Endoscopic Activity Research Articles

Safety and efficacy of autologous haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation with low-dose cyclophosphamide mobilisation and reduced intensity conditioning versus standard of care in refractory Crohn's disease (ASTIClite): an open-label, multicentre, randomised controlled trial

A previous controlled trial of autologous haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) in patients with refractory Crohn's disease did not meet its primary endpoint and reported high toxicity. We aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of HSCT with an immune-ablative regimen of reduced intensity versus standard of care in this patient population. This open-label, multicentre, randomised controlled trial was conducted in nine National Health Service hospital trusts across the UK. Adults (aged 18-60 years) with active Crohn's disease on endoscopy (Simplified Endoscopic Score for Crohn's Disease [SES-CD] ulcer sub-score of ≥2) refractory to two or more classes of biological therapy, with no perianal or intra-abdominal sepsis or clinically significant comorbidity, were recruited. Participants were centrally randomly assigned (2:1) to either HSCT with a reduced dose of cyclophosphamide (intervention group) or standard care (control group). Randomisation was stratified by trial site by use of random permuted blocks of size 3 and 6. Patients in the intervention group underwent stem-cell mobilisation (cyclophosphamide 1 g/m2 with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) 5 μg/kg) and stem-cell harvest (minimum 2·0 × 106 CD34+ cells per kg), before conditioning (fludarabine 125 mg/m2, cyclophosphamide 120 mg/kg, and rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin [thymoglobulin] 7·5 mg/kg in total) and subsequent stem-cell reinfusion supported by G-CSF. Patients in the control group continued any available conventional, biological, or nutritional therapy. The primary outcome was absence of endoscopic ulceration (SES-CD ulcer sub-score of 0) without surgery or death at week 48, analysed in the intention-to-treat population by central reading. This trial is registered with the ISRCTN registry, 17160440. Between Oct 18, 2018, and Nov 8, 2019, 49 patients were screened for eligibility, of whom 23 (47%) were randomly assigned: 13 (57%) to the intervention group and ten (43%) to the control group. In the intervention group, ten (77%) participants underwent HSCT and nine (69%) reached 48-week follow-up; in the control group, nine (90%) reached 48-week follow-up. The trial was halted in response to nine reported suspected unexpected serious adverse reactions in six (46%) patients in the intervention group, including renal failure due to proven thrombotic microangiopathy in three participants and one death due to pulmonary veno-occlusive disease. At week 48, absence of endoscopic ulceration without surgery or death was reported in three (43%) of seven participants in the intervention group and in none of six participants in the control group with available data. Serious adverse events were more frequent in the intervention group (38 in 13 [100%] patients) than in the control group (16 in four [40%] patients). A second patient in the intervention group died after week 48 of respiratory and renal failure. Although HSCT with an immune-ablative regimen of reduced intensity decreased endoscopic disease activity, significant adverse events deem this regimen unsuitable for future clinical use in patients with refractory Crohn's disease. Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation Programme, a Medical Research Council and National Institute for Health Research partnership.

Diagnostic Performance of a Fecal Calprotectin Assay as a Biomarker for Mayo Endoscopic Subscore in Ulcerative Colitis: Result From a Tertiary Referral Center.

Fecal calprotectin (FC) is a promising biomarker for assessing ulcerative colitis (UC) endoscopic activity. However, the optimal FC cutoff to identify each Mayo endoscopic subscore (MES) remains inconclusive. The electronic medical records of 177 adult UC patients evaluated at Mayo Clinic Rochester from January 2017 to March 2023 were retrospectively reviewed, obtaining clinical data and US-based Werfen Diagnostics FC levels collected within 30 days before colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy. Three independent inflammatory bowel disease specialist endoscopists blindly reviewed the most severe endoscopic images for grading MES. The median interval between FC collection and endoscopy was 2 days. Fecal calprotectin showed strong positive correlations with MES (Spearman's r = 0.709; P < .01) and other clinical parameters. Fecal calprotectin cutoff of 60 mcg/g effectively distinguished MES 0 from MES 1-3 (sensitivity, 0.78; specificity, 0.97; area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC], 0.901) and predicted clinical remission (Total Mayo Score ≤2 and no subscore >1; sensitivity, 0.83; specificity, 0.98; AUC, 0.921). Fecal calprotectin cutoff of 110 mcg/g effectively differentiated MES 0-1 from MES 2-3 (sensitivity, 0.86; specificity, 0.87; AUC, 0.915), while a cutoff of 310 mcg/g distinguished MES 0-2 from MES 3 (sensitivity, 0.80; specificity, 0.76; AUC, 0.820). This study supports the reliability and applicability of FC as a valuable marker of endoscopic inflammation, particularly in distinguishing MES 0 from MES 1-3 using the FC cutoff of 60 mcg/g. Sensitivity analysis demonstrated robust results.

Association between serum omentin-1 and mucosal disease activity in patients with ulcerative colitis.

Mucosal inflammation is a key feature of ulcerative colitis (UC), a chronic relapsing and remitting form of inflammatory bowel disease. Omentin-1, a newly discovered adipokine, is reported to have anti-inflammatory effects and has been found to be decreased in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. The aim of our study was to investigate the association between serum omentin-1 levels and mucosal disease activity in patients with UC. A total of 126 patients with UC and 77 healthy volunteers were enrolled in the study. Serum omentin-1 expression levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to evaluate its potential for monitoring disease activity, including clinical and endoscopic activity. Serum omentin-1 levels were significantly lower in patients with UC compared to healthy controls (HC) (UC, 61.7 interquartile range: 51.5-72.6 versus healthy controls, 103.5 interquartile range: 48.3-156.2ng/ml; P < .001). Furthermore, serum omentin-1 levels were associated with both clinical and endoscopic activity in patients with UC. Notably, omentin-1 levels were significantly lower in patients who achieved mucosal healing. Receiver operating characteristic curves indicated that serum omentin-1 levels could potentially serve as an activity index for evaluating UC. These findings provide further insight into the association between omentin-1 and UC, suggesting that omentin-1 may be a useful biomarker for monitoring mucosal disease activity in patients with UC.

