion and subsequent inflammation. Although in most cases antibiotics lead to bacterial clearance and symptom resolution, immunogenetic subpopulations can develop a chronic refractory variant of pouchitis. The aims of this paper are to discuss proposed pathogenic mechanisms and to describe a novel mechanism that combines many hypotheses and explains several aspects of pouchitis. The implications for the management of both pouchitis and ulcerative colitis are discussed.

Family history of Crohn's disease is associated with an increased risk for Crohn's disease of the pouch

BACKGROUND

Crohn's disease (CD) of the pouch can occur in patients with restorative proctocolectomy and ileal pouch-anal anastomosis originally performed for a preoperative diagnosis of ulcerative colitis (UC). CD of the pouch was often observed in patients with a family history of CD. The purpose was to determine whether the family history of CD increased the risk for CD of the pouch in patients who underwent restorative proctocolectomy.

METHODS

A total of 558 eligible patients seen in the Pouchitis Clinic were enrolled, including 116 patients with CD of the pouch and 442 patients with a normal pouch or other pouch disorders. Demographic and clinical variables were included in the study. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed.

RESULTS

The adjusted multivariate logistic analyses revealed that the risk for CD of the pouch was increased in patients with a family history of CD, with an odds ratio (OR) of 3.22 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.56-6.67), or with a first-degree relative with CD (OR = 4.18, 95% CI, 1.48-11.8), or with a greater number of family members with CD (OR = 2.00 per family member, 95% CI, 1.19-3.37), adjusting for age, gender, smoking status, duration of IBD, duration of having a pouch, and a preoperation diagnosis of indeterminate colitis or CD. In addition, patients of younger age and longer duration of having a pouch had a higher risk for CD of the pouch. A diagnosis of CD of the pouch was associated with a poor outcome, with a greater than 5-fold estimated increased odds of pouch failure (OR = 5.58, 95% CI, 2.74-11.4).

CONCLUSIONS

The presence of a family history of CD is associated with an increased risk for CD of the pouch, which in turn has a high risk for pouch failure.

Abnormal mucosal immune response to altered bacterial flora following restorative proctocolectomy in patients with ulcerative colitis: serologic measures, immunogenetics, and clinical correlations

A patient from the University of North Carolina Hospitals is presented who developed Crohn's disease of the ileal J-pouch following restorative proctocolectomy for ulcerative colitis. Inflammation of the ileal pouch in human inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) represents the best clinical example of the importance of host-enteric microbial interactions, and this case highlights rapid advances in our understanding of the role of the enteric microbiota in the immunopathogenesis of IBD, impacting on clinical care. Successful management of this patient necessitated accurate diagnosis as there are several inflammatory and non-inflammatory conditions of the pouch that present with similar symptoms. Diagnostic measures included serologic assays of response to microbial antigens, including ASCA, anti-OmpC, anti-Cbir1, and pANCA with DNAse sensitivity. Although the serologic detection of selective loss of tolerance to microbial antigens defines clinically important subgroups of inflammatory bowel disease patients, the clinical value of these serodiagnostic tests is a matter of debate. Genome wide screens have also identified NOD2/CARD15, IL23 receptor, and ATG16L1 variants as important in IBD susceptibility and pathogenesis. These genetic associations have also provided new insights into the importance of interaction between the host and microbes in the pathogenesis of IBD, but the precise mechanisms by which these gene variants contribute to disease development remain to be determined. Genetic associations and serological markers will ultimately be used to define important clinical subgroups of disease, predict natural history, and ultimately identify patient populations for early therapeutic intervention.

