Extraintestinal Manifestations Are Common in Obese Patients with Crohn's Disease

Fecal microbiota is associated with extraintestinal manifestations in inflammatory bowel disease

INTRODUCTION

A large proportion of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) experience IBD-related inflammatory conditions outside of the gastrointestinal tract, termed extraintestinal manifestations (EIMs) which further decreases quality of life and, in extreme cases, can be life threatening. The pathogenesis of EIMs remains unknown, and although gut microbiota alterations are a well-known characteristic of patients with IBD, its relationship with EIMs remains sparsely investigated. This study aimed to compare the gut microbiota of patients with IBD with and without EIMs.

METHODS

A total of 131 Danish patients with IBD were included in the study, of whom 86 had a history of EIMs (IBD-EIM) and 45 did not (IBD-C). Stool samples underwent 16S rRNA sequencing. Amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) were mapped to the Silva database. Diversity indices and distance matrices were compared between IBD-EIM and IBD-C. Differentially abundant ASVs were identified using a custom multiple model statistical analysis approach, and modules of co-associated bacteria were identified using sparse correlations for compositional data (SparCC) and related to patient EIM status.

RESULTS

Patients with IBD and EIMs exhibited increased disease activity, body mass index, increased fecal calprotectin levels and circulating monocytes and neutrophils. Microbiologically, IBD-EIM exhibited lower fecal microbial diversity than IBD-C (Mann-Whitney's test, p = .01) and distinct fecal microbiota composition (permutational multivariate analysis of variance; weighted UniFrac, R2 = 0.018, p = .01). A total of 26 ASVs exhibited differential relative abundances between IBD-EIM and IBD-C, including decreased Agathobacter and Blautia and increased Eggerthella lenta in the IBD-EIM group. SparCC analysis identified 27 bacterial co-association modules, three of which were negatively related to EIM (logistic regression, p < .05) and included important health-associated bacteria, such as Agathobacter and Faecalibacterium.

CONCLUSIONS

The fecal microbiota in IBD patients with EIMs is distinct from that in IBD patients without EIM and could be important for EIM pathogenesis.

Association between body mass index and age of disease onset with clinical outcomes in paediatric-onset Crohn's Disease (CD): a UK nation-wide analyses using the NIHR-IBD BioResource

BACKGROUND

The evidence on the relationship between adiposity and disease outcomes in paediatric Crohn's disease (CD) is limited and lacks consensus.

AIM

To investigate the relationship between (a) body mass index (BMI) and clinical CD outcomes (hospitalisation, surgery, disease behaviour, biologic use, extra-intestinal manifestations (EIMs)) and (b) the age of CD onset with clinical outcomes.

DESIGN

Clinical outcomes were examined in CD patients diagnosed at age <17 years and enroled in the National Institute for Health Research IBD-UK BioResource at a median age of 24 years. All outcomes and BMI were recorded at the time of enrolment. Participants were categorised into normal (<25 kg/m2) and high (≥25 kg/m2) BMI. Age at disease diagnosis was categorised into pre-puberty/early puberty (<11 years), puberty (11-14 years) and post-puberty (15-17 years). Spearman rank correlation was used to test the associations between continuous variables and chi-square test to compare categorical variables.

RESULTS

848 participants with CD were included (51.8% males) and median age at diagnosis was 14 years. Participants with high BMI experienced a greater frequency of EIMs (P = 0.05) than those with low BMI (1 type of EIM: 18.5% vs. 13.2%, respectively; ≥2 types of EIMs: 7.8% vs. 5.6%, respectively). Age at diagnosis and BMI showed weak correlations with corticosteroid use (ρ = 0.08, P = 0.03 and ρ = -0.09, P = 0.01; respectively). An early diagnosis (<11 years) was associated with higher occurrence of stenosing and penetrating disease behaviour (P = 0.01) and hospitalisations (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

A higher BMI and an earlier age of disease onset are associated with worse CD clinical presentation.

Body Mass Index Profile of Adult Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease in a Multicenter Study in Northeastern Brazil

Purpose

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a disease of increasing prevalence in developing countries. Obesity has emerged as a potential risk for IBD; however, the data in the literature are conflicting, and relevant studies in Brazil are limited. Here, we report body mass index profile (BMI) of patients with IBD treated at reference centers in three states of northeastern Brazil.

Patients and Methods

Observational descriptive study conducted from January 2021 through December 2021 in patient with IBD.