USEFULLNESS OF SERUM LEUCINE-RICH ALPHA2-GLYCOPROTEIN AND FECAL CALPROTECTIN ASSURROGATE MARKERS IN ULCERATIVE COLITIS

Abstract BACKGROUND AND AIM Serum Leucine-rich alpha-2 glycoprotein (LRG) was identified as a novel biomarker for rheumatoid arthritis and IBD by using a proteomics approach. Several studies have suggested that serum LRG levels and fecal calprotectin (fCal) were correlated with clinical activities in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). We compared utility of these biomarkers for monitoring disease activity in UC. METHODS A single-center observational study was conducted at Kyushu University Hospital. A total of 101 patients who underwent colonoscopy during the period from February to December 2021 were enrolled. The associations between endoscopic and histological activity and biomarkers were investigated. Endoscopic activity was defined as Mayo endoscopic score (MES) of 1 or less for mucosal healing and 0 for complete mucosal healing. For histological activity (n=90), Geboes score of 2 or less was defined as histological remission. RESULTS Subjects ranged in age from 16 to 80 years (35 males and 66 females). There were 63 cases of total colitistype, 32 cases of left-sided colitis type, and 6 cases of proctitis type. The MES at enrollment were as follows: MES 0 in 41 cases, MES 1 in 33 cases, MES 2 in 19 cases, and MES 3 in 8 cases. In comparison between the mucosal healing and non-mucosal healing groups, LRG was significantly lower in the mucosal healing group (p&amp;lt;0.0001). The correlation coefficient of LRG with MES was r=0.614 (p&amp;lt;0.0001), which was higher than that of fCal, r=0.414 (p&amp;lt;0.0001). In ROC analysis with mucosal healing as the outcome, the AUC and cut-off value of LRG were 0.781 and 17.9 μg/ml, respectively, and for fCal were 0.850 and 396 μg/g, respectively. In the ROC analysis with complete mucosal healing as the outcome, the AUC for LRG was 0.690, which was lower than the AUC of 0.846 for fCal . When compared by histological remission, LRG was lower in the histological remission group (p&amp;lt;0.001). In the ROC analysis with histological remission as the outcome, the AUC for LRG was 0.722 (cutoff value 14.2 μg/ml) and for fCal was 0.837 (cutoff value 119 μg/g). CONCLUSION Both LRG and fCal are valuable biomarkers reflecting disease activity in UC.

HAND GRIP STRENGTH IS ASSOCIATED WITH CLINICAL SYMPTOM BURDEN IN CROHN'S DISEASE

Abstract INTRODUCTION Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory condition that may result in malnutrition and alteration of body composition, such as the development of sarcopenia. Sarcopenia is a known component of frailty, which is a driver of poor health outcomes and a significant independent predictor of mortality in patients with IBD. The purpose of this study was to determine whether grip strength, as a predictor of sarcopenia and frailty, is associated with clinical symptoms, endoscopic disease activity and disease-related disability in patients with IBD. METHODS This is a prospective cohort study performed at a single tertiary care center. Outpatient adults aged 18 to 89-years-old with a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis (UC) or Crohn’s disease (CD), were consented and enrolled at the time of an outpatient colonoscopy. Study participants were asked to complete two paper surveys addressing clinical symptoms and IBD Disability Index. Grip strength measurements were obtained using a Jamar dynamometer and adjusted for age and sex by Z-score calculation. RESULTS There was a total of 74 patients, with a mean age of 47.06 years, 51.4% male and 48.6% female with a diagnosis of either UC (38%) or CD (62%). The mean disease duration was 15.7 years (0.5-50.7). Mean hand grip Z-score amongst all patients was lower in patients not in clinical remission compared to those in clinical remission (–0.160 vs 0.480, p = 0.025), though in subgroup analysis based on diagnosis, statical significance only maintained in the CD, but not the UC group (-0.230 vs 0.610, p=0.044; 0.020 vs 0.340, p=0.544 respectively). Mean hand grip Z-score was not associated with IBD Disability Index (–0.070 vs 0.250, p= 0.669) or endoscopic disease activity (UC 0.210 vs 0.070, p=0.513; CD –0.108 vs 0.274, p=0.638). CONCLUSION Low hand grip strength is associated with clinical disease activity in patients with CD but not UC. Our study does not suggest hand grip strength to be associated with IBD-related disability or endoscopic disease activity in either patients with UC or CD. Data on clinical outcomes at 6-months will be collected. DISCUSSION From the findings in our study, hand grip measurements alone may not be the best predictor of disease activity or related disability. There is a lack of validated diagnostic criteria for sarcopenia and frailty in the IBD population and additional diagnostic modalities may be required. While our study suggests that hand grip may be correlated with clinical disease activity in patients with CD, additional studies with a large population size and wider representation of disease severity, such as including hospitalized IBD populations, are needed to further validate these findings.

