Summary
Background
Little is known about the impact of Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) infection on clinical outcomes in adults with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Aim
To evaluate seroprevalence, ...seroconversion rate and complications associated with EBV infection in an adult IBD cohort attending a tertiary care hospital in Spain between 2006 and 2016.
Methods
EBV serological status was determined. In seronegative patients, the seroconversion rate was evaluated. The complications associated with primary and latent EBV infection are described.
Results
One thousand four hundred and eighty‐three patients over the age of 17 were included in the study (mean age at EBV serological status determination was 48.3). Overall seroprevalence of EBV was 97.4% (95% CI: 96.6%‐98.2%). The seroconversion rate was 29.7% (95% CI: 16.2‐45.9) after a mean of 47.5 months. There were no differences in seroconversion rates between patients 35 years or younger and patients older than 35 years. A 66‐year‐old man, on treatment with thiopurines, developed lymphoma and a hemophagocytic syndrome during a primary EBV infection. Overall, six patients (one with primary infection and five with prior EBV infection) developed lymphoma. In three of five patients with lymphoma and thiopurine use, EBV was associated to the development of lymphoma.
Conclusions
There is a small percentage of adults with IBD at risk of primary EBV infection. The risks of seroconversion and its complications remain through adulthood. Our results suggest that, when considering the use of thiopurines in IBD, the information on EBV serological status should be taken into account at any age.
Background: Iodine deficiency during pregnancy may have adverse effects on the neurodevelopment of the foetus. Recent studies of pregnant women in Asturias (Spain) indicate that nutritional iodine ...levels are sufficient. The objective of this study was to confirm the appropriate nutritional iodine status and to analyse the influence of the ingestion of iodine on maternal urinary iodine concentration (UIC) and thyroid function. Methods: An observational study was carried out between May and June 2017 on women in the first trimester of pregnancy from Health Area IV in Asturias. The women completed a questionnaire related to their consumption of iodine and samples were taken to analyse UIC and thyroid function. Results: Three hundred and eighteen pregnant women were involved. Of these, 51.10% used iodised salt, 48.90% consumed ≥ 2 servings of dairy products daily and 87.08% took iodine supplements. The median UIC was 171.5 μg/L (116–265 μg/L) and 60.41% of women had UIC ≥ 150 μg/L. Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that iodised salt had a protective effect on UIC < 150 μg/L (odds ratio (OR) 0.404 (0.237–0.683), p = 0.001), but not iodine supplements (OR 0.512 (0.240–1.085), p = 0.080). The average level of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) was 2.26 ± 0.94 mIU/L; 68.40% of pregnant women taking iodine supplements had TSH < 2.5 mIU/L compared to 30.00% of those who were not taking supplements (p = 0.031). Conclusions: The pregnant women in our health area are maintaining appropriate nutritional iodine levels. The consumption of iodised salt protects against iodine deficiency; thus, iodine supplements should be taken on an individualised basis.
Background & aims: the last large multicenter study on disease-related malnutrition (DRM) in Spain (the PREDyCES study) showed a 23.7 % prevalence of malnutrition, according to the Nutritional Risk ...Screening (NRS-2002) tool. The main objective of the SeDREno study was to assess the prevalence of hospital malnutrition upon admission, according to GLIM criteria, ten years later. Methods: a cross-sectional, observational, multicenter study in standard clinical practice, conducted in 17 hospitals during a period of five to seven days. Patients were initially screened using the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST), and then assessed using the GLIM criteria for diagnosis and severity grading. Results: a total of 2,185 patients, 54.8 % males, mean age 67.1 (17.0) years (50.2 % aged ≥ 70 years), were evaluated. Malnutrition was observed in 29.7 % of patients according to GLIM criteria (12.5 % severe, 17.2 % moderate). In patients ≥ 70 years malnutrition was observed in 34.8 %. The clinical conditions significantly associated with a higher prevalence of malnutrition were dysphagia (47.6 %), cognitive impairment (43.4 %), cancer (39.1 %), gastrointestinal disease (37.7 %), diabetes (34.8 %), and cardiovascular disease (33.4 %). The multivariate analysis revealed that gender, BMI, diabetes, cancer, gastrointestinal disorders, and polypharmacy were the main independent factors associated with DRM. Malnutrition was associated with an increase in length of hospital stay and death (p < 0.001). Conclusions: DRM in admitted patients has increased in Spain in the last 10 years paralleling ageing of the population. In the SeDREno study almost one in three patients are malnourished. A systematic assessment of nutritional status allows early detection and implementation of nutritional interventions to achieve a better clinical outcome.
