P398 Disease clearance: a potential target for management of patients with Ulcerative Colitis

Abstract

Abstract Background Disease clearance defined by the absence of symptoms and intestinal inflammation at endoscopic and histological examination, is proposed as a target in the evaluation of the ulcerative colitis (UC) course. The purpose of this study was to evaluate disease remission on the UC evolution according to disease clearance concept. Methods Between January 2020 - March 2022, 79 patients with UC were evaluated clinically, laboratory testing, endoscopically and histologically. Patients positive for COVID and CDI were not included in the study. Disease remission, in accordance with the concept of disease clearance it is defined as clinical (partial Mayo score ≤2), endoscopic (endoscopic Mayo score ≤1) and histological (Nancy Index) remission. Disease clearance was measured at inclusion in the study and during follow-up after 12 months. Results were compared in patients who did or did not achieve disease clearance. Results The patients were divided into 2 groups according to disease clearence: group 1: 35 out of 79 patients with UC evaluated, were considered with disease clearance at the initial moment of the evaluation. Group 1 did not present complications and did not require surgical interventions during the follow-up period, compared to group 2: non-disease clearence patients, 44 out of 79 patients (0.0% vs. 31.8%, p=0.03, OR=23.1). During follow-up, 38.6% patients (N=17 pts, Incidence Rate=0.3864) from group 2 obtained clinical remission, of which 15.9% patients obtained endoscopic remission, 6.81% patients obtained histological remission (p=0.025) and 27.2% patients were under biological therapy. A total of 27 patients from both groups required hospitalization, significantly shorter for patients with initial values ​​of fecal calprotectin below 200 μg/mg, and without endoscopic and/or histological activity (8.57% vs. 54.54%, p=0.002, OR=0.57, RR=0.224). 51.8% patients presented severe forms of disease with surgical and non-surgical complications (35.7% vs. 64.2%, p=0.91, OR=1.07). Surgical complications include toxic megacolon (N=2 pts, 14.2%), colonic perforation (N=1 pts, 7.1%), gastrointestinal hemorrhage (N=1 pts, 7.1%) and stricture with bowel obstruction (N=1 pts, 7.1%). Non-surgical complications include gastrointestinal hemorrhage (N=6 pts, 42.8%), venous thrombosis (N=1 pts, 7.1%) and colorectal cancer (N=2 pts, 14.2%). No deaths were reported. Conclusion According to the concept of disease clearance, our data indicate that UC patients in clinical, endoscopic and histological remission present a significantly lower risk of hospitalization, complications and surgical intervention.