MEDICAL, ENDOSCOPIC, AND SURGICAL THERAPIES FOR THE TREATMENT OF RECTAL CUFFITIS IN ULCERATIVE COLITIS PATIENTS WITH AN ILEAL POUCH-ANAL ANASTOMOSIS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Abstract BACKGROUND Patients who undergo ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) without mucosectomy are left with a rectal cuff, which can develop inflammation known as cuffitis. Treatment of cuffitis typically includes mesalamine suppositories or corticosteroids, but individuals with refractory cuffitis may require advanced therapies, endoscopic intervention, or surgical intervention. The aim of this review is to summarize the existing literature regarding treatments options for cuffitis. METHODS A broad search strategy was created by a medical librarian to capture rectal cuffitis in IPAA patients. The following databases were searched: Ovid Medline® ALL, Ovid Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Wiley), and 3 indexes in Web of Science from Clarivate: Science Citation Index-Expanded, Conference Proceedings Citation Index, and BIOSIS Citation Index. A total of 1,652 citations were identified, and 836 studies remained after removal of 816 duplicates. Two reviewers screened all 836 abstracts and 241 full-text articles to determine if they were eligible for inclusion in this review. RESULTS A total of 21 studies (10 cohort studies, 9 case-series, 2 open-label clinical trials) met the inclusion criteria. Medical interventions were investigated in 15 studies (Table 1) with mesalamine being the most common (4 studies) followed by corticosteroids (3 studies), ustekinumab (3 studies), vedolizumab (2 studies), tofacitinib (1 study), and infliximab (1 study). Studies investigating mesalamine and corticosteroid use generally had larger sample sizes (ranging 4-120 patients) and showed symptomatic improvement in 51.7-100% of patients and decreases of 1.14-1.8 points in endoscopic disease activity indices. In contrast, studies investigating advanced therapies had small sample sizes (ranging 1-21 patients) and showed variable responses ranging from no clinical (tofacitinib) or endoscopic (ustekinumab, vedolizumab) improvements to clinical (ustekinumab) or endoscopic (vedolizumab) responses in 75% of patients. Endoscopic and surgical approaches were explored in 6 studies (Table 2) and included secondary mucosectomy (2 studies), endoscopic cuff resection, transanal minimally invasive surgery, endoscopic needle-knife therapy, and balloon dilation for cuffitis patients with concomitant outlet strictures (1 study each). These techniques generally resulted in resolution of symptoms but were limited by small sample sizes (ranging 3-16 patients). CONCLUSIONS Most studies evaluating therapies used to treat rectal cuffitis suggest beneficial effects of conventional mesalamine or corticosteroid-based therapies, whereas data regarding the efficacy of advanced therapies and interventional procedures are inconsistent given small sample sizes. Further research is needed to effectively characterize additional management options for this condition. Table 1. Medical therapies used for treatment of cuffitis. Abbreviations – BM: bowel movements, CRP: C-reactive protein, UST: ustekinumab, HBOT: hyperbaric oxygen therapy, mPDAI: modified Pouch Disease Activity Index, 5-ASA: 5-aminosalicylate, ESR: erythrocyte sedimentation rate, PDAI: Pouch Disease Activity Index, CGQOL: Cleveland Global Quality of Life score, IPS: Irritable Pouch Syndrome, CAI: Cuffitis Activity Index. Table 2. Endoscopic and surgical therapies used for treatment of cuffitis. Abbreviations – FISI: Fecal Incontinence Severity Index, CGQOL: Cleveland Global Quality of Life score, PDAI: Pouch Disease Activity Index, BM: bowel movements.

P375 Histological activity predicts the risk of colectomy after biological treatment in biological-naive patients with Ulcerative Colitis

Abstract Background Treatment failure with biological agents is common in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), but the impact of baseline histological disease activity is unknown. We aimed to investigate the predictive role of histopathological findings for biological treatment failure in UC patients. Methods This is a sub-study of the Danish IBD Biobank Project. Adult bio-naïve patients with UC (n=129) were followed prospectively while undergoing biological treatment. Histological activity was assessed using the Nancy Index and the Geboes score in intestinal biopsies sampled before treatment. Endoscopic activity was assessed using the Mayo Endoscopic Subscore, and clinical activity was measured using the Simple Clinical Colitis Activity Index (SCCAI). Associations between histological activity and treatment outcomes were assessed in multivariable models which incorporated the following fixed covariates: age, gender, disease duration, body mass index &amp;gt;30, disease extent, the SCCAI, and the Mayo Endoscopic Subscore. Correlations between histological, endoscopic, clinical, and biochemical activity were assessed using Spearman’s rank correlation. Results Colectomy was needed in 17.1% (n=22) of UC patients during follow-up (Table 1). Histological activity at baseline measured using the Nancy Index was the only significant predictor of the risk of colectomy during follow-up (Nancy 2 vs. 4: HR 0.14, 95% CI 0.02-0.84, p=0.03; Nancy 3 vs. 4: HR 0.11, 95% CI 0.02-0.53, p=0.01) beside baseline haemoglobin concentration (HR 0.32, 95% CI 0.16-0.64, p&amp;lt;0.01. Figure 1). The risk of colectomy was also significantly predicted by a Geboes grade above 5.0 at baseline (HR 2.72, 95% CI 1.14-6.50, p=0.02). In contrast, endoscopic and clinical activity did not predict the risk of colectomy. At baseline, the Nancy Index and the Geboes score were moderately correlated to endoscopic activity, and weakly, but significantly correlated to biochemical markers haemoglobin, albumin, and C-reactive protein. Meanwhile, poor correlations were found between histological activity and clinical activity. Conclusion The risk of colectomy during biological treatment in bio-naïve UC patients was significantly predicted by histological disease activity, but not endoscopic or clinical disease activity. Our study suggests that histological assessment before initiating biological treatment should be encouraged in UC patients. Funding This study is funded by a restricted grant from Takeda A/S, Louis-Hansen Fonden, and a public fund hosted by Hvidovre Hospital.

P477 Performance of bowel preparation quality scales in patients with Crohn’s disease

Abstract Background The performance of bowel preparation (BP) in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) is unknown and may be suboptimal due to the presence of mucosal inflammation, strictures, pseudopolyps and bowel resection. We evaluated the reliability and validity of available BP scales in patients with CD. Methods Bowel preparation, in colonoscopy videos (N=50) from patients with CD (N=40) that represented a range of bowel preparation quality and endoscopic disease activity, was independently rated twice, separated by at least 2 weeks, by 3 central readers using the Boston Bowel Preparation Score (BBPS), modified BBPS, Harefield Cleansing Scale (HCS), Food and Drug Administration bowel cleansing assessment scale (FDA BCAS), and a 100-mm visual analogue scale (VAS) of bowel cleanliness. Endoscopic activity was assessed with the Simple Endoscopic Score for CD (SES-CD). All assessments were on endoscope insertion and withdrawal and in the ileum, right colon, transverse colon, left colon, and rectum to facilitate evaluation of the relationship between BP and SES-CD scores. Reliability of BP assessment was quantified using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and interpreted with benchmarks defined by Landis and Koch.1 Validity was assessed by within-patient correlation between each BP scale and the VAS across segments using mixed effect models. Correlation between BP quality and SES-SD scores by location was assessed using Spearman’s rho. Results Substantial (ICC ≥0.61) inter-rater reliability was observed for all BP scales and the VAS during insertion and withdrawal, except for the FDA BCAS, which had moderate (ICC ≥0.41) inter-rater reliability on insertion (Table 1). Intra-rater reliability was similarly substantial for all BP scales and almost perfect (ICC ≥0.81) for the VAS during insertion and withdrawal. Coefficients for the validity of all BP scales based on correlation with the VAS of bowel cleanliness exceeded 0.58 on both insertion and withdrawal. BP and endoscopic disease activity were negatively correlated in the colon, particularly in the left colon, suggesting that lower BP scores in this segment may result in higher SES-CD scores (Table 2). Conclusion Existing scales are reliable for the assessment of BP in patients with CD. These results provide a framework for scoring of BP quality in clinical trials for CD and support the inclusion of patients with CD for the evaluation of novel BP agents. Reference: 1. Landis J.R. and Koch G. G. Biometrics. 1977:33;159-74

