Adrenomedullin for biologic-resistant Crohn's disease: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2a clinical trial.

Background And Aim: Adrenomedullin is a bioactive peptide with many pleiotropic effects, including mucosal healing and immunomodulation. Adrenomedullin has shown beneficial effects in rodent models of inflammatory bowel disease and, more importantly, in clinical trials including patients with ulcerative colitis. We performed a successive clinical trial to investigate the efficacy and safety of adrenomedullin in patients with Crohn's disease (CD).

Infliximab therapy intensification based on endoscopic activity is related to suppress treatment discontinuation in patients with Crohn disease: A retrospective cohort study.

Administering double doses of infliximab or shortening its dosing interval for patients with Crohn disease who experience a loss of response to treatment is an accepted treatment method; however, the effectiveness and appropriate timing of treatment intensification remain unclear. We examined the treatment outcomes of patients with Crohn disease receiving infliximab therapy intensification.Among 430 patients with Crohn disease who were seen at our related facilities from July 2002 to July 2018, 46 patients (30 men and 16 women) who were followed up for diminished infliximab effects for >1 year after therapy intensification were included in this study.

Adrenomedullin for steroid-resistant ulcerative colitis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase-2a clinical trial.

Background: Adrenomedullin (AM) is a bioactive peptide having many pleiotropic effects, including mucosal healing and immunomodulation. AM has shown beneficial effects in rodent models and in preliminary study for patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). We performed a clinical trial to investigate the efficacy and safety of AM in patients with UC.

Indigo naturalis is effective even in treatment-refractory patients with ulcerative colitis: a post hoc analysis from the INDIGO study.

Background: We recently reported the efficacy of indigo naturalis (IN) in patients with active ulcerative colitis (UC) in a randomized controlled trial (INDIGO study). However, few studies have been conducted to investigate whether IN is effective even in treatment-refractory cases, such as in those with steroid dependency and anti-TNF refractoriness.

Methods: In the INDIGO study, 86 patients with active UC were randomly assigned to an IN group (0.

Remission induction, maintenance, and endoscopic outcome with oral 5-aminosalicylic acid in intestinal Behçet's disease.

Background And Aim: Oral 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) is recommended for the therapy of mild to moderate intestinal Behçet's disease (BD). However, the induction remission efficacy and endoscopic outcomes of 5-ASA are unknown. We investigated remission induction at 8 weeks, endoscopic outcomes until 52 weeks, and event-free survival at 52 weeks in patients with intestinal BD treated with 5-ASA.

Efficacy of Indigo Naturalis in a Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial of Patients With Ulcerative Colitis.

Background & Aims: Indigo naturalis (IN) is a traditional Chinese medicine that contains ligands for the aryl hydrocarbon receptor and promotes regeneration of the mucosa by inducing production of interleukin 22. IN might induce mucosal healing in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). We performed a randomized controlled trial to investigate the safety and efficacy of IN in patients with UC.

Retrospective Analysis of Growth Speed of 54 Lesions of Colitis-associated Colorectal Neoplasia.

Aim: This study used a multicenter questionnaire survey to evaluate the morphology and progression of the initial lesion in cases of colitis-associated colorectal neoplasia (CRN).

Patients And Methods: Endoscopic images of lesions that had been definitively diagnosed as CRN by pathological examination were retrospectively reviewed.

Results: This resulted in the identification of 54 initial lesions in 49 patients.

Effectiveness of concomitant enteral nutrition therapy and infliximab for maintenance treatment of Crohn's disease in adults.

Background: One of the problems associated with infliximab (IFX) treatment for Crohn's disease (CD) is loss of response during maintenance therapy.

Aims: The aim of this multicenter, retrospective, cohort study was to determine whether enteral nutrition (EN) added to the IFX therapy regimen is effective for maintaining remission in adult CD patients.

Methods: Patients with CD who had started IFX therapy between April 2003 and March 2008 at any one of the seven participating medical centers and who met the following inclusion criteria were enrolled in the study: remission after triple infusions of IFX followed by IFX maintenance therapy every 8 weeks, and follow-up data available for ≥ 1 year.

Human neutrophil peptides 1-3 are useful biomarkers in patients with active ulcerative colitis.

Background: A specific useful biomarker for diagnosing ulcerative colitis (UC) has not yet been described. This study employed proteomics to identify serum protein biomarkers for UC.

Methods: Ninety-four blood samples were isolated from patients and controls (including 48 UC, 22 Crohn's disease [CD], 5 colorectal cancer, and 6 infectious colitis patients and 13 healthy subjects).

Minute carcinoma of the pancreas presenting as pancreatic pleural effusion.

A 70-year-old Japanese man with no history of pancreatitis visited his local practitioner, complaining of dyspnea on effort. Left massive pleural effusion was detected and he was then referred to our hospital. A plain chest film showed marked left pleural effusion.

Signet-ring cell carcinoma of the colon 7mm in size with peritonitis carcinomatosa.

A 72-year-old woman was admitted with a complaint of a sensation of abdominal fullness. Cytologic examination of ascites revealed many poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma cells. Barium enema study and colonoscopy revealed IIa+IIc-type carcinoma of the descending colon.