Introduction: gastrocolic fistula is an infrequent but severe complication of percutaneous gastrostomy. Clinical suspicion in the presence of chronic diarrhea of unknown etiology manifesting after ...percutaneous radiological gastrostomy (PRG) tube replacement is key to early detection and treatment. Case report: we report the case of a patient with PRG that began with chronic diarrhea after tube replacement and developed severe malnutrition. Initial treatment was not effective, studies were extended with the finding of this complication in a CT image. The use of this tube was discontinued with resolution of diarrhea and a favorable nutritional outcome. Discussion: this case report shows the importance of considering gastrocolic fistula in the differential diagnosis of persistent diarrhea in a patient with a gastrostomy tube.
Mesalazine is a 5-aminosalicylic acid derivative that has been widely used to treat patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Accumulating evidence indicates that mesalazine has a very low rate of ...adverse drug reactions and is well tolerated by patients. However, a few cases of pulmonary and cardiac disease related to mesalazine have been reported in the past, though infrequently, preventing clinicians from diagnosing the conditions early. We describe the case of a 32-yearold man with ulcerative colitis who was admitted with a two-month history of persistent fever following mesalazine treatment initiated 14 mo earlier. At the time of admission, mesalazine dose was increased from 1.5 to 3.0 g/d, and antibiotic therapy was started with no improvement. Three weeks after admission, the patient developed dyspnea, non-productive cough, and chest pain. Severe eosinophilia was detected in laboratory tests, and a computed tomography scan revealed interstitial infiltrates in both lungs, as well as a large pericardial effusion. The bronchoalveolar lavage reported a CD4/CD8 ratio of 0.5, and an increased eosinophil count. Transbronchial biopsy examination showed a severe eosinophilic infiltrate of the lung tissue. Mesalazine-induced cardiopulmonary hypersensitivity was suspected after excluding other possible etiologies. Consequently, mesalazine treatment was suspended, and corticosteroid therapy was initiated, resulting in resolution of symptoms and radiologic abnormalities. We conclude that mesalazine-induced pulmonary and cardiac hypersensitivity should always be considered in the differential diagnosis of unexplained cardiopulmonary symptoms and radiographic abnormalities in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.
Background: A nationwide, prospective, multicenter, cohort study (the Disease-Related caloric-protein malnutrition EChOgraphy (DRECO) study) was designed to assess the usefulness of ultrasound of the ...rectus femoris for detecting sarcopenia in hospitalized patients at risk of malnutrition and to define cut-off values of ultrasound measures. Methods: Patients at risk of malnutrition according to the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) underwent handgrip dynamometry, bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), a Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, and rectus femoris ultrasound studies. European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP2) criteria were used to define categories of sarcopenia (at risk, probable, confirmed, severe). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and area under the curve (AUC) analyses were used to determine the optimal diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of cut-off points of the ultrasound measures for the detection of risk of sarcopenia and probable, confirmed, and severe sarcopenia. Results: A total of 1000 subjects were included and 991 of them (58.9% men, mean age 58.5 years) were evaluated. Risk of sarcopenia was detected in 9.6% patients, probable sarcopenia in 14%, confirmed sarcopenia in 9.7%, and severe sarcopenia in 3.9%, with significant differences in the distribution of groups between men and women (p < 0.0001). The cross-sectional area (CSA) of the rectus femoris showed a significantly positive correlation with body cell mass of BIA and handgrip strength, and a significant negative correlation with TUG. Cut-off values were similar within each category of sarcopenia, ranging between 2.40 cm2 and 3.66 cm2 for CSA, 32.57 mm and 40.21 mm for the X-axis, and 7.85 mm and 10.4 mm for the Y-axis. In general, these cut-off values showed high sensitivities, particularly for the categories of confirmed and severe sarcopenia, with male patients also showing better sensitivities than women. Conclusions: Sarcopenia in hospitalized patients at risk of malnutrition was high. Cut-off values for the better sensitivities and specificities of ultrasound measures of the rectus femoris are established. The use of ultrasound of the rectus femoris could be used for the prediction of sarcopenia and be useful to integrate nutritional study into real clinical practice.