Publications by authors named "Fries W"
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.
Article Synopsis
- A study examined the psychological factors affecting 84 patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), focusing on issues like anxiety, depression, and quality of life.
- Findings revealed low to moderate health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and anxiety levels, with women reporting worse outcomes than men.
- The research highlighted the need for integrated psychological treatment strategies in managing chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, emphasizing the influence of coping styles and defense mechanisms on mental health.
Background: Transition is a crucial process in the care of IBD patients, although it remains largely heterogeneous.
Aims: To provide an overview of the transition process in Italy and to investigate the perspective of the paediatric and adult physicians.
Methods: An online survey was developed by the Italian Group for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IG-IBD) and the Italian Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (SIGENP).
Background: Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) with a rapidly growing worldwide incidence. The last decades presented rapid progress in pharmacological treatment leading in many cases to clinical and endoscopic remission, including biological treatment with anti-TNF agents.
Aim: The exact timing of introduction, optimization and maintenance of anti-TNF therapy in IBDs is not thoroughly covered in current guidelines.
Background: Real-world evidence is needed to determine the value of tofacitinib (TOFA) for the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC).
Aim: To assess the safety and effectiveness of TOFA in clinical practice.
Methods: TOFA-UC is a multicenter, observational study performed among the Sicilian Network for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (SN-IBD).
Background And Aims: Older patients with ulcerative colitis treated with tofacitinib are at risk for major cardiovascular events, thromboembolism, herpes zoster, and malignancies and, accordingly, its use is limited by the regulatory authorities. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the occurrence of adverse events and potential preventive measures.
Methods: We retrospectively evaluated patients treated with tofacitinib, divided into two groups according to comorbidities and age.
With the introduction of more and more monoclonal antibodies selectively targeting various mediators of the immune system, together with Janus-Kinase (JAK)-inhibitors with variable affinities towards different JAK subtypes, the available therapeutic options for the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) have undergone an acceleration in the last five years. On the other hand, the prevalence of IBD patients over 65-years-old is steadily increasing, and, with this, there is a large population of patients that presents more comorbidities, polypharmacy, and, more frequently, frailty compared to younger patients, exposing them to potentially major risks for adverse events deriving from newer therapies, e.g.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), including ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD), are chronic and disabling diseases that affect patient health-related quality of life (HRQoL). IBD patients are frequently exposed to high levels of stress and psychological distress. Biological drugs have been proven to reduce inflammation, hospitalization, and most of the complications that characterize IBDs; their potential contribution to patients' HRQoL remains to be explored.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Aim: Postoperative recurrence (POR) following ileocolonic resection is a major concern in patients with Crohn's disease (CD). The role of ustekinumab (UST) in this setting is poorly known.
Methods: All consecutive CD patients with a baseline colonoscopy at 6-12 months from ileocolonic resection showing POR (Rutgeerts score ≥ i2) who were treated with UST after the baseline colonoscopy and with an available post-treatment endoscopy, were extracted from the cohort of the Sicilian Network for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (SN-IBD).
Article Synopsis
- New treatments for ulcerative colitis (UC) exist, but there's still a lack of clear predictors for poor outcomes in patients, prompting an evaluation of factors linked to chronic active disease.
- A study of 345 UC patients, followed for an average of over 6.5 years, found that those with extensive colitis at diagnosis had higher rates of chronic active disease and surgeries later on.
- Key findings revealed that non-adherence to treatment was the only significant predictor of chronic active disease, emphasizing the importance of patient compliance and monitoring in managing UC effectively.
Background: The aim of the study was to provide radiologists and clinicians a rapid tool for assessment of intestinal inflammation in Crohn's disease (CD) patients through quantification of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) signal intensity while performing magnetic resonance enterography (MRE).
Materials And Methods: A monocentric retrospective study was conducted between September 2018 and July 2021 on CD patients who underwent MRE. Two radiologists measured signal intensity on DWI scans at the highest b-value (800 s/mm) within pathologic intestinal walls, lymph nodes, spleen and psoas muscle and calculated the relative ratios.
Article Synopsis
- Post-marketing surveillance is critical for assessing drug safety and effectiveness, yet there is limited research on the safety and persistence of biologic treatments for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
- This study focused on patients with Crohn's Disease or ulcerative colitis treated with various biologics from 2017 to 2021, analyzing treatment persistence and adverse drug reactions (ADRs).
- Results showed higher persistence in the first year for ustekinumab and adalimumab, while infliximab had better persistence in the fifth year; however, other therapies like golimumab and vedolizumab had higher risks of non-persistence and few mild to moderate ADRs were reported, emphasizing the need for further
Background: The effectiveness of Ustekinumab (UST) and Vedolizumab (VDZ) in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) as third-line biologic therapies is unclear.
