Scoring indices for assessing endoscopic disease activity in acute severe ulcerative colitis: A systematic review.

Background And Aims: Endoscopy is important for assessing disease severity and potentially predicting treatment response in acute severe ulcerative colitis (ASUC). We aimed to identify and determine the operating properties of existing endoscopic indices/items used to assess disease activity in ASUC.

Methods: MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane CENTRAL were searched from database inception to 17 April 2024 to identify individual items and scoring indices used to evaluate endoscopic disease activity in patients with ASUC.

Pharmacological Strategies for the Management of Severe Alcohol-associated Hepatitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background & Aims: Alcohol-associated hepatitis (AH) is a severe form of alcohol-associated liver disease, with a short-term mortality of up to 50% within 3 months. The aim of this systematic review was to determine the optimal pharmacological treatment for severe AH that results in better survival outcomes.

Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CENTRAL were searched through February 16, 2025, for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of medical therapy for adults with severe AH.

Medical Therapy for Acute Severe Ulcerative Colitis: A Systematic Review With Meta-analysis.

Background & Aims: Acute severe ulcerative colitis (ASUC) is a medical emergency associated with high morbidity and mortality. We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of medical treatments for ASUC.

Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CENTRAL were searched to November 14, 2024 for randomized controlled trials (placebo or active comparator), and comparative cohort studies that evaluated medical therapies for hospitalized adults with ASUC.

Operating Properties of Disease Activity Indices in Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Systematic Review.

Background: Accurate, reliable, and responsive disease activity indices are important to streamline drug approval and treatment modalities for pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (pIBD). We aimed to identify all scoring indices used in pIBD randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and to evaluate their operating properties.

Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CENTRAL were searched on December 6, 2022, to identify studies evaluating clinical, endoscopic, imaging, or patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in pIBD including Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC).

Scoring Indices for Perianal Fistulising Crohn's Disease: A Systematic Review.

Background And Aims: In this systematic review we summarise existing scoring indices for assessing disease activity and quality of life in perianal fistulising Crohn's disease [PFCD], and highlight gaps in the literature.

Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CENTRAL were searched from August 24, 2022, to identify studies evaluating clinical, radiological, or patient-reported outcome measures [PROMS] in PFCD. The primary objective was to identify all available scoring indices and describe the operating properties of these indices.

Use of external control arms in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases: a systematic review.

Objectives: External control arms (ECAs) provide useful comparisons in clinical trials when randomised control arms are limited or not feasible. We conducted a systematic review to summarise applications of ECAs in trials of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs).

Design: Systematic review with an appraisal of ECA source quality rated across five domains (data collection, study populations, outcome definitions, reliability and comprehensiveness of the dataset, and other potential limitations) as high, low or unclear quality.

Pharmacological Therapies for the Management of Fistulizing Crohn's Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Fistulas are a debilitating complication of Crohn's disease [CD]. We conducted a systematic review to assess the efficacy of medical therapies for fistulizing CD.

Methods: MEDLINE, Embase, and CENTRAL were searched on May 26, 2022, for randomized controlled trials [RCTs] of pharmacological therapy in adults with fistulizing CD.

Efficacy and Safety of IL-12/23 and IL-23 Inhibitors for Crohn's Disease: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Targeting interleukin-23 (IL-23) is an important therapeutic strategy for Crohn's disease (CD).

Aims: This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the efficacy and safety of selective IL-23p19 and IL-12/23p40 inhibitors in patients with moderate-to-severe CD.

Methods: MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane library (CENTRAL) were searched from inception to May 24, 2023, for randomized, placebo- or active comparator-controlled induction and/or maintenance trials of selective IL-23p19 and IL-12/23p40 inhibitors in pediatric and adult patients with CD.

Meta-analysis: Placebo rates in microscopic colitis randomised trials and applications for future drug development using a historical control arm.

Background: Effective medical therapies for patients with microscopic colitis (MC) who fail budesonide are lacking. However, conducting randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in MC has been challenging due to small sample sizes. Understanding placebo responses can help inform more efficient future trials.

Placebo Response Rates in Randomized Controlled Trials for Perianal Crohn's Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background And Aims: Perianal fistulizing disease is a common complication of Crohn's disease [CD], for which new therapies are urgently needed. To assist the design of clinical trials for novel therapeutics, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials [RCTs] to quantify placebo rates and identify factors influencing them in perianal CD [pCD].

Methods: We searched MEDLINE, Embase and CENTRAL from inception to June 2021.

Placebo Rates in Randomized Controlled Trials of Proctitis Therapy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Placebo Response in Proctitis.

Background And Aims: Treatment options for proctitis are limited. To assist trial design for novel therapeutics, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of proctitis randomized controlled trials [RCTs] to quantify placebo rates and identify factors influencing them.

Methods: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE and CENTRAL from inception to June 2021.

