The Crohn’s disease (CD) exclusion diet (CDED) plus partial enteral nutrition (PEN) and exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) both induce remission in pediatric CD. CDED+PEN is better tolerated and able ...to sustain remission. We characterized the changes in fecal metabolites induced by CDED+PEN and EEN and their relationship with remission.
A total of 216 fecal metabolites were measured in 80 fecal samples at week (W) 0, W6, and W12, of children with mild to moderate CD in a prospective randomized trial comparing CDED+PEN vs EEN. The metabolites were measured using liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Metagenome Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes Orthology analysis was performed to investigate the differential functional gene abundance involved in specific metabolic pathways. Data were analyzed according to clinical outcome of remission (W6_rem), no remission (W6_nr), sustained remission (W12_sr), and nonsustained (W12_nsr) remission.
A decrease in kynurenine and succinate synthesis and an increase in N-α-acetyl-arginine characterized CDED+PEN W6_rem, whereas changes in lipid metabolism characterized EEN W6_rem, especially reflected by lower levels in ceramides. In contrast, fecal metabolites in EEN W6_nr were comparable to baseline/W0 samples. CDED+PEN W6_rem children maintained metabolome changes through W12. In contrast, W12_nsr children in the EEN group, who resumed a free diet after week 6, did not. The metabolome of CDED+PEN differed from EEN in the purine, pyrimidine, and sphingolipid pathways. A significant differential abundance in several genes involved in these pathways was detected.
CDED+PEN– and EEN-induced remission are associated with significant changes in inflammatory bowel disease–associated metabolites such as kynurenine, ceramides, amino acids, and others. Sustained remission with CDED+PEN, but not EEN, was associated with persistent changes in metabolites. Clinicaltrials.gov, Number NCT01728870.
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Precis Crohn’s disease exclusion diet plus partial enteral nutrition– and exclusive enteral nutrition–induced remission in pediatric Crohn’s disease exhibited unique metabolome profiles. Dietary nonresponders showed metabolite profiles similar to baseline. Exposure to free diet led to return to baseline metabolomic profile.
Currently, there is no consensus on how to score Crohn disease (CD) activity assessed by intestinal ultrasound (IUS) in children. This study aimed to design an easy-to-use IUS score for disease ...activity in pediatric CD.
Children undergoing ileo-colonoscopy for CD assessment underwent IUS the day before ileo-colonoscopy, assessed with simple endoscopic score for CD (SES-CD). IUS features were compared to the SES-CD on segmental level. Multiple regression analyses, separately for terminal ileum (TI) and colon, were done to assess predictors of disease activity and to develop a model.
In 74 CD patients (median 15 years, 48% female), 67 TI and 364 colon segments were assessed. Based on receiver operating characteristics curves, bowel wall thickness (BWT) was categorized into low 1 point: 2-3 mm (TI) and 1.6-2 mm (colon), medium 2 points: 3.0-3.7 mm (TI) and 2.0-2.7 mm (colon), and high 3 points: >3.7 mm (TI) and >2.7 mm (colon). In TI, only BWT was retained in the model high BWT: odds ratio (OR) 11.50, P < 0.001. In colon, BWT (high BWT: OR 8.63, P < 0.001) and mesenteric fat (1 point: OR 3.02, P < 0.001) were independent predictors. A pediatric Crohn disease IUS score (PCD-US) cut-off of 1 resulted in a sensitivity of 82% (95% confidence interval, CI: 65%-93%) and 85% (95% CI: 80%-89%) and a cut-off of 3 in a specificity of 88% (72%-97%) and 92% (87%-96%) for TI and colon, respectively. Inter-observer agreement was moderate for TI and colon ( K : 0.42, K : 0.49, respectively).
The PCD-US score is an easy-to-use and reliable score to detect or rule out CD activity on segmental level in children. External validation is needed before applying this score in clinical practice.
Purpose
To assess the effect of a shrinking rectal balloon implant (RBI) on the anorectal dose and complication risk during the course of moderately hypofractionated prostate radiotherapy.