Aims: We performed a multicentre, real-world assessment of the effectiveness of UST and VDZ among highly-refractory patients with CD.
Methods: Data of consecutive patients with CD treated with UST and VDZ as third-line biologic therapy until December 2021 were extracted from the cohort of the Sicilian Network for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (SN-IBD).
The number of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) approaching an older age, together with the number of over-60-year-old patients newly diagnosed with IBD, is steadily increasing, reaching 25% of all patients. The present review focuses on late-onset ulcerative colitis (UC) and its initial disease course in comparison with that observed in younger adults in terms of extension at onset and the risk of proximal disease progression, medical treatment, surgery and hospitalization in the first years after diagnosis. We summarize the clues pointing to a milder disease course in a population which frequently presents major frailty due to comorbidities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- The study compared the effectiveness of ustekinumab and vedolizumab as second-line treatments for Crohn's disease in patients who did not respond to TNF inhibitors, with outcomes assessed through clinical measures and imaging techniques.
- Results showed no significant differences in clinical outcomes at 26 weeks, but at 52 weeks, vedolizumab performed better with higher rates of clinical remission (55.5% vs 42.5%) and steroid-free remission (51.1% vs 40.6%).
- Both treatments had similar safety profiles, and clinical responses at 26 weeks were predictive of later steroid-free remission for both medications.
Background: Data from the first wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic suggested that patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are not at higher risk of being infected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) than the general population and that a worse prognosis is not associated with immunomodulatory drugs, with the possible exception of systemic steroids.
Methods: This retrospective, observational study included consecutive IBD patients from the Sicilian Network for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (SN-IBD) cohort who had a SARS-CoV-2 infection diagnosis (polymerase chain reaction-confirmed presence of the viral genome in a nasopharyngeal swab) during the second COVID-19 pandemic wave (September 2020 to December 2020). Data regarding demographics, IBD features and treatments, and comorbidities were analyzed in correlation with COVID-19 clinical outcomes.
Background: Anemia is a common extraintestinal manifestation of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), with a 6% to 74% prevalence and a negative impact on patient survival and quality of life, although the prevalence is apparently declining due to improved disease treatment. We aimed to investigate the prevalence, pathogenesis, and clinical correlates of anemia in Italian patients with IBD.
Methods: A multicenter, prospective, observational study, involving 28 Italian gastroenterology centers, was conducted to investigate the epidemiology and consequences of IBD-associated anemia.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) risk is increased in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and surveillance needs to be tailored according to individual risk. The open issues include the role of the characteristics of IBD and CRC in determining the long-term outcome. These issues were assessed in our multicenter study, including a cohort of 56 IBD patients with incident CRC.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPredictors of Covid-19 vaccination acceptance in IBD patients: a prospective study.
Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol
December 2021
Background: Adherence to vaccinations is unsatisfactory in the inflammatory diseases (IBD) population because of concerns regarding adverse events or low perception of infectious risk. The aim of this study was to maximise adherence to anti-Covid-19 vaccination in IBD patients.
Methods: In the third trimester of 2020, all IBD patients were informed concerning the need for anti-Covid-19 vaccination and family physicians were advised to proceed with anti-Influenza and anti-pneumococcus vaccinations.
Background: The role of Vedolizumab (VDZ) as therapeutic option for the postoperative recurrence of Crohn's disease (CD) following ileocolonic resection is unknown.
Aims: To assess the effectiveness of VDZ in this setting.
Methods: All consecutive CD patients with a baseline colonoscopy at 6-12 months from the ileocolonic resection showing postoperative recurrence (Rutgeerts score ≥i2) and treated with VDZ after the baseline colonoscopy were extracted from the cohort of the Sicilian Network for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (SN-IBD).
Ménétrier's disease (MD) is a rare disease of the stomach, characterised by hypertrophic gastric folds leading to protein loss. The association with ulcerative colitis (UC) is rare but has been reported in the literature. We report a case of a 29-year-old male affected by UC with an additional diagnosis of MD 3 years after UC diagnosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Efficacy and safety of ustekinumab for the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC) has been demonstrated in clinical trials, but few real-world data are available so far. The aim of this study was to assess effectiveness and safety of ustekinumab in a cohort of refractory UC patients.
Methods: Data of patients with moderate to severe UC treated with ustekinumab were retrospectively collected.
Article Synopsis
- - The study aimed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the Adalimumab biosimilar ABP 501 in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, over a one-year period.
- - It included 559 patients divided into three groups based on prior treatment exposure, revealing higher incidences of serious adverse events in those naïve to Adalimumab compared to those switched from the originator drug.
- - Overall, ABP 501 demonstrated similar safety and effectiveness to the original Adalimumab, with a high clinical response and better treatment persistence in patients who switched from the originator.