Use Of Immunomodulatory Medications Research Articles

Susceptibility to COVID-19 and Immunologic Response to Vaccination in Patients With Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases.

Immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) are a highly heterogeneous group of diseases that share a common etiology of immune dysregulation, such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and psoriasis, among others. It is estimated that the prevalence of IMIDs ranges between 5% and 7% in developed countries. As current management of IMIDs includes the use of immunomodulatory medications, the resulting weakened immune response can increase the risk of infection, including with SARS-CoV-2 (the causative agent of COVID-19) and reduce response to vaccination, placing these individuals at continued risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19. In this article, we summarize the current literature related to COVID-19 outcomes and the immunogenicity and reactogenicity of COVID-19 mRNA vaccination among patients with rheumatologically dominated IMIDs, as well as the effect of immunomodulatory therapies on these outcomes. We conclude by providing current COVID-19 vaccination recommendations for individuals with IMID.

COVID-19 in Patients with Rheumatic Disease Using Immunomodulatory Drugs: Imaging Findings and Predictors of Hospitalization.

SARS-CoV-2 causes more severe symptoms in most chronic diseases, and rheumatic disease is no exception. This study aims to investigate whether there is an association between the use of immunomodulatory medications, including conventional disease-modifying agents (csDMARDs), glucocorticoids, and biologic DMARDs, and outcomes such as hospitalization and lung involvement in patients with rheumatic disease with COVID-19. We performed a cross-sectional study on 177 COVID-19 cases with rheumatologic diseases using immunomodulatory drugs as their regular treatment. All patients were evaluated regarding their initial chest computed tomography (CT) scan, COVID-19 symptoms, and comorbidities. We ran predictive models to find variables associated with chest CT-scan involvement and hospitalization status. CT findings showed lung involvement in 87 patients with chest CT-scan severity score (C-ss) of less than 8 in 59 (33%) and more than 8 in 28 (16%) of our patients. Of all patients, 76 (43%) were hospitalized. Hospitalized patients were significantly older and had more comorbidities (P=0.02). On multivariate analysis, older age [odds ratio (OR) 1.90, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.31-3.08] and comorbidity (OR 2.75, 95% CI 1.06-3.66) were significantly associated with higher odds of hospitalization (P=0.03). On multivariate analysis, older age (OR 1.15, 95% CI 0.94-2.01), pulmonary diseases (OR 2.05,95% CI 1.18-3.32), and treatment with csDMARDs (OR 1.88,95% CI 0.37-1.93) were associated with higher C-ss (P=0.039). This study found that advanced age and comorbidities, similar to the general population, are risk factors for hospitalization in patients with COVID-19 with rheumatic disorders. Administration of csDMARDs, older age, and pulmonary disorders were linked to increased risk of COVID-19 pneumonia in these individuals.

Improving quality of teledermatology visits: The Skin-Know-Implement-Next checklist

Telemedicine usage has increased significantly in the past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there was a 154% increase in telehealth visits during the last week of March 2020 compared to the same time in 2019.1 As public health organizations maintain current social distancing guidelines, this platform can help overcome barriers in access to health care while minimizing the risk of exposure to COVID-19. This can be particularly helpful in dermatology, a field in which there is a high clinic volume and whose patients often require long-term use of immunomodulatory medications.

Immunomodulatory Therapy Reduces the Severity of Placental Lesions in Chronic Histiocytic Intervillositis.

Chronic histiocytic intervillositis (CHI) is a rare, but highly recurrent inflammatory placental lesion wherein maternal macrophages infiltrate the intervillous space. Pregnancies with CHI are at high risk of fetal growth restriction, miscarriage or stillbirth. Presently, the diagnosis can only be made after histopathological examination of the placenta. Given its proposed immunological etiology, current treatments include aspirin, heparin, and immunomodulatory agents. However, the rationale for these medications is largely based upon small case series and reports as there is a lack of larger studies investigating treatment efficacy. Therefore, this study sought to determine whether inclusion of immunomodulatory medications was effective at reducing the severity of lesions and improving pregnancy outcomes in subsequent pregnancies. Thirty-three women with a history of CHI in at least one pregnancy (index case) were identified retrospectively through medical records. Twenty-eight participants presented with a first subsequent pregnancy and a further 11 with a second subsequent pregnancy at a specialist clinic for pregnancy after loss. Data on maternal demographics, medical history, medication, pregnancy outcome, and placental pathology was collected and compared between pregnancies. Twenty-seven (69%) subsequent pregnancies were treated with at least one or both of prednisolone and hydroxychloroquine. Inclusion of at least one immunomodulatory agent in treatment regimen resulted in an almost 25% increase in overall livebirth rate (61.5 vs. 86.2%). In women treated with immunomodulatory medication a greater proportion of placentas had reduced severity of lesions compared to those treated without (86.7 vs. 33.3%, respectively). A reduction in CHI severity was associated with a 62.3% improvement in livebirth rate compared to those where severity remained unchanged in relation to the index case. These data provide preliminary evidence that the use of immunomodulatory medication in the management of CHI improves histopathological lesions and the chance of livebirth in subsequent pregnancies. Due to CHI's rarity and ethical and feasibility issues, randomized controlled trials in affected women are challenging to conduct. As a result, collaboration between centers is required in future to increase study sample sizes and elucidate the mechanisms of hydroxychloroquine and prednisolone in reducing pathology.