Methods
In ...15 patients with localized prostate cancer, an RBI was implanted. A weekly kilovolt cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scan was acquired to measure the dynamics of RBI volume and prostate–rectum separation. The absolute anorectal volume encompassed by the 2 Gy equieffective 75 Gy isodose (V
75Gy
) was recalculated as well as the mean anorectal dose. The increase in estimated risk of grade 2–3 late rectal bleeding (LRB) between the start and end of treatment was predicted using nomograms. The observed acute and late toxicities were evaluated.
Results
A significant shrinkage of RBI volumes was observed, with an average volume of 70.4% of baseline at the end of the treatment. Although the prostate–rectum separation significantly decreased over time, it remained at least 1 cm. No significant increase in V
75Gy
of the anorectum was observed, except in one patient whose RBI had completely deflated in the third week of treatment. No correlation between mean anorectal dose and balloon deflation was found. The increase in predicted LRB risk was not significant, except in the one patient whose RBI completely deflated. The observed toxicities confirmed these findings.
Conclusions
Despite significant decrease in RBI volume the high-dose rectal volume and the predicted LRB risk were unaffected due to a persistent spacing between the prostate and the anterior rectal wall.
Exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) is recommended for children with mild to moderate Crohn’s disease (CD), but implementation is challenging. We compared EEN with the CD exclusion diet (CDED), a ...whole-food diet coupled with partial enteral nutrition (PEN), designed to reduce exposure to dietary components that have adverse effects on the microbiome and intestinal barrier.
We performed a 12-week prospective trial of children with mild to moderate CD. The children were randomly assigned to a group that received CDED plus 50% of calories from formula (Modulen, Nestlé) for 6 weeks (stage 1) followed by CDED with 25% PEN from weeks 7 to 12 (stage 2) (n = 40, group 1) or a group that received EEN for 6 weeks followed by a free diet with 25% PEN from weeks 7 to 12 (n = 38, group 2). Patients were evaluated at baseline and weeks 3, 6, and 12 and laboratory tests were performed; 16S ribosomal RNA gene (V4V5) sequencing was performed on stool samples. The primary endpoint was dietary tolerance. Secondary endpoints were intention to treat (ITT) remission at week 6 (pediatric CD activity index score below 10) and corticosteroid-free ITT sustained remission at week 12.
Four patients withdrew from the study because of intolerance by 48 hours, 74 patients (mean age 14.2 ± 2.7 years) were included for remission analysis. The combination of CDED and PEN was tolerated in 39 children (97.5%), whereas EEN was tolerated by 28 children (73.6%) (P = .002; odds ratio for tolerance of CDED and PEN, 13.92; 95% confidence interval CI 1.68–115.14). At week 6, 30 (75%) of 40 children given CDED plus PEN were in corticosteroid-free remission vs 20 (59%) of 34 children given EEN (P = .38). At week 12, 28 (75.6%) of 37 children given CDED plus PEN were in corticosteroid-free remission compared with 14 (45.1%) of 31 children given EEN and then PEN (P = .01; odds ratio for remission in children given CDED and PEN, 3.77; CI 1.34–10.59). In children given CDED plus PEN, corticosteroid-free remission was associated with sustained reductions in inflammation (based on serum level of C-reactive protein and fecal level of calprotectin) and fecal Proteobacteria.
CDED plus PEN was better tolerated than EEN in children with mild to moderate CD. Both diets were effective in inducing remission by week 6. The combination CDED plus PEN induced sustained remission in a significantly higher proportion of patients than EEN, and produced changes in the fecal microbiome associated with remission. These data support use of CDED plus PEN to induce remission in children with CD. Clinicaltrials.gov no: NCT01728870.
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Abstract Background Mammographic screening may reduce breast cancer mortality by about 20%, provided participation is high and women screen regularly. We quantified independent risk factors for ...failing to rescreen and built a model to predict how rescreening rates change if these risk factors would be modified. Methods Multivariate analysis was used to analyze data from a prospective study which included a self-administered questionnaire and rescreening status 30 months after a t0 mammogram, using a random sample of women 50–67 years (Belgium 2010–2013). Results A false positive result at the most recent past mammogram (Odds Ratio = 5.0, 95% Confidence Interval 3.6–6.8), an interval until new invitation greater than 25 months (Odds Ratio = 4.8 for > 29 months, 95% Confidence Interval 2.9–8.1), waiting times in the mammography unit > 1 h (Odds Ratio = 2.1, 95% Confidence Interval 1.2–3.7) and difficulties in reaching the unit (Odds Ratio = 2.5, 95% Confidence Interval 1.4–4.4) were the strongest independent predictors for failing to rescreen. The area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic analysis was 0.705 for the model development stage and 0.717 for the validation stage and goodness-of-fit was good. Conclusions Maintaining an invitation cycle of maximum 25 months, limiting waiting time in the mammography unit and lowering the number of false positives could increase breast cancer screening compliance.