P1211 A faecal microbial signature, in combination with faecal calprotectin, to optimise endoscopic activity monitoring in Crohn’s Disease

Abstract Background Monitoring Crohn's Disease (CD) endoscopic activity (EA) is crucial to identify disease progression and tailor treatment. Faecal calprotectin (FC) provides a non-invasive and cost-effective alternative to colonoscopy; however, it exhibits only a moderate correlation with EA in CD, highlighting the need for a non-invasive approach that either replaces or complements FC. This study aimed to identify a faecal microbial signature that could offer more precise monitoring of EA in CD. Methods A cohort of 55 CD patients was recruited from four Spanish hospitals. All participants provided a faecal sample before undergoing colonoscopy for the analysis of FC levels and microbial markers abundances, including Eubacteria (EUB), Escherichia coli (ECO), Faecalibacterium prausnitzii (FPRA) and its phylogroups I and II (PHG-I, and PHG-II), Ruminococcus spp. (RUM), Akkermansia muciniphila (AKK), Methanobrevibacter smithii (MSM), Clostridium clusters I and XIV (CLO, and XIV), Enterococcus sp. (ENT), Roseburia sp. (ROS), and Gammaproteobacteria (GAM). The Simplified Endoscopic Score for Crohn’s Disease (SES-CD) was employed to assess EA, being remission and activity defined as SES-CD≤2 and SES-CD&amp;gt;2, respectively. Results FC levels showed a significant correlation with SES-CD (rs=0.778, p&amp;lt;0.001) and a cut-off of 250 μg/g discerned EA with 86.49% sensitivity (SS), 75.65% specificity (SP), 77.06% positive predictive value (PPV) and 84.53% negative predictive value (NPV). Significant differences were identified when comparing the relative abundances of ECO (p&amp;lt;0.005), GAM (p&amp;lt;0.005), and RUM (p=0.026) between activity and remission. The relative abundance of ECO (rs=-0.495, p&amp;lt;0.001), GAM (rs=-0.492, p&amp;lt;0.001), and RUM (rs=0.274, p=0.042) also showed a significant correlation with SES-CD. None of the microbial markers alone exceeded FC performance. The combination of FC levels with the abundances of the microbial markers ECO, RUM, GAM, PHG-II, and XIV in a unique signature outperformed FC alone in discerning EA, with 97.57% SS, 93.59% SP, 91.65% PPV, and 97.57% NPV. The false positive (FP) and negative (FN) rates were reduced by 60.00% and 75.00%, respectively, compared to FC alone. Notably, all the FN presented mild endoscopic activity, indicating accurate monitoring of patients with moderate or severe EA. Conclusion A new faecal microbial signature combined with FC has been defined to monitor EA in CD with higher performance than FC alone. This tool may improve clinical decision support systems in CD management, refining endoscopic allocation, and providing a more patient-friendly and cost-effective approach. Further studies are needed to validate these results.

P601 Intestinal ultrasound correlates with clinical, biochemical, endoscopic and histologic biomarkers in patients with Ulcerative Colitis: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Intestinal ultrasound (IUS) is emerging as a non-invasive monitoring tool in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). Our goal was to correlate IUS with clinical, biochemical, endoscopic and histological activity. Methods Cross-sectional multicentric study of patients with left (E2) or extensive (E3) UC. Consecutive patients were included and clinical (Patient-Reported Outcome (PRO2) and Simple Clinical Colitis Activity Index (SCCAI)), biochemical (fecal calprotectin (FCal) and C-reactive protein (CRP)), endoscopic (Mayo endoscopic sub-score (sMayo)) and histological (Nancy score) activity were evaluated. IUS activity was characterized by Milan Ultrasound Criteria (MUC). Clinical, biochemical, ultrasonographic, endoscopic and histologic remission were defined as SCCAI≤2, FCal&amp;lt;250 ug/g, MUC&amp;lt;6.2, sMayo=0 and Nancy=0, respectively. All evaluations were performed within 1 month. Pathologist was blinded to endoscopic and IUS results. In patients in IUS remission, the sigmoid colon was considered for analysis. Results 58 patients with UC were included (55% men, with a mean-age of 38 (+/-17) years, 65% with E2 UC). Clinical, biochemical, ultrasonographic, endoscopic and histologic remission occurred in 53%, 53%, 53%, 31% and 12% of the patients, respectively. The most affected segment by both IUS and endoscopy was the sigmoid colon (34.5% and 41.4%, respectively). In our cohort, IUS activity had a strong correlation with PRO2 (r=0.778, p&amp;lt;0.001), SCCAI (r=0.810, p&amp;lt;0.001) and endoscopic activity (r=0.758, p&amp;lt;0.001), and a moderate correlation with FCal (r=0.517, p&amp;lt;0.001), CRP (r=0.402, p&amp;lt;0.001) and histological activity (r=0.475, p&amp;lt;0.001). We observed a consistent increase in the bowel wall thickness (BWT) and MUC score as the sMayo raised. Accordingly, patients with endoscopic activity presented higher BWT and MUC score, when compared to patients in endoscopic remission (Table 1). On the other hand, patients in IUS remission showed higher rates of clinical (90% vs 10%, p&amp;lt;0.001) biochemical (74% vs 26%, p&amp;lt;0.001) and endoscopic remission (94% vs 6%, p&amp;lt;0.001), with a trend towards higher rates of histologic remission (86% vs 14%, p=0.054). Conclusion In our cohort, IUS activity had a moderate to strong correlation with clinical, biochemical, endoscopic and even histologic activity. Additionally, patients with endoscopic activity presented worse IUS activity, suggesting this method as a reliable non-invasive monitoring tool in UC patients.