Results

Of 470 patients with IBD, 194 (41%) were classified as normal weight, 42 (9%) as underweight, 155 (33%) as overweight, and 79 (17%) as obese; CD patients were significantly more likely to be underweight than UC patients (p=0.031)Overweight patients were older (median age: 47 years) than normal-weight and underweight patients at diagnosis (38.5 and 35.5 years, respectively [p<0.0001]). IBD onset and diagnosis among overweight and obese individuals were associated with older age. More extensive disease behavior patterns predominated in UC, while forms associated with complications were prevalent in CD, irrespective of nutritional status. There was a higher frequency of compatible symptoms with axial joint inflammation among obese patients (p=0.005) and a lower frequency of compatible symptoms with peripheral joint inflammation in underweight patients (p=0.044) than in patients of normal weight. No significant difference in the frequency of different drug or surgical treatments was observed among the groups.

Conclusion

Despite the predominance of overweight and obesity in patients with IBD, no differences in the patterns of disease were seen between the overweight and normal-weight groups; however, obesity was associated with IBD onset in older adults and a higher frequency compatible symptom with axial joint inflammation. These data reinforce the importance of monitoring the nutritional status of IBD patients and the need for a multidisciplinary approach, as recommended in the current guidelines.

Bariatric Surgery in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Case-Control Study from the GETAID

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of obesity and the number of bariatric surgeries in both the general population and in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have increased significantly in recent years. Due to small sample sizes and the lack of adequate controls, no definite conclusions can be drawn from the available studies on the safety and efficacy of bariatric surgery (BS) in patients with IBD. Our aim was to assess safety, weight loss, and deficiencies in patients with IBD and obesity who underwent BS and compare findings to a control group.

METHODS

Patients with IBD and a history of BS were retrospectively recruited to centers belonging to the Groupe d'Etude Thérapeutique des Affections Inflammatoires du Tube Digestif (GETAID). Patients were matched 1:2 for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), hospital of surgery, and type of BS with non-IBD patients who underwent BS. Complications, rehospitalizations, weight, and deficiencies after BS were collected in cases and controls.

RESULTS

We included 88 procedures in 85 patients (64 Crohn's disease, 20 ulcerative colitis, 1 unclassified IBD) with a mean BMI of 41.6 ± 5.9 kg/m2. Bariatric surgery included Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (n = 3), sleeve gastrectomy (n = 73), and gastric banding (n = 12). Eight (9%) complications were reported, including 4 (5%) requiring surgery. At a mean follow-up of 34 months, mean weight was 88.6 ± 22.4 kg. No difference was observed between cases and controls for postoperative complications (P = .31), proportion of weight loss (P = .27), or postoperative deficiencies (P = .99).

CONCLUSIONS

Bariatric surgery is a safe and effective procedure in patients with IBD and obesity; outcomes in this patient group were similar to those observed in a control population.

A United States expert consensus to standardise definitions, follow-up, and treatment targets for extra-intestinal manifestations in inflammatory bowel disease

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Extra-intestinal manifestations (EIMs) are a common complication of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), affecting up to half of the patients. Despite their high prevalence, information on standardised definitions, diagnostic strategies, and treatment targets is limited.

METHODS

As a starting point for a national EIM study network, an interdisciplinary expert panel of 12 gastroenterologists, 4 rheumatologists, 3 ophthalmologists, 6 dermatologists, and 4 patient representatives was assembled. Modified Delphi consensus methodology was used. Fifty-four candidate items were derived from the literature review and expert opinion focusing on five major EIMs (erythema nodosum, pyoderma gangrenosum, uveitis, peripheral arthritis, and axial arthritis) were rated in three voting rounds.

RESULTS

For use in a clinical practice setting and as part of the creation of a prospective registry of patients with EIMs, the panel developed definitions for erythema nodosum, pyoderma gangrenosum, uveitis, peripheral arthritis, and axial arthritis; identified the appropriate and optimal subspecialists to diagnose and manage each; provided methods to monitor disease course; offered guidance regarding monitoring intervals; and defined resolution and recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

Consensus criteria for appropriate and optimal means of diagnosing and monitoring five EIMs have been developed as a starting point to inform clinical practice and future trial design. Key findings include straightforward diagnostic criteria, guidance regarding who can appropriately and optimally diagnose each, and monitoring options that include patient and physician-reported outcomes. These findings will be used in a national multicenter study network to optimise the management of EIMs.

Impact of Obesity on Inflammatory Bowel Disease

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This review highlights recent work that evaluates the impact of obesity on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) pathogenesis and management.

RECENT FINDINGS

The impact of obesity on IBD prevalence, clinical course, and management, has been studied and described more so in recent years. Studies have shown that obesity increases IBD disease activity, leads to longer hospitalization courses, and increases the likelihood of the development of extraintestinal manifestations. Recent evidence has also suggested that obese IBD patients have a higher frequency of extended steroid treatment and increased use of antibiotics compared to non-obese IBD patients. The effect of obesity on patients with IBD is a topic that has garnered widespread interest in the last decade due to the increasing prevalence of both diseases. To date however, although there are still many unanswered questions. It is quite clear that obesity, and more specifically, visceral adiposity, affects numerous IBD-related outcomes in regard to pathogenesis, extra-intestinal manifestations, response to medical and surgical therapies, hospital length of stay, healthcare-related costs, and health-related quality of life. Future studies should include larger patient populations and evaluate additional factors that are altered in those with obesity including the gut microbiome, dietary patterns, and whether weight loss and/or degree of weight loss impact clinical outcomes.