Abstract
Background
Methotrexate (MTX) is increasingly prescribed in paediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is currently not feasible due to its ...characteristic pharmacokinetics and short half-life in plasma, which amounts to approximately 2.5-6.5 hours. Because of this, plasma MTX is no longer detectable shortly after administration. However, MTX-polyglutamates (PG1-5) are formed intracellularly and accumulate over time. Recently, we developed a technique for targeted erythrocyte MTX-PG analysis with the potential for TDM. Data in paediatric IBD with this technique are lacking so far. Here, we aimed to identify the potential of erythrocyte MTX-PG analysis to measure MTX levels in paediatric IBD.
Methods
In this observational cross-sectional study, we determined MTX-PG concentrations in erythrocytes retrieved from blood samples of paediatric IBD patients on low-dose MTX maintenance therapy, defined as exposure to a stable dose of MTX for at least twelve consecutive weeks. MTX-PG concentrations were determined by stable-isotope dilution liquid chromatography mass-spectrometry. Furthermore, we evaluated the effects of route of administration (oral versus subcutaneous), MTX dosage, and anthropometric data on MTX-PG concentrations.
Results
Fifty-two paediatric IBD patients on MTX maintenance therapy were included. The predominant subspecies was MTX-PG3 (mean 30.5 nmol/L, SD ± 20.0) and the mean MTX-PGtotal concentration was 88.6 nmol/L (SD ± 52.6). A higher dose was linearly associated with significantly higher MTX-PG3 (r = 0.56), MTX-PG4 (r = 0.52), MTX-PG5 (r = 0.48) and MTX-PGtotal (r = 0.49) levels. When adjusted for body surface area, MTX dose was also linearly associated with significantly higher MTX-PG3 (r = 0.51), MTX-PG4 (r= 0.39), and MTX-PGtotal (r= 0.40) concentrations. A reliable comparison regarding route of administration was not possible in this cohort, due to the small number of patients receiving subcutaneous MTX (n=3).
Conclusion
We observed high inter-individual variability in the reached erythrocyte MTX-PG concentrations. Body surface adjusted or unadjusted MTX dosage showed a positive linear correlation with erythrocyte MTX-PG concentrations in children with IBD. This is a prerequisite for TDM and provides a strong basis for further research into the relation between TDM of MTX, effectivity and toxicity.
Abstract
Objective
We aimed to provide an evidence-supported update of the ECCO-ESPGHAN guideline on the medical management of paediatric Crohn’s disease CD.
Methods
We formed 10 working groups and ...formulated 17 PICO-structured clinical questions Patients, Intervention, Comparator, and Outcome. A systematic literature search from January 1, 1991 to March 19, 2019 was conducted by a medical librarian using MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central databases. A shortlist of 30 provisional statements were further refined during a consensus meeting in Barcelona in October 2019 and subjected to a vote. In total 22 statements reached ≥ 80% agreement and were retained.
Results
We established that it was key to identify patients at high risk of a complicated disease course at the earliest opportunity, to reduce bowel damage. Patients with perianal disease, stricturing or penetrating behaviour, or severe growth retardation should be considered for up-front anti-tumour necrosis factor TNF agents in combination with an immunomodulator. Therapeutic drug monitoring to guide treatment changes is recommended over empirically escalating anti-TNF dose or switching therapies. Patients with low-risk luminal CD should be induced with exclusive enteral nutrition EEN, or with corticosteroids when EEN is not an option, and require immunomodulator-based maintenance therapy. Favourable outcomes rely on close monitoring of treatment response, with timely adjustments in therapy when treatment targets are not met. Serial faecal calprotectin measurements or small bowel imaging ultrasound or magnetic resonance enterography are more reliable markers of treatment response than clinical scores alone.
