S943 A New Population With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Clinical Characteristics of IBD in the Chaldean Population

Abstract

Introduction: The Chaldean people originate from ancient Babylon, Mesopotamia, known as Iraq in modern times, with a population of approximately 2 million, with 500,000 in the US. It has been anecdotally observed that many Chaldeans suffer from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), however there is little known about IBD in this population. Cho et al. described four Chaldean families and reported linkage and linkage disequilibrium at chromosome band 1p36 associated with IBD, but no clinical characteristics have been described. The aim of this study is to describe the clinical characteristics of IBD in the Chaldean population. Methods: This was an online survey study sent to the Chaldean community in Michigan via social media platforms. Data collected included demographic information, IBD specific characteristics, family history and barriers to seeking care. Patients who were < 18 years old (y), did not identify as Chaldean or have a diagnosis of IBD were excluded. Results: A total of 74 patients completed the survey (18 excluded due to age, diagnosis uncertainty). Of the 56 completed surveys, 25 (44.6%) with ulcerative colitis (UC), 22 (39.2%) with Crohn’s disease (CD), 9 (16%) with IBD-unspecified (IBD-U). Median age 31y (Range 19-55y), median duration of disease 9y (Range 1-28y) and median age of onset of disease 25y (Range 5-52y). 42 (75%) were females. 12 (21%) have a history of surgery for disease complications. 35% have first degree relative with IBD, 53% have second degree relative with IBD. 66% report delays in seeking medical attention after first symptoms, with minimization of symptoms and embarrassment being the most common reasons. Other reasons included fear, insurance issues and life stressors. (Table) Conclusion: This is the first study to describe clinical characteristics of Chaldean patients with IBD. We found similar rates of UC and CD in our survey population. There are more Chaldean females with IBD, compared to equal rates of males and females with IBD in the general population. In the Chaldean population, we found a significantly higher family history of IBD than the general IBD population which is reported at 8-14%. Despite a strong family history and presumed more exposure to those with IBD, most patients delay seeking medical attention for their symptoms. Further studies are indicated to describe IBD characteristics, clinical course, prognosis and genetic evaluation in the Chaldean population. Table 1. - Title: Demographic and Clinical Characteristics of 56 Chaldean Patients with IBD Variables N=56 Median age, y (Range) 31 (19-55) Median age of diagnosis, y (Range) 25 (5-52) Median duration of disease, y (Range) 9 (1-28) Females, n (%) 42 (75) Delays to seeking care, n (%)1 37 (66) Minimization of symptoms, n (%) 10 (42) Embarrassment, n (%) 6 (25) Fear, n (%) 3 (13) Life stressors, n (%) 3 (13) Insurance barriers, n (%) 2 (8) 1= 24 participants provided reasons for delays to seeking care; y = years