Reducing diagnostic delays of extraintestinal manifestations in inflammatory bowel disease: a comparative study of a multidisciplinary outpatient clinic versus conventional referral specialists.

Background: Managing extraintestinal manifestations (EIMs) in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients remains challenging due to considerable heterogeneity in diagnostic criteria and the lack of a standardised definition and validated diagnostic pathways. Delays in recognising and treating EIMs can lead to significant disease progression. Therefore, early detection and treatment are crucial.

Ischemic ulcers do not significantly impact endoscopic recurrence score in Crohn's disease: A multicenter comparative study after right-side colectomy.

Background: Postoperative recurrence (POR) occurs in up to 70% of patients with Crohn's disease (CD). The Rutgeerts score (RS) system may overestimate the prevalence of "real" anastomotic recurrence. Hence, we aimed to compare the prevalence of anastomotic POR in CD and the presence of ulcers at anastomotic sites in patients with right-side resection for colonic cancer (CC).

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases and Nephropathies: Exploring the Gut-Kidney Axis.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can extend beyond the gastrointestinal tract, affecting extraintestinal organs and significantly increasing morbidity and mortality. Despite early studies revealing kidney involvement in nearly a quarter of patients with IBD, renal manifestations have been notably overlooked. Among these manifestations, nephrolithiasis, obstructive uropathy, and fistula formation between the bowel and urinary tract are the most reported occurrences.

Italian validation of the IBD-disk tool for the assessment of disability in inflammatory bowel diseases: A cross-sectional multicenter study.

Introduction: IBD-Disk is a simple, easy-to-use, and self-administered analogue visual tool for assessing disability in patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). However, it has not yet been validated in Italian. This study aims to validate IBD-Disk in an Italian cross-sectional multicentre study.

Suboptimal disease control and contributing factors in Italian IBD patients: The IBD-PODCAST Study.

Background And Aim: Suboptimal disease control (SDC) and its contributing factors in IBD according to STRIDE-II criteria is unclear. IBD-PODCAST was a non-interventional, international, multicenter real-world study to assess this.

Methods: Data from the Italian IBD cohort (N=220) are presented here.

The Impact of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases on Patients' Quality of Life and Work Functionality: An Observational Study.

Background: This study aimed to assess the employment status, quality of life, and work functionality in patients affected by inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs).

Methods: Patients (N = 216) were enrolled between June 2020 and October 2021. Personal, clinical, and occupational features were investigated.

Expression of the αVβ3 integrin affects prostate cancer sEV cargo and density and promotes sEV pro-tumorigenic activity in vivo through a GPI-anchored receptor, NgR2.

It is known that small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) are released from cancer cells and contribute to cancer progression via crosstalk with recipient cells. We have previously reported that sEVs expressing the αVβ3 integrin, a protein upregulated in aggressive neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPrCa), contribute to neuroendocrine differentiation (NED) in recipient cells. Here, we examine the impact of αVβ3 expression on sEV protein content, density and function.

Neuroendocrine gene subsets are uniquely dysregulated in prostate adenocarcinoma.

Prostate cancer has heterogeneous growth patterns, and its prognosis is the poorest when it progresses to a neuroendocrine phenotype. Using bioinformatic analysis, we evaluated RNA expression of neuroendocrine genes in a panel of five different cancer types: prostate adenocarcinoma, breast cancer, kidney chromophobe, kidney renal clear cell carcinoma and kidney renal papillary cell carcinoma. Our results show that specific neuroendocrine genes are significantly dysregulated in these tumors, suggesting that they play an active role in cancer progression.

Insights into disability and psycho-social care of patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

In recent years, the concept of disability has increasingly garnered attention as a crucial long-term target of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) management. The treatment paradigm has changed dramatically from full control of the disease (clinical and endoscopic remission) toward physical and emotional well-being with the goal of preventing disability and normalizing quality of life. However, in certain cases, despite achieving good disease control, patients may still experience symptoms associated with disability, and reduced emotional wellness.

Time to grow up: readiness associated with improved clinical outcomes in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease patients undergoing transition.

Background: The transition from pediatric to adult healthcare in individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) poses significant challenges mainly due to the high burden of IBD during adolescence, a critical period of psychosocial development. So far, there are few longitudinal data linking transition readiness to long-term disease outcomes.

Objective: We aimed to assess patients' readiness to transition and its impact on clinical outcomes, quality of life, and adherence to therapy.

Effectiveness of Partial Enteral Nutrition as Add-On to Biologics in Patients With Refractory and Difficult-to-Treat Crohn's Disease: A Pilot Study.

Background: Partial enteral nutrition (PEN) is a well-established treatment for children with Crohn's disease (CD). However, its efficacy in adults with CD remains uncertain. We aimed to assess the effectiveness of PEN as an add-on to escalated biological therapy in adults with CD who have lost response to biologics.

Follow-up evaluation and management of anemia in inflammatory bowel disease: A study by the Italian Group for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IG-IBD).

Background: The RIDART I study found a 13.6% prevalence of anemia in Italian patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); most cases were due to iron-deficiency anemia (IDA).

Aims: To evaluate changes in hemoglobin concentration during a 24-week follow-up of anemic patients with IBD.

Targeting the αVβ3/NgR2 pathway in neuroendocrine prostate cancer.

