Impact of pregnancy on health-related quality of life of patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Objective: To examine the impact of pregnancy on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of women with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Methods: This was a retrospective study in a tertiary referral center and included women with ≥2 short inflammatory bowel disease questionnaire (SIBDQ) scores obtained during their pregnancy. Regression models were used to identify independent factors influencing SIBDQ scores and changes of SIBDQ scores at different time points.

Vitamin D deficiency in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: association with disease activity and quality of life.

Background: Vitamin D deficiency is common in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence and predictors of vitamin D deficiency in an IBD cohort. It was hypothesized that vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased disease activity and lower health-related quality of life (HRQOL).

Diet in inflammatory bowel disease.

The past few years have seen a great expansion of our understanding of the pathophysiology of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Much of the progress has been on the genetic basis of disease as well as the role of microbiota. These findings have magnified the role of the environmental component of this rather complex process.

Clinical course of Crohn's disease following treatment of lymphoma.

Background: Crohn's disease (CD) patients may be at increased risk for the development of Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), either through exposure to immunosuppressive medications or due to their underlying chronic inflammatory illness. There are limited data regarding the natural history of CD following treatment of lymphoma. We present a series of CD patients who were treated for lymphoma and describe the natural history of their CD following lymphoma treatment.

QuantiFERON TB gold testing for tuberculosis screening in an inflammatory bowel disease cohort in the United States.

Background: Reactivation of latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) is a rare, yet devastating infectious complication associated with anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) therapy. We evaluated the performance of the QuantiFERON TB Gold test (QFT-G) for TB screening in a cohort of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients in the United States.

Methods: We performed a retrospective, observational study of patients initiated and/or maintained on an anti-TNF-α agent in a single IBD referral center and recorded the frequency and the test results of QFT-G testing and the rate of TB reactivation.

Clostridium difficile and inflammatory bowel disease.

The past decade has seen an alarming increase in the burden of disease associated with Clostridium difficile. Several studies have now demonstrated an increasing incidence of C difficile infection in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with a more severe course of disease compared with the non-IBD population. This article summarizes the available literature on the impact of C difficile infection on IBD and discusses the various diagnostic testing and treatment options available.

Impact of prior irregular infliximab dosing on performance of long-term infliximab maintenance therapy in Crohn's disease.

Background: Infliximab is efficacious in the management of moderate to severe Crohn's disease (CD). There are limited data regarding performance of infliximab in patients who require reinitiation of maintenance dosing following previous irregular exposure.

Methods: This was a retrospective, observational study of CD patients treated with maintenance infliximab beyond 3 years.

Clostridium difficile and inflammatory bowel disease.

The past decade has seen an alarming increase in the burden of disease associated with Clostridium difficile. Several studies have now demonstrated an increasing incidence of C difficile infection in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with a more severe course of disease compared with the non-IBD population. This article summarizes the available literature on the impact of C difficile infection on IBD and discusses the various diagnostic testing and treatment options available.

Impact of autonomic dysfunction on inflammatory bowel disease.

Unlabelled: Functional symptoms are common in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The autonomic nervous system has been proposed to be involved in the pathogenesis of IBD. Autonomic dysfunction (AD) is associated with systemic manifestations and altered gut motility that may contributed to functional symptoms.

Does primary sclerosing cholangitis impact quality of life in patients with inflammatory bowel disease?

Background: Impairment of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is an important concern in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD; ulcerative colitis [UC], Crohn's disease [CD]). Between 2%-10% of patients with IBD have primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). There has been limited examination of the disease-specific HRQoL in this population compared to non-PSC IBD controls.

Durability of infliximab in Crohn's disease: a single-center experience.

Background: Infliximab is effective maintenance for moderate to severe Crohn's disease (CD); however, problems with immunogenicity and decreased efficacy often complicate long-term use. Durability of infliximab maintenance therapy over multiple years has not been defined.

Methods: This was a retrospective, observational study of CD patients who received maintenance infliximab for ≥1 year with the intention of ongoing maintenance.

History of medical hospitalization predicts future need for colectomy in patients with ulcerative colitis.

Background: Patients who require hospitalization for the management of ulcerative colitis (UC) may represent a subset with severe disease. These patients may be more likely to require future colectomy. There are limited data examining whether medical hospitalization is predictive of subsequent colectomy.

Budesonide induction and maintenance therapy for Crohn's disease during pregnancy.

Background: There is no standard approach for the medical management of Crohn's disease (CD) during pregnancy and there is limited data regarding safety and efficacy of the treatments. Budesonide (Entocort EC, AstraZeneca) is an enteric coated locally acting glucocorticoid preparation whose pH- and time-dependent coating enables its release into the ileum and ascending colon for the treatment of mild to moderate Crohn's disease. There is no available data on the safety of using oral budesonide in pregnant patients.

Bowel rest and nutrition therapy in the management of active Crohn's disease.

Nutrition and Crohn's disease (CD) are intertwined because of the central role of nutrition in the care of patients with CD, specifically the theories regarding a dietary contribution to pathogenesis and formal studies investigating the primary role of nutrition as therapy for CD. Perhaps one of the most important studies evaluating the role of nutrition therapy and bowel rest in the management of CD was performed by Greenberg and colleagues in 1988. This pivotal study attempted to define the role of bowel rest as an independent variable in the management of hospitalized patients with active CD unresponsive to the traditional medical therapy that was available at the time.

Clostridium difficile and inflammatory bowel disease.

Clostridium difficile colitis has doubled in North America over the past 5 years and recent reports have demonstrated an increase in incidence and severity of these infections in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD; Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis). Studies from single institutions as well as trends identified in nationwide inpatient databases have shown that IBD patients with concomitant C. difficile infection experience increased morbidity and mortality.

Permanent work disability in Crohn's disease.

Objective: Crohn's disease (CD) frequently presents during early adulthood, a peak time of work productivity. There are limited data from the United States on work disability from CD. We performed this study to identify clinical factors associated with permanent work disability in a CD tertiary referral cohort.

Impact of Clostridium difficile on inflammatory bowel disease.

Background & Aims: Clostridium difficile-associated disease has increased significantly in North American medical centers. The impact of C difficile on patients with IBD (Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis) at the present time is unknown.

Methods: A retrospective, observational study evaluating IBD patients followed in a referral center to evaluate the impact of C difficile was performed.