A proposed classification of ileal pouch disorders and associated complications after restorative proctocolectomy

Both medical and surgical therapies for ulcerative colitis have inherent advantages and disadvantages that must be balanced for patients with moderate to severe disease. Restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis has become the surgical treatment of choice for the majority of patients with ulcerative colitis who require proctocolectomy. However, adverse sequelae of mechanical, inflammatory, functional, neoplastic, and metabolic conditions related to the pouch can occur postoperatively. Recognition and familiarization of the disease conditions related to the ileal pouch can be challenging for practicing gastroenterologists. Accurate diagnosis and classification of the disease conditions are imperative for proper management and prognosis.

Impact of orthotopic liver transplant for primary sclerosing cholangitis on chronic antibiotic refractory pouchitis

BACKGROUND & AIMS

The effect of orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) for primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and post-OLT immunosuppression on the disease course of pouchitis is not clear. The aims of this study were to compare the frequency of chronic antibiotic-refractory pouchitis (CARP) in PSC patients with or without OLT and to assess potential risk factors for CARP in these patients.

METHODS

Ulcerative colitis patients with PSC and ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) with or without OLT identified from our prospectively maintained pouch database were analyzed. CARP was diagnosed based on persistent symptomatic pouchitis after a 4-week single- or dual-antibiotic therapy.

RESULTS

A total of 63 PSC/IPAA patients were studied, including 19 patients with OLT and 44 patients without OLT. Fifty patients (79.4%) had CARP. In both univariable and multivariable analyses (adjusting for OLT status), none of the variables studied was associated significantly with CARP (P > .20). All 7 patients (100%) with IPAA-then-OLT were diagnosed as having CARP, of whom 4 developed CARP before OLT, which persisted after OLT, and 3 had CARP after OLT. Of 12 patients with OLT-then-IPAA, 7 (58.3%) developed CARP. The frequency of CARP in OLT-then-IPAA was statistically significantly lower than that in IPAA-then-OLT (58.3% vs 100%; P = .047).

CONCLUSIONS

CARP is common in patients with ulcerative colitis and PSC. OLT in these patients may not affect the frequency of CARP in general and appears not to alter the disease course of pre-existing CARP. However, in a subset of patients, OLT might reduce the risk for the development of de novo CARP.

Effect of withdrawal of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use on ileal pouch disorders

NSAID use has been shown to exacerbate disease activity of inflammatory bowel disease. The detrimental effect of NSAIDs on the ileal pouch has not been characterized. To study the effect of withdrawal of NSAID use on ileal pouch disorders. The study consisted of a cohort of 17 symptomatic patients seen in the Pouchitis Clinic who had ulcerative colitis and ileal pouch-anal anastomosis with chronic (>6 months) daily use of NSAIDs. The patients were treated by withdrawing NSAID use. The Pouchitis Disease Activity Index (PDAI) consisting of symptom, endoscopy and histology scores, and Cleveland Global Quality of Life, Irritable Bowel Disease Quality of Life, and Short Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire scores were measured before and after a 4-week intervention. The cohort consisted of 11 patients with chronic refractory pouchitis (65%), 2 with acute pouchitis (12%), 1 with cuffitis (6%), 1 with cuffitis and chronic refractory pouchitis (6%), and 2 with irritable pouch syndrome (12%). The withdrawal of NSAID use alone resulted in a significant reduction in the mean PDAI scores of -3.6 +/- -3.0 (p<0.02) and a significant improvement in mean quality-of-life scores (p<0.05). Patients with pouch disorders who regularly used NSAIDs appeared to benefit from the complete cessation of such agents, suggesting an association between NSAID use and pouch disorders.

Pouchitis

While restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis has significantly improved the quality of life in patients with underlying ulcerative colitis who require surgery, complications can occur. Pouchitis as the most common long-term complication represents a spectrum of disease processes ranging from acute, antibiotic-responsive type to chronic antibiotic-refractory entity. Accurate diagnosis using a combined assessment of symptoms, endoscopy and histology and the stratification of clinical phenotypes is important for treatment and prognosis the disease. The majority of patients respond favorably to antibiotic therapy. However, management of chronic antibiotic-refractory pouchitis remains a challenge.