Highly aggressive, metastatic, neuroendocrine prostate cancer, which typically develops from prostate cancer cells acquiring resistance to androgen deprivation therapy, is associated with limited treatment options and hence poor prognosis. We have previously demonstrated that the αVβ3 integrin is over-expressed in neuroendocrine prostate cancer. We now show that LM609, a monoclonal antibody that specifically targets the human αVβ3 integrin, hinders the growth of neuroendocrine prostate cancer patient-derived xenografts in vivo.

Amino acid profiles, disease activity, and protein intake in adult patients with Crohn's disease.

Introduction: Crohn's disease (CD) is an immune-mediated inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract with a relapsing-remitting course. Amino acids (AAs) may play critical roles in the intestinal manifestations of disease, due to their involvement in many metabolic and immune functions. The present study aimed to explore serum AA concentrations in adult patients with CD, looking into their variations due to disease activity, surgery and protein content of diet.

Cyclic Neutropenia Mimicking Crohn's Disease: Two Case Reports and a Narrative Review.

Cyclic neutropenia is a rare hematological condition characterized by periodic fluctuations in neutrophil counts, with a 21-day periodicity. Clinical presentation varies from mild to severe forms of the disease, with the onset of recurrent fever, painful oral ulcers, recurrent bacterial infections, peritonitis, and septic shock. The availability of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) has revolutionized the management and natural history of this disease, regulating the proliferation, differentiation, and maturation of the progenitor cells, and reducing the duration of neutropenia.

Switching from VEDOlizumab intravenous to subcutaneous formulation in ulcerative colitis patients in clinical remission: The SVEDO Study, an IG-IBD study.

Background: The administration of biological drugs in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) is increasingly moving from intravenous to subcutaneous formulations.

Aims: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of vedolizumab subcutaneous administration after switching from intravenous administration in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients in corticosteroid-free clinical remission.

Methods: An observational, multicentre, prospective study was conducted by the Italian Group for the study of IBD (IG-IBD).

Serum Interleukin 6, Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) Score and Phase Angle in Patients with Crohn's Disease.

Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder that may occur in any segment of the gastrointestinal tract. Asymptomatic or untreated inflammation along with malnutrition can often coexist in patients with CD, impairing clinical outcomes, therefore the aim of this study was to assess the relationship between inflammation, malnutrition risk and nutritional status in CD patients. Consecutive adult CD outpatients aged 18-65 years were recruited.

The Use of JAK/STAT Inhibitors in Chronic Inflammatory Disorders.

The Janus kinase (JAK)-signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) pathway plays a critical role in orchestrating immune and inflammatory responses, and it is essential for a wide range of cellular processes, including differentiation, cell growth, and apoptosis. Over the years, this pathway has been heavily investigated due to its key role in the pathogeneses of several chronic inflammatory conditions, e.g.

Hocus Pocus: the Role of Hand-held Ultrasonography in Predicting Disease Extension and Endoscopic Activity in Ulcerative Colitis.

Background: Ulcerative colitis [UC] assessment still requires ileocolonoscopy [IC]. Intestinal ultrasound [IUS] has emerged as a non-invasive assessment tool, and the Milan Ultrasound Criteria [MUC] score has been validated to estimate and grade UC disease activity. Recently, hand-held IUS [HHIUS] has been used in several clinical settings, but data about its use in UC are limited.

Impact of Sarcopenia on Clinical Outcomes in a Cohort of Caucasian Active Crohn's Disease Patients Undergoing Multidetector CT-Enterography.

(1) Background: Sarcopenia has a high incidence in Crohn’s disease (CD) with considerable heterogeneity among ethnicities and variable impact on clinical outcomes. Aim: to assess the impact of sarcopenia on clinical outcomes in a cohort of Caucasian patients with active CD undergoing CT-enterography (CTE) for clinical assessment. We further investigated the prevalence of sarcopenia and its predictors.

Exploring the concept of deep remission in Crohn's disease: correlation between transmural healing and biomarkers.

Background: While mucosal healing (MH) and transmural healing (TH) predict relevant clinical outcomes in Crohn's disease (CD), little is known about the real significance and clinical impact of deep remission (DR).

Objectives: To better explore the concept of DR, toward a direct correlation between MH, TH, and biomarkers.

Design: Real-world observational longitudinal study to evaluate the rate of clinical remission (CR), MH and TH, and the fecal calprotectin (FC)/C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in all consecutive CD patients on biologics.

The Impact of Intestinal Ultrasound on the Management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: From Established Facts Toward New Horizons.

Intestinal ultrasound (IUS) plays a crucial role as a non-invasive and accurate tool to diagnose and assess inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The rationale for using IUS in Crohn's disease (CD), a transmural disease, is widely acknowledged. While the use of IUS in ulcerative colitis (UC), a mucosal disease, is often underestimated, but, recently, it is increasingly expanding.

David Against Goliath: Direct Comparison of Handheld Bowel Sonography and Magnetic Resonance Enterography for Diagnosis of Crohn's Disease.

Background: Diagnosis of Crohn's disease (CD) requires ileo-colonoscopy (IC) and cross-sectional evaluation. Recently, "echoscopy" has been used effectively in several settings, although data about its use for CD diagnosis are still limited. Our aim was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of handheld bowel sonography (HHBS) in comparison with magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) for CD diagnosis.