P492 All intestinal ultrasound scores for ulcerative colitis (and IBUS-SAS) strongly correlate with endoscopic activity: a prospective study

Abstract Background Intestinal ultrasound (IUS) is gaining increasing acceptance as a reliable tool for tight monitoring of ulcerative colitis (UC). Although several IUS scores have been proposed, none has been formally implemented into official recommendations of international scientific societies. This study aims to compare the available IUS score for UC, in terms of correlation with endoscopic activity. Methods Patients with UC ≥ 18 years old undergoing partial or full colonoscopy between April and October 2023 were prospectively included. Endoscopic evaluation of at least the sigmoid colon was mandatory for inclusion, and patients with proctitis (Montreal E1) were excluded. Endoscopic activity was scored with both the Mayo Endoscopic Subscore (MES) and the Ulcerative Colitis Endoscopic Index of Severity (UCEIS), and defined by MES ≥ 1 and UCEIS ≥ 2. IUS was performed within 4 weeks of endoscopy. The Milan Ultrasound Criteria (MUC, Allocca et al.), the UC-IUS score (Bots et al.), the US Score from Parente et al., and the score from Hata et al. were included in the analysis. Applicability of the US Score from Civitelli et al, an IUS score developed for paediatric patients, and the IBUS-SAS, an IUS score validated for Crohn’s disease, was also evaluated. The Spearman’s rank coefficient (rho = ρ) was used to perform correlations, while receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were compared with the Hanley &amp; McNeil method. Results Fifty-nine patients were included, of which 59.3% and 50.8% showed any endoscopic activity using the MES and the UCEIS, respectively. Detailed information about the population is reported in Table. All the evaluated IUS scores showed a significant positive correlation with endoscopic activity (p &amp;lt; 0.001), with the UC-IUS score and the US Score from Civitelli et al. outperforming the others both with MES (ρ = 0.745, ρ = 0.762) and UCEIS (ρ = 0.751, ρ = 0.769). The same scores showed the highest Areas Under the Curve (AUC) for detecting a MES ≥ 2 (UC-IUS: 0.841, 95%CI 0.722-0.923, p &amp;lt; 0.001; Civitelli et al.: 0.842, 95%CI 0.724-0.924, p &amp;lt; 0.001) [Figure]. The optimal cut-offs for detecting a MES ≥ 2 with both the MUC and the Civitelli score were similar to that proposed by the Authors (&amp;gt; 5.04 vs &amp;gt; 6.20 and &amp;gt; 2 vs &amp;gt; 1, respectively). Conclusion All the included IUS scores showed good correlation with endoscopic activity. The UC-IUS and the US Score from Civitelli et al. performed better than the others in detecting a MES ≥ 2 and might be suggested to monitor disease activity of UC and intervene early during disease relapse.

P184 Challenging Barriers in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: First Observational Analysis of Double Biological Therapy in Mexico

Abstract Background Inflammatory bowel disease is a chronic inflammation of the GI tract, despite advances in treatment with biologic therapy, some patients may develop an inadequate response, known as refractory IBD (rIBD).Given this reality, the approach of double biological therapy (DBT) has emerged to effectively address and improve control of inflammation, providing them with an additional therapeutic option Methods Pilot prospective observational study evaluateing response to DBT in patients with refractory IBD Results A total of 7 patients with rIBD who received DBT were included, the average age was 29 ± 9, all female. The average duration of illness before starting dual therapy was 8 ± 2years. Patients had received an average of 2 previous biological treatments, 4 (57%) had a history of surgery related to IBD, 5 (71%) and 2(29%) had a history of stenosis and fistulas respectively and 100% used steroids and immunomodulators before starting DBT. Four DBT combinations were evaluated: CERTOLIZUMAB+VEDOLIZUMAB (group 1), USTEKINUMAB+VEDOLIZUMAB (group 2), INFLIXIMAB+USTEKINUMAB (group 3) and INFLIXIMAB+VEDOLIZUMAB (group 4).Group 1 included 1 patient with improvement in clinical activity, with a decrease in endoscopic activity from i4 to i2 by Rutgeerts criteria and Nancy index 1.Group 2 included 4 patients showed improvement in clinical and endoscopic activity, there was a reduction in clinical activity by CDAI from 225 to 66, and improvement in endoscopic activity from L1 B2 to L1 B1, i0 L2 B3P to i0 L1 B1 and i3 L3 B2 to i2 L3 B1 with different activity rates, Nancy's histology that varied from 0 to 3.Group 3 included 1 patient showed a reduction in clinical activity by CDAI from 210 to 166, endoscopic activity also decreased from i0 L2B3P to i0 L1 B1 with Nancy index of 2.Group 4 includes 1 with a decrease in clinical activity by Truelove-Witts from 2 to 2, endoscopic activity also decreased from 8 to 5 accordingto UCEIS with Nancy index of 1.In all groups, a reduction in the use of steroids was observed and no cases of infections associated with dual biological therapy were reported Conclusion This prospective observational pilot study represents the first analysis in Mexico and, to our knowledge, in Latin America, on the use of DBT in patients with rIBD who showed clinical, endoscopic and histopathological improvement in the majority of cases. It is important to recognize the limitations of this study, such as its pilot design and sample size. This pioneering study in refractory IBD presents encouraging results that suggest clinical and endoscopic benefits in the treated patients. These results justify the conduct of larger studies to strengthen the evidence and provide a solid basis for thepotential use of this therapy in clinical practice

P235 Correlation of mental and psychological status to disease activity in patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease using The Symptom Checklist -90- Revised Questionnaire (SCL90R)

Abstract Background Inflammatory Bowel Disease can affect mental health. There is no evidence that stress is a direct cause of the disease. Most Inflammatory Bowel Disease patients describe an emotional impact, mainly feelings of depression and anxiety. Many questionnaires used to assess anxiety in those patients including Symptom Checklist -90-Revised Questionnaire. This research aimed to investigate Correlation of mental and psychological status to disease activity in patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease using Symptom Checklist -90-Revised Questionnaire. Methods The study included one hundred patients (50 Crohn's Disease patients – 50 Ulcerative Colitis patients). Detailed history taking, systemic physical examination, laboratory investigations, Colonoscopy, Symptom Checklist -90-Revised Questionnaire. A self-report psychometric instrument (questionnaire) for every patient. Results The mean age of Crohn’s Disease patients was 24,2 years +/- SD 3,6 years. In Ulcerative Colitis patients the mean age was 28,5 years +/- SD 7,3 years. No age or gender relation could be detected with Symptom Checklist -90-Revised Questionnaire score in both groups, The study showed a direct correlation of Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) and endoscopic activity (Simple Endoscopic Score) (SES) to Symptom Checklist -90-Revised Questionnaire. There was direct correlation of Ulcerative Colitis disease activity (Simple Clinical Colitis Activity Index) (SCCAI) and Endoscopic activity (Ulcerative Colitis Endoscopic Index of Severity) (UCEIS) to Symptom Checklist -90-Revised Questionnaire. Conclusion There is a direct correlation of disease activity and Endoscopic activity in Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Diseases to Symptom Checklist -90-Revised Questionnaire.