Conclusions
We present state-of-the-art guidance on the medical treatment and long-term management of children and adolescents with CD.
Abstract
Background
Crohn's disease (CD) exclusion diet combined with partial enteral nutrition (CDED+PEN) and exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) are effective in inducing remission in ...mild-to-moderate paediatric CD. While tolerance is higher with CDED+PEN than with EEN, a subset of patients still does not achieve remission. Diet-induced remission at week 6 was associated with changes in tryptophan (Trp) metabolism.1 Our aim was to investigate whether baseline Trp metabolites could predict dietary therapy outcomes in paediatric CD.
Methods
In total, 26 mild-to-moderate treatment-naive paediatric CD patients from a prior randomized controlled trial 2, were classified as having remission 6 (R, n =19 (CDED+PEN=10 and EEN=9)) and No-Remission (NR, n=7 (CDED+PEN=3 and EEN=4)) following 6 weeks of CDED+PEN or EEN therapy, based on the Paediatric Crohn’s Disease Activity Index (PDCAI) score (≤10 remission, >10 no remission). We performed targeted quantitative analysis of 21 tryptophan metabolites in baseline faecal samples from both groups, utilizing liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole mass spectrometry. Receiving Operator Characteristic Curve (ROC) and Random Forest Analysis were used to assess the predictive power of Trp metabolites for dietary outcomes.
Results
Baseline clinical characteristics were comparable between R and NR. Baseline fecal kynurenine was significantly higher in NR compared to R for CDED+PEN (p=0.02) (Fig 1A) and EEN (p=0.04) (Fig 2A). ROC analysis highlighted the robust predictive power of kynurenine for CDED+PEN (area under the curve (AUC)=0.97) (Fig 1B) and EEN (AUC=0.88) (Fig 2B) induced remission. Random Forest analysis corroborated these observations. Ratios of Trp metabolites were compared to investigate different downstream Trp pathways. The ratio serotonin/kynurenine was the strongest predictor of CDED+PEN-induced remission (AUC=1) (Fig 1C). The ratio 5-OH-Tryptophan/kynurenine (AUC=0.88) (Fig 2C) predicted EEN-induced remission. When data from CDED+PEN and EEN were combined, kynurenine (AUC=0.91) and the ratios of quinolinic acid/kynurenine (AUC=0.93) and kynurenine/indole-3-acetic acid (AUC=0.88) demonstrated strong predictive performance for dietary therapy in general (Fig 3A,B and C).
Conclusion
Baseline faecal kynurenine has potential as a prognostic biomarker for dietary therapies. Trp metabolite ratios, notably serotonin/kynurenine for CDED+PEN and 5-OH-tryptophan/kynurenine for EEN, showed promising predictive capabilities. If confirmed in validation studies, baseline faecal Trp markers may be able to provide much needed guidance to personalize dietary intervention within the management of paediatric CD.
References
1. Gastroenterology. 2022 Oct;163(4):922-936. 2. Gastroenterology. 2019 Aug;157(2):440-450.
The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a nuclear protein which, upon association with certain endogenous and exogenous ligands, translocates into the nucleus, binds DNA and regulates gene expression. ...Tryptophan (Trp) metabolites are one of the most important endogenous AhR ligands. The intestinal microbiota is a critical player in human intestinal homeostasis. Many of its effects are mediated by an assembly of metabolites, including Trp metabolites. In the intestine, Trp is metabolized by three main routes, leading to kynurenine, serotonin, and indole derivative synthesis under the direct or indirect involvement of the microbiota. Disturbance in Trp metabolism and/or AhR activation is strongly associated with multiple gastrointestinal, neurological and metabolic disorders, suggesting Trp metabolites/AhR signaling modulation as an interesting therapeutic perspective. In this review, we describe the most recent advances concerning Trp metabolism and AhR signaling in human health and disease, with a focus on nutrition as a potential therapy to modulate Trp metabolites acting on AhR. A better understanding of the complex balance between these pathways in human health and disease will yield therapeutic opportunities.
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