Clinical features, treatment patterns and short-term outcomes of children with inflammatory bowel disease evaluated in rheumatology clinic.

This study evaluated the clinical features, treatment patterns, and short-term outcomes of children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-associated musculoskeletal manifestations. This was a retrospective cohort study of children with IBD evaluated for joint complaints in a paediatric rheumatology clinic from 2015 to 2020. The index visit was the date of initial rheumatology evaluation. Clinical features were evaluated using standard descriptive statistics. Differences in outcomes over time were compared using rank-sum tests. Univariate logistic regression was used to test associations between clinical features and persistent arthritis or enthesitis. Seventy-five patients met inclusion criteria. 61% had active arthritis or enthesitis at initial evaluation, 1/3 of whom were not yet diagnosed with IBD. Of those with known IBD, over half with joint complaints had arthritis or enthesitis. Active joint disease was common even among patients already receiving tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors or other immunomodulatory medications for IBD and despite inactive gastrointestinal disease. Treatment escalation was often needed to control articular disease, which included changes in immunomodulatory therapy and NSAIDs. Treatment outcomes for arthritis were good and significant improvements in functional mobility were observed (p<0.01), while enthesitis often persisted at follow-up (11/28, 39%). Moreover, a significant proportion of patients with pain at the index visit reported persistent pain at follow-up (29/44, 65%). This study provides several findings relevant to the multidisciplinary care of children with IBD, including high rates of active arthritis and enthesitis despite ongoing use of immunomodulatory medications for the management of IBD, responses to treatment, and pain management.

Will My Fracture Surgery Get Infected? Evidence-based Risk Factors

Postoperative surgical site infection (SSI) is a growing problem in orthopedic trauma surgery. Consequently, emphasis on identifying risk factors has increased. We present a narrative review of the literature to facilitate evidence-based risk stratification for patients undergoing fracture fixation. Risk factors, including diabetes, hyperglycemia, end-stage renal disease requiring hemodialysis, human immunodeficiency virus, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, hepatitis C, and alcohol abuse, have consistently been shown to increase infection risk in orthopedic surgery. Other risk factors, including smoking, obesity, and the use of immunomodulatory medications, have been shown to have varying direct impact on postoperative SSI depending on the study and the specific fractures examined. Factors such as increasing age, male sex, and ballistic injuries have very limited data implicating them in increasing risk of postoperative SSI. Fracture characteristics, including fracture region, open injury, compartment syndrome, and the need for flap coverage, increase the risk of SSI to varying degrees. Interventions such as blood transfusion and angioembolization can also increase the risk of infection. Although data on many of the risk factors for infection in orthopedic trauma are conflicting and larger scale studies are needed, an understanding of the available research is helpful to guide clinicians as they inform patients and attempt to optimize care.

Decrease in primary but not in secondary abdominal surgery for Crohn's disease: nationwide cohort study, 1990-2014.