P413 Bowel Urgency in patients with Ulcerative Colitis: prevalence and association with clinical, endoscopic data and disability

Abstract Background Bowel urgency (BU), identified as the sudden need for bowel movements, is increasingly being recognized as an impactful symptom in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), distinct from stool frequency (SF) and rectal bleeding (RB). We aimed to assess the association of BU with patient-reported outcomes (PRO), including SF and RB, as well as clinical and endoscopic activity and disability in a real-world setting, using data from the IBD-Disk:Italian translation and validation study. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional multicentre study, consecutively including ≥ 18yo UC patients between February 2023 and October 2023. Demographic, clinical and endoscopic data were collected. Clinical remission was defined as partial Mayo score ≤ 1 and endoscopic activity as MES ≥ 1. All patients completed the following questionnaire for disability IBD-Disk and IBD Questionnaire-32 (IBDQ-32) for quality of life. BU was assessed using the question about regulating defecation in the past 7 days using a 10-point NRS ranging from 0 (absolutely disagree) to 10 (totally agree) from the IBD-DISK. RB was measured from question 22 of IBDQ and SF from question 1 of IBDQ-32, both using a 7-point NRS ranging from 0 (always) to 7 (never). Results 209 UC patients with a median age of 37(IQR 28-52) were enrolled, 111(53.1%) being female. Overall, 31 (14.8%) had proctitis, 91(45.5%) had left colitis and 87(41.6%) had extended/pancolitis. The median pMAYO score was 4(IQR=2-6), while the median MES was 2(IQR=1-2). 75% patients (35.9%) reporting BU were more likely to have moderate clinical (pMAYO=5; IQR=3-6) and endoscopic activity of disease (median MES=2; IQR=1-2) compared to those without urgency (p&amp;lt; .0001). Additionally, BU was associated with a higher median rate of hospitalizations in the previous 12 months (Δ=1; p&amp;lt;0.001).Patients with BU reported a higher degree of RB(33.3%) and SF(50,7%) than patients without BU (p&amp;lt; .0001).Noteworthy, individuals with BU had higher median IBD-DISK total score (29; IQR=9-52) and lower scores for IBDQ-32 (168;IQR=138-196) compared to patients without BU [median IBD-DISK=17(IQR=5-39); median IBDQ-32=181,IQR=158-202), p&amp;lt;0.001]. In the univariate analysis, BU was associated with a higher IBD-DISK total score (OR=1.04,CI=1.02-1.06; p&amp;lt;0.001) and SF (OR=0.59,CI=0.45-0.78; p=0.001), without being associated with RB (p=0.57) and IBD-Q32 total score (p=0.84). Conclusion BU can be a surrogate marker for UC clinical and endoscopic activity. Our findings suggest that it is an independent factor from RB and it is associated with disability. Hence, it can be considered as an additional key PRO in UC. However, a systematic standardized approach for BU definition and assessment is strongly awaited to incorporate it as treat-to-target measure

P199 External validation of Intestinal Ultrasound score: IBUS-SAS with clinical (CDAI), biomarkers and endoscopic scoring system (SES-CD)

Abstract Background Intestinal ultrasound (IUS) is a non-invasive tool for assessing disease activity in patients with Inflammatory bowel disease. International Bowel Ultrasound Segmental Activity Score (IBUS-SAS) is a comprehensive score proposed by an expert consensus with good reliability. We aim to assess the correlation of the IBUS-SAS with clinical and endoscopic scores and biomarkers in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) in a point-of-care setting. Methods This retrospective study was conducted from October 2021 to September 2023. All patients with CD who underwent colonoscopy at initial presentation or assessing disease activity on follow-up were included. At the clinic visit, Crohn’s disease activity index (CDAI), C-reactive protein levels (CRP), Faecal calprotectin (FC) were documented. IUS was performed in the clinic and IBUS-SAS was documented. A colonoscopy was done within 1 week of the clinic visit. Endoscopic disease activity was documented using Simple Endoscopic Score in Crohn’s disease (SES-CD). Statistical Analysis Pearson’s correlation was performed between IBUS-SAS and the clinical and endoscopic scores and the biomarkers. ROC analysis was done to assess the threshold value of IBUS-SAS to predict the presence of endoscopic disease activity. Results 181 patients were included in the study. In patients with clinical remission, the median IBUS-SAS was 8 (± 23.5). The median IBUS-SAS was 62 (± 21.47), 70 (± 15.47) &amp; 64 (± 0.58) in patients with mild, moderate to severe &amp; severe CDAI respectively. The Pearson correlation coefficient between IBUS-SAS &amp; CDAI was 0.7 (95% CI 0.62-0.77; p &amp;lt; 0.001). The IBUS-SAS in patients with normal CRP levels (&amp;lt; 5mg/L) was 8 (± 19.54) &amp; in patients with elevated CRP was 64 (± 18.99). The IBUS-SAS in patients with normal FC was 8 (± 19.65) &amp; elevated FC (&amp;gt;250mcg/g) was 64.5 (± 22.66). The Pearson correlation coefficient between IBUS-SAS &amp; CRP was 0.49(95% CI 0.37-0.60; p &amp;lt; 0.001) and with FC was 0.58 (95% CI 0.46-0.68; p &amp;lt; 0.001). The IBUS-SAS correlated well with SES-CD score with IBUS SAS scores of 8 (± 12.92), 53.5 (± 16.35), 65 (± 20.83) &amp; 65 (± 8.62) in patients with inactive, mild, moderate, &amp; severe SES-CD respectively. The Pearson correlation coefficient between IBUS-SAS &amp; SES-CD was 0.77 (95% CI 0.7-0.82; p &amp;lt; 0.001). The IBUS-SAS score of &amp;gt; 37.5 revealed an area under the curve of 0.96 (95% CI 0.92 – 0.99) with a sensitivity of 94% &amp; specificity of 91% to predict endoscopic disease activity (SES-CD &amp;gt; 3). Conclusion The IBUS-SAS score correlated very well with clinical and endoscopic disease activity as well as biomarkers. A score &amp;gt; 37.5 had a sensitivity of 94% and specificity of 91% to predict the presence of endoscopic disease activity.