Proactive Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Versus Conventional Management for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background & Aims: Proactive therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) has been proposed to improve outcomes in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) treated with tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α antagonists. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing proactive TDM with conventional management in patients with IBD.

Methods: We identified RCTs in patients with IBD treated with TNFα antagonists comparing proactive TDM (routine assessments of trough concentration with dose adjustments to maintain predetermined trough concentration, regardless of disease activity) with conventional management (clinically driven dose adjustments).

Recommendations for standardizing biopsy acquisition and histological assessment of immune checkpoint inhibitor-associated colitis.

Immune checkpoint inhibitor-associated colitis (ICIC) affects approximately 15% of cancer patients treated with immunotherapy. Although histological evaluation is potentially valuable for both the diagnosis of ICIC and evaluation of disease activity, use in clinical practice is heterogeneous. We aimed to develop expert recommendations to standardize histological assessment of disease activity in patients with ICIC.

A Rare Case of Simultaneous Pheochromocytoma Accompanied with an Ileocecal Neuroendocrine Tumor.

The detection rates of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are rising, which has led to a better understanding of their histopathologic characteristics. We present a case of adrenal pheochromocytoma with an incidental finding of a concurrent ileocecal NET detected on early post-adrenalectomy imaging. A 59-year-old male was noted to have microscopic hematuria on a routine workup.

Systematic review: disease activity indices for immune checkpoint inhibitor-associated enterocolitis.

Background: Although there is interest in developing pharmacotherapies for the treatment of immune checkpoint inhibitor-associated enterocolitis (ICIC), there is currently no consensus on how to optimally measure disease activity in this condition.

Aims: To identify all scoring indices used for the measurement of disease activity in ICIC, assess their operating properties, and explore their potential utility as outcome measures.

Methods: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library from inception to November 2020 to identify studies that evaluated disease activity and severity in patients with ICI-associated enterocolitis.

Clinical, Endoscopic, and Safety Placebo Rates in Induction and Maintenance Trials of Crohn's Disease: Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials.

Background: Precision in estimating placebo rates is important for clinical trial design.

Aim: To quantify placebo rates across relevant endpoints in Crohn's disease [CD] trials and identify the factors influencing these rates in a contemporary meta-analysis.

Methods: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CENTRAL from inception to March 2021.

The Relationship Between Endoscopic and Clinical Recurrence in Postoperative Crohn's Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background And Aims: We aimed to quantify the magnitude of the association between endoscopic recurrence and clinical recurrence [symptom relapse] in patients with postoperative Crohn's disease.

Methods: Databases were searched to October 2, 2020, for randomised controlled trials [RCTs] and cohort studies of adult patients with Crohn's disease with ileocolonic resection and anastomosis. Summary effect estimates for the association between clinical recurrence and endoscopic recurrence were quantified by risk ratios [RR] and 95% confidence intervals [95% CI].

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: Clinical, Endoscopic, Histological and Safety Placebo Rates in Induction and Maintenance Trials of Ulcerative Colitis.

Background And Aims: Quantifying placebo rates and the factors influencing them are essential to inform trial design. We provide a contemporary summary of clinical, endoscopic, histological and safety placebo rates in induction and maintenance clinical trials of ulcerative colitis, and identify factors influencing them.

Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane library were searched from April 2014 to April 2020, updating a prior meta-analysis that searched from inception to April 2014.

Pharmacological Interventions for the Prevention and Treatment of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Associated Enterocolitis: A Systematic Review.

Background: Patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) may develop ICI-associated enterocolitis, for which there is no approved treatment.

Aims: We aimed to systematically review the efficacy and safety of medical interventions for the prevention and treatment of ICI-associated enterocolitis.

Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library were searched to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs), cohort and case-control studies, and case series/reports, evaluating interventions (including corticosteroids, biologics, aminosalicylates, immunosuppressants, and fecal transplantation) for ICI-associated enterocolitis.

Surgical Treatment of Lymphedema: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Controlled Trials. Results of a Consensus Conference.

Background: The goal of this consensus conference, sponsored by the American Association of Plastic Surgeons, was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled trials to examine both the benefits and risks of surgical treatment and surgical prevention of upper and lower extremity lymphedema.

Methods: The panel met in Boston for a 3-day, face-to-face meeting in July of 2017. After an exhaustive review of the existing literature, the authors created consensus recommendations using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation criteria.

Oral 5-aminosalicylic acid for maintenance of remission in ulcerative colitis.

Background: Oral 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA; also known as mesalazine or mesalamine) preparations were intended to avoid the adverse effects of sulfasalazine (SASP) while maintaining its therapeutic benefits. In an earlier version of this review, we found that 5-ASA drugs were more effective than placebo for maintenance of remission of ulcerative colitis (UC), but had a significant therapeutic inferiority relative to SASP. In this version, we have rerun the search to bring the review up to date.