Treatment of patients with Crohn's disease has evolved in recent decades, with increasing use of immunomodulatory medication since 1990 and biologicals since 1998. In parallel, there has been increased use of active disease monitoring. To what extent these changes have influenced the incidence of primary and repeat surgical resection remains debated. In this nationwide cohort study, incident patients of all ages with Crohn's disease, identified in Swedish National Patient Registry between 1990 and 2014, were divided into five calendar periods of diagnosis: 1990-1995 and 1996-2000 with use of inpatient registries, 2001, and 2002-2008 and 2009-2014 with use of inpatient and outpatient registries. The cumulative incidence of first and repeat abdominal surgery (except closure of stomas), by category of surgical procedure, was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Among 21 273 patients with Crohn's disease, the cumulative incidence of first abdominal surgery within 5 years of Crohn's disease diagnosis decreased continuously from 54·8 per cent in 1990-1995 to 40·4 per cent in 1996-2000 (P < 0·001), and again from 19·8 per cent in 2002-2008 to 17·3 per cent in 2009-2014 (P < 0·001). Repeat 5-year surgery rates decreased from 18·9 per cent in 1990-1995 to 16·0 per cent in 1996-2000 (P = 0·009). After 2000, no further significant decreases were observed. The 5-year rate of surgical intervention for Crohn's disease has decreased significantly, but the rate of repeat surgery has remained stable despite the introduction of biological therapy.

Treatment of Uveitis and Outcomes of Glaucoma Drainage Implant Surgery: A Meta-Analysis

ABSTRACT Purpose We performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of uveitis treatment on glaucoma drainage implant surgical outcomes. Methods We included 16 articles in the meta-analysis. Two groups were defined based on medical therapy of uveitis: Group 1: poorly controlled uveitis, and Group 2: well-controlled uveitis including use of immunomodulatory medications. Results The two groups were similar in comparisons of follow-up time, age, gender, and etiology of uveitis. Meta-analysis demonstrated significantly greater success in Group 2 (95.1%) compared to Group 1 (81.6%) at 1 year after glaucoma drainage implant surgery (P = .001). The final success was significantly greater (P 0.014) in group 2 compared with group 1 (86.1% and 74.3%, respectively). Conclusion Surgical success was significantly higher in uveitic glaucoma patients treated with more intensive immunosuppressive therapy before and after glaucoma drainage implant surgery. The level of control of uveitis perioperatively appears to influence glaucoma drainage implant surgery outcomes.

Advances on immunotherapy in genitourinary and renal cell carcinoma.

Genitourinary (GU) cancers are a group of epithelial malignancies associated with the organs involved in the excretion of urine. Renal cell, urothelial, and prostatic carcinoma are the overwhelming subtypes diagnosed by oncologists. Each of these was traditionally treated surgically when local and non-invasive. When these carcinomas spread, invade, or metastasize, surgical control lacks in efficacy. Chemotherapeutic regimens have been implemented for decades and have increased overall survival but many patients progress. Molecular targeting through tyrosine kinase inhibition of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has emerged as a frontline therapy in kidney cancer with more durable responses. More recently, immunotherapy has begun to find efficacy in many other solid tumors including melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer. The inherent genetic instability of this group of cancers makes them ideal solid tumors for immune modulation. Vaccines manufactured to initiate T-Cell regulation through neoplastic-antigen presentation are available for prostate cancer and are currently on trial in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Programmed death-1 (PD-1) and its ligand (PD-L1) are intricate members of cellular immunity against neoplastic cells. In an activated, unbound state, these molecules permit T-cell activation and cytotoxic killing of cancer cells. However, when they are linked, cellular immunity is attenuated and local cancer cells are permitted the opportunity to proliferate and invade. A novel class of monoclonal antibodies have been developed which stop PD-1 linkage and thus uncouple the 'stop' signal of these neoplastic regulatory cells. The increased overall and progression free survival have made them attractive options alone as well as in combination with anti-VEGF inhibitors for patients. Although more tolerable than chemotherapy, immunotherapeutics have adverse potential toxicities. Overall, the use of immunomodulatory medications have opened a new paradigm in the anti-neoplastic regimen of GU cancers and further developments will determine the appropriate patient to treat for optimum tumor burden eradication.

TNF-alpha and annexin A2: inflammation in thrombotic primary antiphospholipid syndrome.

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is characterized by thromboses and/or pregnancy losses. Laboratory criterion for the diagnosis of APS is the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (anticardiolipin, anti-beta2-glycoprotein I (aβ2gpI) and lupus anticoagulant). On the one hand, the latest classification criteria for the diagnosis of APS emphasized that thrombotic manifestations of the syndrome should be without any signs of an inflammatory process, while on the other hand, some recent reports have suggested that APS is a "pro-inflammatory state." This article is focused on the importance of TNF-alpha and annexin A2 (anxA2) for patients with vascular (thrombotic) manifestations of the primary APS. The classic antithrombotic and antiplatelet therapy does not protect APS patients from the development of recurrent thrombosis. Therefore, an urgent need for the introduction of new therapeutic approaches in the treatment of APS patients is obvious. This review provides a rationale for the necessity for the use of immunomodulatory medications that could interfere with β2gpI binding to its receptor(s), such as anxA2, and/or inhibit TNF-alpha activity.