P308 CPa9-HNE: A NEUTROPHIL-DERIVED FRAGMENT OF CALPROTECTIN MEASURED IN SERUM CAN MONITOR ENDOSCOPIC AND CLINICAL DISEASE ACTIVITY IN ULCERATIVE COLITIS

Abstract Background Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) presenting in remitting ulcerations of the colonic mucosa and submucosa. Mucosal healing is therefore an important treatment target. While fecal calprotectin is a common biomarker used to monitor mucosal healing in UC, patient compliance is low due to a preference for serological markers. This study aimed at investigating the association of serum calprotectin [CPa9-HNE], a non-invasive neo-epitope biomarker of neutrophil activity, with both clinical and endoscopic disease activity in UC. Methods The cohort included 49 patients with active UC and 50 and healthy controls (HC). Endoscopic and clinical disease activity was assessed using the Ulcerative Colitis Endoscopic Index of Severity (UCEIS) and the full Mayo score. Serum calprotectin [CPa9-HNE] was measured, reflecting a human neutrophil elastase-derived fragment of calprotectin. Spearman’s rank correlation was applied. Group differences were evaluated using Kruskal-Wallis with Dunn‘s test, bonferroni corrected for MCP. Diagnostic and discriminative capabilities were assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) statistics with are under the curve (AUC). Results CPa9-HNE was significantly elevated in patients with UC compared to HC (ng/ml [IQR]: 32.4 [29.0–52.3] vs. 26.0 [22.6–29.0], p&amp;lt;0.0001) and presented acceptable discriminative capabilities (AUC [95% CI]: 0.77 [0.67–0.87], p&amp;lt;0.0001). CPa9-HNE showed a moderate positive correlation to UCEIS and Mayo (ρ=0.42; ρ=0.48, both p&amp;lt;0.01). When patients were stratified according to endoscopic disease activity (UCEIS), CPa9-HNE was significantly elevated in patients with severe disease compared to those with mild disease (ng/ml [IQR]: 55.6 [40.9–66.4] vs. 28.9 [24.6–31.1], p&amp;lt;0.01) and could accurately discriminate between the two groups (fig 1A-B). Similarly, when patients were grouped according to the full Mayo score, CPa9-HNE was significantly elevated in patients with mild vs. severe disease (29.1 [24.3–32.4] vs. 62.9 [55.2–67.5], p&amp;lt;0.01) and moderate vs. severe disease (32.0 [29.2–39.2] vs. 62.9 [55.2–67.5], p&amp;lt;0.01), and could accurately discriminate between the groups (fig 1C-E). Conclusion CPa9-HNE was elevated in patients with UC compared with healthy subjects. Furthermore, CPa9-HNE accurately discriminated between patients with mild and severe endoscopic disease based on the UCEIS score, as well as between patients with mild, moderate, and severe clinical disease activity according to the full Mayo score. These findings highlight the potential use of CPa9-HNE as a non-invasive tool to monitor both endoscopic and clinical disease activity in UC, with the potential of guiding treatment decisions and better aligning with patient preferences.

P281 The role of transabdominal ultrasound in evaluating Ulcerative Colitis disease activity and predicting treatment response

Abstract Background As a non-invasive, accurate, and feasible examination, transabdominal ultrasound（TAUS） is of great value in disease monitoring of ulcerative colitis. The cut-off for disease activity of 3.0 or 4.0 mm is often debated， and studies lacked assessment of treatment response. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of TAUS in detecting disease activity in adult patients with UC using endoscopy as the reference standard and evaluate TAUS for treatment response in a longitudinal cohort. Methods This study prospectively consecutive adult patients with an established diagnosis of UC in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University between June 2022 and September 2023. The patients with moderate-to-severe disease activity at baseline should have follow-up endoscopic assessment after induction, with available corresponding TAUS. The primary outcome of this study was the difference in BWT in the descending colon(DC) or sigmoid colon(SC) for patients with and without segmental endoscopic response after treatment. Endoscopic remission was defined as MES=0-1 or UCEIS=0-1, and Endoscopic response as a decrease of MES ≥1 or a reduction of UCEIS ≥2. Results A total of 315 colon segments in 80 patients were included. 171 (54.3%) colorectal segments had endoscopic remission and 144(45.7%) were in endoscopic activity. The TAUS parameters correlated with the Mayo endoscopic sub-score with significant differences between patients in endoscopic remission and patients in endoscopic activity. And we found 3.45mm(AUROC 0.833;95%CI 0.789-0.878， P＜0.001) to be the cutoff for endoscopic remission with 78% sensitivity and 75% specificity. The multivariable analysis identified BWT， the Colour Doppler Signal(CDS), and the wall layer stratification as independent predictors for endoscopic activity（ P＜0.001、=0.004、=0.001）. BWT in the DC or SC was significantly lower in patients with endoscopic response than those without after treatment. A 28% decrease in BWT from baseline predicted endoscopic response [AUROC 0.743;95%CI 0.589-0.896， P=0.015] with 58% sensitivity and 93% specificity. Multivariable analysis among all the ultrasound parameters considered normal wall layer stratification at baseline as the only independent predictor of endoscopic response at reassessment (odds ratio [OR]23.334, 95% CI 2.257-241.219; p = 0.008). Conclusion TAUS, importantly BWT, CDS, and wall layer stratification as the crucial parameters, is highly accurate in detecting disease activity and treatment response when evaluated against endoscopic outcomes. Normal intestinal wall stratification at baseline predicts long-term endoscopic response.