Impact of Bariatric Surgery on the Long-term Disease Course of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

BACKGROUND

An association between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and obesity has been observed. Little is known about the effect of weight loss on IBD course. Our aim was to determine the impact of bariatric surgery on long-term clinical course of obese patients with IBD, either Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC).

METHODS

Patients with IBD who underwent bariatric surgery subsequent to IBD diagnosis were identified from 2 tertiary IBD centers. Complications after bariatric surgery were recorded. Patients were matched 1:1 for age, sex, IBD subtype, phenotype, and location to patients with IBD who did not undergo bariatric surgery. Controls started follow-up at a time point in their disease similar to the disease duration in the matched case at the time of bariatric surgery. Inflammatory bowel disease medication usage and disease-related complications (need for corticosteroids, hospitalizations, and surgeries) among cases and controls were compared.

RESULTS

Forty-seven patients met inclusion criteria. Appropriate matches were found for 25 cases. Median follow-up among cases (after bariatric surgery) and controls was 7.69 and 7.89 years, respectively. Median decrease in body mass index after bariatric surgery was 12.2. Rescue corticosteroid usage and IBD-related surgeries were numerically less common in cases than controls (24% vs 52%; odds ratio [OR], 0.36; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.08-1.23; 12% vs 28%; OR, 0.2; 95% CI, 0.004-1.79). Two cases and 1 control were able to discontinue biologics during follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Inflammatory bowel disease patients with weight loss after bariatric surgery had fewer IBD-related complications compared with matched controls. This observation requires validation in a prospective study design.

Role of Obesity, Mesenteric Adipose Tissue, and Adipokines in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are a group of disorders which include ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Obesity is becoming increasingly more common among patients with inflammatory bowel disease and plays a role in the development and course of the disease. This is especially true in the case of Crohn's disease. The recent results indicate a special role of visceral adipose tissue and particularly mesenteric adipose tissue, also known as "creeping fat", in pathomechanism, leading to intestinal inflammation. The involvement of altered adipocyte function and the deregulated production of adipokines, such as leptin and adiponectin, has been suggested in pathogenesis of IBD. In this review, we discuss the epidemiology and pathophysiology of obesity in IBD, the influence of a Western diet on the course of Crohn's disease and colitis in IBD patients and animal's models, and the potential role of adipokines in these disorders. Since altered body composition, decrease of skeletal muscle mass, and development of pathologically changed mesenteric white adipose tissue are well-known features of IBD and especially of Crohn's disease, we discuss the possible crosstalk between adipokines and myokines released from skeletal muscle during exercise with moderate or forced intensity. The emerging role of microbiota and the antioxidative and anti-inflammatory enzymes such as intestinal alkaline phosphatase is also discussed, in order to open new avenues for the therapy against intestinal perturbations associated with IBD.

Risk factors associated with extraintestinal manifestations in children with inflammatory bowel disease

OBJECTIVES

Extraintestinal manifestations (EIM) are common complications of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) associated with morbidity and reduced quality of life (QOL). The aim of this study was to identify and validate predictors for EIM in children with IBD.

METHODS

The medical records of children with IBD were retrospectively reviewed, and EIM present before diagnosis and those detected during follow-up, were recorded.

RESULTS

One-hundred children were included, and their median age (interquartile range) was 13.9 (11.9-15.2) years. Forty-six (46%) children had EIM, including 10 (10%) whose EIM was present before diagnosis and 36 (36%) during follow-up. The most common EIMs were aphthous stomatitis (18%), arthralgia (14%), dermatologic manifestations (8%), and arthritis (6%). A body mass index in the lower or upper quartile (hazard ratio [HR] 9.30 and 23.71, respectively, p < 0.001), moderate-to-severe disease activity (HR 4.43, p < 0.001), extensive Crohn's disease (HR 3.43, p = 0.025), lower hemoglobin level (HR 2.29, p < 0.001), lower albumin level (HR 2.86, p = 0.029), and higher C-reactive protein level (HR 1.04, p < 0.001) at diagnosis were identified as risk factors for EIM during follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Identification of risk factors at IBD diagnosis may help healthcare providers to predict EIM in children with IBD and to improve their management for lessening morbidity and enhancing QOL.

Impact of Obesity on Disease Activity and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

INTRODUCTION

We conducted a cohort study on the impact of obesity on disease activity and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) measures in the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) Partners cohort.