ЗНАЧЕНИЕ НЕБЛАГОПРИЯТНЫХ ФАКТОРОВ ПОСТНАТАЛЬНОГО ОНТОГЕНЕЗА В РАЗВИТИИ УГРОЗЫ НЕВЫНАШИВАНИЯ ВО ВТОРОМ ТРИМЕСТРЕ БЕРЕМЕННОСТИ У ЖЕНЩИН, ИНФИЦИРОВАННЫХ ВИРУСОМ ПРОСТОГО ГЕРПЕСА

The features of postnatal development in 160 women with physiologic course of pregnancy and with chronic placental insufficiency in the second trimester of pregnancy in the patients infected with the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) were studied. The first group (the control group) included 30 women with physiologic course of pregnancy. The second group had 41 patients with chronic placental insufficiency of herpes etiology. The third group consisted of 89 women with chronic placental insufficiency and the threat of premature delivery caused by HSV-1. It was found out that in neonatal period of development and in the course of the first year of life the patients of the third group unlike the women of the second group oftener had bottle feeding (30.3 and 9.8%, respectively, р&amp;#60;0.05) and the period of breast feeding of less than 6 months (39.3 and 14.6%, respectively, р&amp;#60;0.05), and in the early childhood and infancy there was the combination of chicken pox and Botkin’s disease (39.3 and 7.3%, respectively, p&amp;#60;0.05), as well as enteritis and enterocolitis (28.1 and 7.3%, respectively, р&amp;#60;0.05). The women in the third group unlike the patients of the second group in the early childhood oftener had acute respiratory virus infections (40.4 and 14.6%, respectively, р&amp;#60;0.05) and lymphadenopathy (37.1 and 12.2%, respectively, р&amp;#60;0.05), and in the school and middle age there was algodismenorrhea (34.8 and 12.2%, respectively, р&amp;#60;0.05), cervical erosion (56.2 and 24,4%, respectively, р&amp;#60;0.05), a big number of gynecological operations (21.3 and 4.9%, respectively, р&amp;#60;0.05) and chronic rhinitis (47.2 and 19.5%, respectively, р&amp;#60;0.05). In the third group unlike the second one the signs of the secondary immunodeficiency prevailed. They were revealed through early infecting with VSH-1 (26.9 and 7.3%, respectively, р&amp;#60;0.05%), reactivation (identification of IgM to HSV-1) of chronic herpesvirus infection (21.3 and 4.9%, respectively, р&amp;#60;0.05%), thrush (16.9 and 2.4%, respectively, р&amp;#60;0.05) and relapsing course of Herpes labialis (22.5 and 4.9%, respectively, p&amp;#60;0.05). We suggest an important role of immunodeficiency in pathogenesis of the threat of premature delivery of herpes virus genesis in the second trimester of gestation and the necessity of the use of immunomodulatory medications for its treatment.

Predictors of ICU Admission and Outcomes 1 Year Post-Admission in Persons with IBD: A Population-based Study.

To determine predictors of intensive care unit (ICU) admission and to assess health care utilization (HCU) post-ICU admission among persons with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We matched a population-based database of Manitobans with IBD to a general population cohort on age, sex, and region of residence and linked these cohorts to a population-based ICU database. We compared the incidence rates of ICU admission among prevalent IBD cases according to HCU in the year before admission using generalized linear models adjusting for age, sex, socioeconomic status, region, and comorbidity. Among incident cases of IBD who survived their first ICU admission, we compared HCU with matched controls who survived ICU admission. Risk factors for ICU admission from the year before admission included cumulative corticosteroid use (incidence rate ratio, 1.006 per 100 mg of prednisone; 95% confidence interval, 1.004-1.008) and IBD-related surgery (incidence rate ratio, 2.79; 95% confidence interval, 1.99-3.92). Use of immunomodulatory therapies within 1 year, or surgery for IBD beyond 1 year prior, were not associated with ICU admission. In those who used corticosteroids and immunomodulatory medications in the year before ICU admission, the use of immunomodulatory medications conferred a 30% risk reduction in ICU admission (incidence rate ratio, 0.70; 95% confidence interval, 0.50-0.97). Persons with IBD who survived ICU admission had higher HCU in the year following ICU discharge than controls. Corticosteroid use and surgery within the year are associated with ICU admission in IBD while immunomodulatory therapy is not. Surviving ICU admission is associated with high HCU in the year post-ICU discharge.