P368 Correlation between patient-reported outcome measures in inflammatory bowel disease and other measures of disease activity: a systematic review

Abstract Background The clinical activity of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has traditionally been evaluated by healthcare professionals. To allow direct reporting of symptoms by patients, several patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) have been developed. We evaluated the correlation between IBD-specific PROMs and measures of endoscopic activity. Methods A systematic review of the literature was performed up to June 2022. Searches were conducted in three databases (PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science). The search protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022383899). Studies reporting the correlation between self-administered, IBD-specific PROMs and endoscopic scores were included. A descriptive analysis was performed by assessing the correlation between PROMs and IBD endoscopic activity. PROMs used in Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) were considered separately. Results Seventeen PROMs were identified encompassing a series of IBD signs and symptoms, mainly abdominal pain (n=10), stool frequency (n=6) and rectal bleeding (n=4). Twenty-two studies assessed correlations of PROMs with existing clinical measures of disease activity and/or their accuracy in predicting remission. The mainly used endoscopic indices were Simple Endoscopic Score for CD (SES-CD) and Mayo endoscopic subscore (MES) (n=11), and clinical indices were Harvey–Bradshaw Index for CD (n=7) and SCCAI for UC (n=7). Most studies used more than one comparator as standard for validation. A marked heterogeneity in the study design and statistical methods was observed. In CD, five studies analysed correlations between PROMs and SES-CD. They generally found weak correlations with PROMs (PRO2, n=2; mobile Health Index [mHI]-CD, n=1) (Figure), except for one which found a negative moderate correlation between PRO2 and SES-CD. The strongest correlation was with the stool frequency item of the Monitor IBD at home (MIAH) questionnaire. In UC, four studies assessed the correlation between PROMs and MES. Positive weak-to-moderate correlations were found with PRO2, MIAH rectal bleeding item and mHI-UC MES in four studies. Conclusion In CD, PROMs poorly correlate with endoscopic activity. However, in UC, rectal bleeding reasonably correlates with endoscopic status. It is well known that IBD symptoms overlap with those of other digestive diseases as functional disorders, especially in CD. In line with this, our data suggest that PROMs cannot substitute endoscopic data to monitor disease activity in IBD, especially in CD patients. Nonetheless, they represent a valuable complementary instrument to comprehensively describe disease control by capturing patient perspective. More studies are needed to better evaluate correlations between PROMs and clinical disease activity measures.

P673 Accelerated intravenous ustekinumab dosing as rescue therapy in Moderate- Severe Ulcerative Colitis

Abstract Background Ustekinumab (UST) is an accepted treatment for patients with moderate- severe Ulcerative Colitis (UC) following failure with corticosteroids and/or anti-TNF. Some studies suggest that intravenous (IV) administration, in an accelerated schedule, could improve outcomes in this difficult-to-manage group with a high risk of colectomy. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis in patients with moderate-severe UC who received UST (IV) as rescue treatment, following failure with corticosteroids and infliximab. UST was administered intravenously, with an initial dose of 6mg/Kg followed by 130mg every four weeks. Clinical activity was determined by the Partial Mayo Score (PMS), and endoscopic activity by the Mayo Score (SM). Clinical Remission (CR) was defined as PMS&amp;lt;2, and Clinical Response (CRp) as a reduction in activity of ≥30%. Results The study included 17 patients, 8 (47%) women, 9 (52.9%) of whom were hospitalized at baseline, and 11/17 required transfusion or intravenous iron. According to PMS, clinical activity was severe in 16 (94.12%) and moderate in one. Endoscopic activity according to SM was severe in 13 (76.4%). Clinical remission and response were as follows: 1 (5.8%) / 7 (41.1%) patients respectively at week 4; 8 (47%) / 16 (94.1%) patients at week 12; and at week 26, 15 patients had completed the study, 10 (66.6%) in CR, and 12 (80%) in CRp. Ustekinumab was withdrawn in one case due to an infusion reaction, and one patient underwent colectomy. No independent predictors of response to UST were found in this study. Conclusion Intravenous ustekinumab in an accelerated dosing schedule is effective in moderate-severe UC, achieving clinical response in more than two-thirds of patients at week 26.

P355 Correlation of Intestinal Ultrasound with histological activity in patients with Ulcerative Colitis

Abstract Background Histological remission in ulcerative colitis (UC) is considered a therapeutic target predictive of favorable clinical outcomes. Intestinal ultrasound (IUS) represents an imaging tool that is well correlated with endoscopy and can accurately define disease activity in UC. There is a major gap in the international literature examining the potential link between activity indices on IUS and histological findings in UC1. We aimed to evaluate the correlation of the Milan Ultrasound Criteria (MUC) with Nancy Histological index (NIH) in patients with UC. Methods We performed a cross-sectional study that included consecutive patients with established diagnosis of UC. All patients underwent colonoscopy with biopsy samples, as well as IUS within 3 days of one another. Endoscopic activity was defined as an endoscopic mayo score (EMS) &amp;gt; 0, while histological activity was defined as NHI &amp;gt; 12. Active disease on IUS was calculated on the most affected bowel segment by MUC [MUC = 1.4 × Bowel wall thickness (BWT) in mm) + 2 × Bowel Wall Flow (BWF); BWF = 1 if present, or BWF = 0 if absent] 3. Activity on IUS was defined as a MUC score &amp;gt; 6.2. For maximum accuracy, the most affected bowel segments on endoscopy and IUS were matched. On the day of endoscopy, partial mayo score (PMS) was calculated (PMS &amp;gt;1 corresponded to clinical activity), and C-reactive protein (CRP) was recorded. Results A total of 45 patients were included (table 1). We observed a strong correlation between MUC and endoscopic activity [ρ: 0.802 (p&amp;lt; 0.001)], as well as between MUC, PMS and CRP [ρ: 0.743 (p&amp;lt; 0.001) and ρ: 0.798 (p&amp;lt; 0.001)] respectively. We revealed a strong correlation between MUC and NHI [ρ: 0.811 (p&amp;lt; 0.001)]. A MUC &amp;gt; 6.2 possessed 74.3% sensitivity, 90% specificity, 96.3% PPV and 50%, NPV (p&amp;lt;0.001) in predicting histological activity (Nancy&amp;gt;1). At the optimal cut-off value of 5.67, MUC displayed a sensitivity of 97.1% and a specificity of 90% [(AUC: 0.973, 95% CI: 0.918-1.000, (p&amp;lt;0.0001) – fig 1] in predicting histological activity (NHI&amp;gt;1), in patients with UC. Conclusion Intestinal ultrasound represents a promising non-invasive tool that can accurately define histological activity in patients with UC. Further studies are needed to confirm the aforementioned results.