METHODS

We performed a cross-sectional and longitudinal study within IBD Partners, an internet-based cohort of >15,000 patients living with Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). We included adult patients with IBD, with recorded body mass index (BMI), with at least 6 months of follow-up, excluding patients with BMI < 18.5 kg/m. We evaluated the independent effect of World Health Organization classes of obesity on risk of clinical relapse or persistent disease activity (using validated disease activity indexes) and PROMIS measures, using multivariate logistic regression and linear regression, respectively.

RESULTS

We included 7,296 patients with IBD (4,748 patients with CD, 19.5% obese; 2,548 patients with UC with intact colon, 20.3% obese). Obesity was independently, and in a dose-dependent fashion, associated with an increased risk of persistent disease activity or relapse in both patients with CD (class II or III obesity vs normal BMI: adjusted odds ratio, 1.86; 95% confidence interval, 1.30-2.68) and UC (adjusted odds ratio, 2.97; 95% confidence interval, 1.75-5.17). Obesity was also independently associated with higher anxiety, depression, fatigue, pain, and inferior social function scores in patients with CD and UC at baseline and with worsening depression, fatigue, pain, and social function in patients with CD on longitudinal assessment.

DISCUSSION

Obesity at baseline is independently associated with worsening disease activity and PROMIS measures in patients with IBD.

Heart Under Attack: Cardiac Manifestations of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

There is a well-established association between chronic inflammation and an elevated risk of heart disease among patients with systemic autoimmune conditions. This review aims to summarize existing literature on the relationship between inflammatory bowel disease and ischemic heart disease, heart failure, arrhythmia, and pericarditis, with particular attention to approaches to management and treatment.

Impact of Obesity on Short- and Intermediate-Term Outcomes in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: Pooled Analysis of Placebo Arms of Infliximab Clinical Trials

Background and aims

To assess whether obesity may affect natural history of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), we conducted an individual participant data (IPD) pooled analysis of placebo arms, using data from clinical trials of infliximab in IBD and using the Yale Open Data Access (YODA) Project.

Methods

We obtained IPD from 4 placebo-controlled trials of infliximab in adults with IBD (ACCENT-I and ACCENT-II; ACT-1 and ACT-2). Patients were categorized into quartiles based on body mass index (BMI) or weight at time of trial entry. Primary outcome was clinical remission (Crohn's disease activity index [CDAI]<150, Mayo Clinic Score <3); secondary outcomes were clinical response and mucosal healing. Using multivariable logistic regression analysis, we compared association between quartiles of BMI (or weight) and achieving remission, after adjusting for sex, smoking, disease activity, and concomitant prednisone or immunomodulators.

Results

We included 575 placebo-treated patients (mean age 38 years, 51.6% males, 16% obese). Obesity was not associated with odds of achieving clinical remission (Q4 vs Q1: adjusted OR, 1.36; 95% CI, 0.65-2.89; P-value for trend = 0.57), clinical response (Q4 vs Q1: adjusted OR, 1.31; 95% CI, 0.61-2.81; P = 0.45), or mucosal healing remission (Q4 vs Q1: adjusted OR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.12-2.34; P = 0.31). These results were consistent across strata based on disease type (CD and ulcerative colitis) and trial design (induction and maintenance therapy).

Conclusions

Based on IPD pooled analysis of placebo arms, obesity does not significantly impact short- and intermediate-term clinical outcomes in patients with IBD. The impact of obesity on long-term patient-important outcomes like surgery and hospitalization merits evaluation.

Prevalence of extraintestinal manifestations in Korean inflammatory bowel disease patients

Background

The prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in South Korea is increasing. Although extraintestinal manifestations (EIMs) are an important factor in the clinical outcomes of IBD patients, EIMs have not yet been investigated in Korea. Thus, we conducted a cross-sectional study to assess the prevalence of EIMs in Korean IBD patients.

Methods

The 2014 claims data from the National Health Insurance System (NHIS) of Korea were used. IBD patients were identified by codes for Crohn disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) in the NHIS registration system for rare or intractable diseases. International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Edition codes were used to identify EIM cases. To estimate the prevalence of EIMs in the general population of Korea, we used national sample data. Standardized prevalence ratios (SPRs) were calculated to compare the prevalence rates of EIMs among IBD patients to those among the general population of Korea.

Results

A total of 13,925 CD patients and 29,356 UC patients were identified. CD and UC patients were different in terms of demographics and utilization of medication. Among the 17 EIMs investigated, pyoderma gangrenosum, osteomalacia, Sweet syndrome, and scleritis were observed in very few patients. The SPRs were greater than 1 for all EIMs. Aphthous stomatitis, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoporosis were highly prevalent in both CD and UC patients, but the SPRs of the EIMs were not high.

Conclusion

The study confirmed that EIMs are more prevalent among IBD patients than among the general population of Korea. The prevalence of EIMs in IBD patients suggests the need for greater attention and effort in clinical practice.