Update endokrine Orbitopathie

Graves' orbitopathy is an autoimmune disease of the ocular adnex connective tissue and most commonly occurs together with Grave's hyperthyroidism. Anti-TSH receptor antibodies are specific for Graves' disease and are related to both the course of thyroid and orbital diseases. An active inflammatory disease stage is followed by an inactive stage of incomplete remission in most patients. Periorbital swelling, proptosis, diplopia and lid retraction severely impair the patients' quality of life. In the active state anti-inflammatory treatment consists of i.v. steroids, off-label use of immunomodulatory medication, selenium and in emergency cases orbital decompression. Fortunately, defects in inactive stable Graves' orbitopathy can be successfully treated by surgery and involve decompression for proptosis reduction, muscle recession to correct diplopia and (finally) lid surgery.

SAT0268 Anti Citrullinated Peptide Antibody (ACPA) in Patients with Psoriatic Arthritis (PSA): Clinical Relevance

BackgroundAnti-citrullinated peptide antibodies (ACPA) have been considered a relatively specific marker for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and may play a role in its pathophysiology. ACPA has been found at a greater...

Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy in a Patient Treated With Etanercept

Recently, increased attention has been paid to the association of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) with the use of immunomodulatory medications for autoimmune diseases. A 23-year-old Native American woman with a history of systemic lupus erythematosus and erosive polyarthritis treated with prednisone and etanercept presented with focal weakness, hemiataxia, diplopia, and dysarthria. Brain magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated progressive, T2 signal hyperintensities within the brainstem and cerebellar white matter without mass effect or gadolinium enhancement. Cerebrospinal fluid showed elevated protein and JC virus polymerase chain reaction positive with 28,600 copies/ml diagnostic of PML. The development of PML in this patient treated with etanercept and prednisone highlights the increased risk for opportunistic infection with JC virus in patients with autoimmune diseases on immunosuppressive therapies.

Pharmacologic Immunomodulation and Cutaneous Malignancy in Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriasis, and Psoriatic Arthritis

It is unclear if skin cancer risk is affected by the use of immunomodulatory medications in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriasis, and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). The purpose of this study is to evaluate and summarize the available data pertinent to this question. The English language literature on PubMed was searched with a combination of phrases, including "malignancy," "skin cancer," "squamous cell carcinoma," "basal cell carcinoma," "melanoma," "psoriasis," "psoriatic arthritis," and "rheumatoid arthritis" in addition to the generic names of a variety of common immunomodulatory drugs. Relevant articles were identified and data were extracted. In total, 2218 potentially relevant articles were identified through the search process. After further screening, 20 articles relevant to RA were included. An additional 19 articles relevant to either psoriasis or PsA were included as well. RA may be a risk factor for the development of cutaneous malignancy. Treatment with tumor necrosis factor inhibitors increases the rates of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) in RA and psoriasis. This risk doubles when combination methotrexate therapy is used in RA. Methotrexate may increase the risk of malignant melanoma in patients with RA and the risk of NMSC in psoriasis. Cyclosporine and prior phototherapy significantly increase the risk of NMSC. RA may potentiate the risk of cutaneous malignancy and therefore dermatologic screening in this population should be considered. The use of immunomodulatory therapy in RA, psoriasis, and PsA may further increase the risk of cutaneous malignancy and therefore dermatologic screening examinations are warranted in these groups. More careful recording of skin cancer development during clinical trials and cohort studies is necessary to further delineate the risks of immunomodulatory therapy.

Role of human leukocyte antigen class I alleles in progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy

Because human leukocyte antigen (HLA) associations with various infectious diseases have recently been reported, we examined the role of HLA class I alleles in the development of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) or its outcome in 152 patients, including 123 Caucasians and 29 African Americans. Compared to a human immunodeficiency virus positive (HIV+) control population, we observed decreased frequency of HLA-A3 (P = 0.03) in the Caucasian PML group, whereas B18 (P = 0.02), was more frequent. No such difference was found among African American PML patients. We then sought to characterize differences in HLA between PML progressors, whose survival doesn't exceed 1 year, and survivors. Caucasian survivors were less likely to harbor A68 (P = 0.01), whereas African American survivors less frequently displayed Cw4 (P = .01). However, none of these differences reached statistical significance after Bonferroni correction for multiple testing. Further investigations are needed to assess the role of genetics in the incidence of PML or its outcome. Physicians may exercise caution in the use of immunomodulatory medications in patients whose genetic background is associated with an increased risk of PML.

