Compartment-driven imprinting of intestinal CD4 T cells in inflammatory bowel disease and homeostasis.

The mucosal immune system is implicated in the etiology and progression of inflammatory bowel diseases. The lamina propria and epithelium of the gut mucosa constitute two separate compartments, containing distinct T-cell populations. Human CD4 T-cell programming and regulation of lamina propria and epithelium CD4 T cells, especially during inflammation, remain incompletely understood.

Mucosal α4β7+ Lymphocytes and MAdCAM+ Venules Predict Response to Vedolizumab in Ulcerative Colitis.

Background: Therapeutic strategies for patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) are based on patient- and disease-related factors in combination with drug characteristics but fail to predict success in individual patients. A considerable proportion of UC patients do not respond to the biological vedolizumab. Therefore, pretreatment biomarkers for therapeutic efficacy are urgently needed.

Therapeutic drug monitoring of thiopurines: Effect of reduced 6-thioguanine nucleotide target levels in inflammatory bowel disease patients.

Aims: The effect of the Dutch nationwide adjustment of reducing 6-thioguanine nucleotide (6-TGN) target values (from 600-1200 to 320-630 pmol/8 × 10 red blood cells [RBC]) on toxicity and clinical outcome of thiopurine treatment in patients with inflammatory bowel disease has not yet been established. Therefore, the authors determined the incidence of toxicity-induced discontinuations and efficacy at both target concentrations.

Methods: This retrospective study was performed in inflammatory bowel disease patients treated with azathioprine or mercaptopurine.

Mobile application to monitor inflammatory bowel disease patients on intravenous biologic treatment: a feasibility study.

Background: Monitoring of IBD patients on intravenous biologic treatment is recommended but time-consuming for patients and nurses. We developed a mobile application (app) to promote self-management and studied its feasibility in clinical practice.

Methods: Adult IBD patients treated with intravenous infliximab or vedolizumab used the app over four biologic treatments.

Homeostatic Function and Inflammatory Activation of Ileal CD8 Tissue-Resident T Cells Is Dependent on Mucosal Location.

Background & Aims: Tissue-resident memory T (Trm) cells, both of the CD4 and CD8 lineage, have been implicated in disease flares in inflammatory bowel disease. However, data are conflicting regarding the profile of human CD8 Trm cells, with studies suggesting both proinflammatory and regulatory functions. It is crucial to understand the functional profile of these cells in the context of (new) therapeutic strategies targeting (trafficking of) gut Trm cells.

Distribution of mucosal PD-1 expressing T cells in patients with colitis of different etiologies.

Background: Immunotherapy, targeting programmed death-1 (PD-1) enhances antitumor T-cell activity in patients with malignancies. Blocking PD-1 or its ligand may lead to fulminant colitis as serious adverse event in these patients. Since little is known of the presence and role of PD-1T cells in colitis of different etiologies, we determined PD-1T cells in mucosal specimens of patients with inflammatory bowel disease, infectious colitis (InfC), immunotherapy-related colitis (ImC) and healthy controls (HC).

Development of Mucosal PNAd and MAdCAM-1 Venules during Disease Course in Ulcerative Colitis.

PNAd and MAdCAM-1 addressins on venules are of importance in T-cell homing and potential therapeutic targets in ulcerative colitis (UC). Normally, PNAd high endothelial venules (HEVs) are only present in lymphoid organs, whereas small numbers of MAdCAM-1 venules can be seen in non-lymphoid tissue. We aimed to study their presence in the intestinal mucosa of UC patients at diagnosis and during follow-up, and their correlation with disease activity.

Improvement of Fatigue and Quality of Life in Patients with Quiescent Inflammatory Bowel Disease Following a Personalized Exercise Program.

Background And Aims: Fatigue significantly impacts the quality of life of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This study aimed to assess the effect of a personalized, intensive exercise program on fatigue, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and cardiorespiratory fitness in patients with quiescent IBD and severe fatigue.

Methods: A pilot study was performed including IBD patients in remission with severe fatigue.

Intestinal CD103+CD4+ and CD103+CD8+ T-Cell Subsets in the Gut of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients at Diagnosis and During Follow-up.

Background: The integrin CD103 is proposed to be a potential therapeutical target in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), as it can form a heterodimeric integrin with β7 (Etrolizumab, anti-β7 integrin) on epithelial T cells. Therefore, we aimed to study the frequencies of different intestinal CD103+T-cell subsets, both CD4+ and CD8+, in newly diagnosed, untreated IBD patients at baseline and during follow-up, compared with healthy controls.

Methods: Intestinal biopsies from inflamed segments during colonoscopy and peripheral blood samples were prospectively taken from IBD patients at diagnosis and during follow-up.

Clinical outcomes of home parenteral nutrition patients using taurolidine as catheter lock: A long-term cohort study.

Background & Aims: Central venous access device (CVAD)-related complications, such as central-line associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs), CVAD-related venous thromboses (CRVTs) and -occlusions frequently occur in home parenteral nutrition (HPN) patients. A preventive strategy to decrease the incidence of CLABSIs is the use of CVAD lock solutions, such as 2% taurolidine. The aim of this study was to evaluate long-term clinical outcomes of our HPN cohort while using taurolidine as lock solution.

Intestinal T Cell Profiling in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Linking T Cell Subsets to Disease Activity and Disease Course.

Introduction: A dysregulated intestinal T cell response is presumed in patients with inflammatory bowel disease [IBD]. In this longitudinal study, we investigated the changes in intestinal T lymphocyte subsets in IBD at first presentation and over time during endoscopic active or inactive disease, and relate them to disease activity and outcome.

Methods: We included 129 newly diagnosed patients (87 Crohn's disease [CD], 42 ulcerative colitis [UC]) and 19 healthy controls [HC].