An acutely erythematous, oedematous penis and antecubital fossae rash in a patient taking etanercept: a case report

IntroductionAcute erythema and oedema of the genitalia is an alarming complaint for any patient. Diagnosis can be complicated by atypical presentation and the use of concurrent immuno-modulatory drugs.Case presentationWe present a case report of a man on anti-TNF therapy for rheumatoid arthritis presenting with an acutely red, swollen, non-tender penis and scrotum presumed to be infective. The discovery of erythematous plaques in both antecubital fossae alerted the clinicians to consider alternative dermatological diagnoses.ConclusionThe accepted adjuncts to confirming or excluding infectious aetiology were complicated by the use of immuno-modulatory medication in this case. This patient's unusual presentation may have been associated with and was complicated by the use of etanercept. The case illustrates the need to consider other diagnoses and obtain appropriate advice when the clinical course is not progressing as anticipated.

Quality of care for patients with inflammatory bowel disease in East China

To investigate the quality of care for a hospital based-cohort of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) from East China according to the current practice guidelines. A retrospective review was conducted, involving 177 patients with IBD admitted to Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University between June 2000 and June 2006. Data regarding demographic and clinical characteristics as well as medical therapy including use of oral aminosalisylates, topical therapy, corticosteroid agents, immunomodulatory agents (such as azathioprine) at admission and outpatient clinic visit were analyzed. A total of 177 eligible patients were evaluated in this study, including 71 patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and 106 with ulcerative colitis (UC). All were the Han nationality Chinese with active disease at baseline. All the 106 patients with ulcerative colitis received optimal doses of aminosalisylate while 27 of 68 (39.7%) patients with ileal or colonic CD received the suboptimal doses of aminosalisylate. The incidence of suboptimal dose of aminosalisylate was significantly higher in CD patients with small intestine involvement only (52.8% vs 25.0%, P=0.019). Thirty-one (54.4%) patients with active distal or left-sided ulcerative colitis received topical therapy, and 27.8% of patients suffering from severe inflammatory bowel disease did not receive oral or intravenous steroid therapy. Among the 51 patients for whom thiopurine was indicated, only 10 (19.6%) received immunomodulatory agents, and more than half of the 8 patients received a suboptimal dose of azathiopurine with no attempt to increase its dosage. The quality of care for IBD patients can be further improved. A suboptimal dose of aminosalicylate is used in treatment of patients with CD, especially in those with small intestine involved only. Topical mesalazine is inadequately used in patients with distal or left-sided colitis. Oral or intravenous steroid therapy is not used in some patients with severe IBD. Use of immunomodulatory medication is limited. Larger prospective studies are needed to investigate the quality of care for patients with IBD to establish our own evidence-based guidelines.

The Impact of Preoperative Immunomodulation on Pouch-Related Septic Complications After Ileal Pouch-Anal Anastomosis

We studied preoperative and perioperative factors with particular attention to the role of immunomodulatory medication, which may impact the incidence of pouch-related septic complications. A retrospective review of data from patients who underwent ileal pouch surgery during a 20-year period from 1985 to 2005 was performed. Preoperative use of immunomodulatory medication along with perioperative clinical, surgical, and disease variables were recorded. Patients were monitored for pouch-related sepsis in the early (within 30 days of surgery) and late (after 30 days of surgery) postoperative periods. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed. There were 445 patients (206 females; 46.4 percent). Median age was 36 (interquartile range, 27-46) years. Median follow-up period was 52 (interquartile range, 26-86) months. Complete data were available for 335 patients. Early sepsis was seen in 58 patients (17.3 percent). Another 22 patients (6.5 percent) developed late sepsis. On multivariate analysis, only steroid use remained predictive of higher rates of early sepsis (odds ratio, 1.81; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.02-3.45; P=0.002). Likewise on multivariate analysis, both male gender (odds ratio, 0.24; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.09-0.71; P=0.007) and 5-aminosalicylic-acid use (odds ratio, 0.22; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.08-0.76; P=0.023) remained predictive of lower rates of sepsis. Preoperative steroid use is associated with higher rates of early but not late pouch-related septic complications. We recommend that patients be weaned of steroids before ileal pouch surgery or be warned of the higher risk of postoperative sepsis.