Advanced therapies targeting IL-23: clinical outcomes in ulcerative colitis.

Introduction: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease characterized by a relapsing-remitting colonic inflammation. Despite advances in understanding UC pathogenesis, a definitive cure remains elusive. Current therapies aim to promote symptom resolution, mucosal healing, and ideally histologic remission.

High Smad7 marks inflammation in patients with chronic pouchitis.

Background And Aim: Patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) undergoing colectomy with ileal-anal pouch anastomosis can develop chronic pouchitis (CP). Since treatment options are very limited for patients with CP, identification of factors/mechanisms that amplify the CP-associated inflammatory response could help develop novel treatments. We here assessed the expression of Smad7, an inhibitor of TGF-β1 signaling and positive regulator of gut inflammation, in CP.

Emerging oral drug options for ulcerative colitis.

Introduction: Despite the availability of a variety of therapeutic compounds and improved management strategies, one-third of UC patients with moderate-to-severe disease do not benefit from the existing treatments or experience drug-related side effects. This has boosted intensive research focusing on the development of new drugs for UC therapy. This article aims to summarize the available evidence on oral drugs, which are now being explored in clinical trials or are ready to enter the clinics.

Immune-mediated inflammatory diseases: Common and different pathogenic and clinical features.

The term "immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs)" refers to several inflammatory pathologies of multifactorial etiology and involving either simultaneously or sequentially more organs. IMIDs share some common pathogenic mechanisms, which account for some similarities in the clinical course and the impact that these diseases may have on other organs and systems of the body. However, there are some differences in the IMID-associated pathological process, including the synthesis and function of multiple inflammatory cytokines, which are supposed to perpetuate the tissue-damaging inflammation.

Mucinous and Signet-Ring Cell Colonic Adenocarcinoma in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Case-Control Study.

A higher frequency of mucinous and signet-ring cell colonic adenocarcinoma has been reported in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The primary aim was to investigate the frequency of mucinous and signet-ring cell colorectal adenocarcinoma in patients with IBD (Cases) versus age-matched non-IBD Controls. The secondary aims were to compare the characteristics of these two histotypes of colorectal cancer (CRC) in IBD patients vs.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection does not worsen the course of inflammatory bowel disease in the long term.

Background: The long-term outcome of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is under investigation.

Aim: To assess, in a prospective study, whether a recent SARS-CoV-2 infection increases the risk of IBD relapse within 12 months.

Methods: From March to April 2021, all IBD patients with recent (<2 months) SARS-CoV-2 infection (Cases) were enrolled.

Niclosamide Enema for Active Distal Ulcerative Colitis: A Phase 1, Open-Label Study.

Background: Oral and rectal formulations of 5-aminosalicylic acid are the first-line therapy for mild-to-moderate, distal ulcerative colitis (UC), but such a treatment is not effective in one-third of patients. Niclosamide is a small molecule, developed and approved as an orally administered drug to treat helminthic infections, with an excellent safety profile. Preclinical work showed that niclosamide is an anti-inflammatory agent, thereby providing the rationale to explore its safety and efficacy in patients with UC.

Diagnostic value of anti-integrin αvβ6 antibodies in ulcerative colitis.

Ulcerative colitis (UC)-related mucosal inflammation is characterized by the production of various autoantibodies with limited clinical relevance. Recent studies have shown that circulating levels of IgG against integrin αvβ6 are increased in UC patients as compared to Crohn's disease (CD) patients and healthy controls (HC). The present study assessed the diagnostic value of circulating IgG anti-αvβ6 in UC.

Reversibility of Frail Phenotype in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.

It was recently reported that frailty status can negatively influence the clinical course of patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs). Our recent study demonstrated that 20% of patients with an IBD are frail, and disease activity increases the risk of frailty. In the present study, we prospectively monitored this subgroup of frail patients, assessed whether the frailty status was reversible, and analyzed factors associated with frailty reversibility.

and Gastric Cancer: Pathogenetic Mechanisms.

Gastric cancer is the sixth most commonly diagnosed cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer death worldwide. () is one of the main risk factors for this type of neoplasia. Carcinogenetic mechanisms associated with are based, on the one hand, on the onset of chronic inflammation and, on the other hand, on bacterial-specific virulence factors that can damage the DNA of gastric epithelial cells and promote genomic instability.

Frail Phenotype in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Background: Recent retrospective studies have shown that frailty is common in hospitalized patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and enhances the risk of drug-related infections, postsurgery complications, hospital readmissions, and mortality, independently of age and comorbidities. We carried out a descriptive cohort study to evaluate the frequency of frail phenotype in IBD and analyzed the risk factors associated with this condition.

Methods: Frail phenotype was assessed in IBD patients by using the Fried frailty phenotype.

Hidradenitis suppurativa and inflammatory bowel disease in a nested case-control study.

Background: Association between Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) has been suggested.

Aims: To assess characteristics of HS and IBD in patients with or without concomitant IBD.

Methods: In a prospective, nested case-control study, each IBD patient with concomitant HS (Case) was retrospectively matched with 4 patients with HS and no IBD (Controls) for gender and age (±5 years).

Hepcidin Upregulation in Colorectal Cancer Associates with Accumulation of Regulatory Macrophages and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Correlates with Progression of the Disease.

Advanced, metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) is associated with high rate of mortality because of its poor responsiveness to chemotherapy/immunotherapy. Recent studies have shown that hepcidin, a peptide hormone produced mainly by hepatocytes, is expressed by and enhances the growth of tumor cells. We here assessed whether hepcidin expression helps identify subsets of CRC with advanced and aggressive course.

Long-Term Risk of Colectomy in Patients with Severe Ulcerative Colitis Responding to Intravenous Corticosteroids or Infliximab.

Background and aims: Intravenous corticosteroids (IVCS) and rescue therapy with infliximab (IFX) are useful for managing patients with acute severe ulcerative colitis (ASUC). However, nearly one fifth of responders undergo colectomy. Predictive factors of colectomy in this subset of patients are not fully known.

Intestinal Taxa Abundance and Diversity in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients: An Analysis including Covariates and Confounders.

Intestinal dysbiosis has been widely documented in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) and is thought to influence the onset and perpetuation of gut inflammation. However, it remains unclear whether such bacterial changes rely in part on the modification of an IBD-associated lifestyle (e.g.

Long COVID in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.

Background And Aims: SARS-CoV-2-infected patients can experience long-lasting symptoms even after the resolution of the acute infection. This condition, defined as Long COVID, is now recognized as a public health priority and its negative impact on the quality of life of the patients could be more relevant in individuals with debilitating pathologies. We here evaluated the frequency of Long COVID in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD).

Long-Term Outcomes and Predictive Factors of Hospitalized Patients with Severe Ulcerative Colitis Treated with Intravenous Corticosteroids.

: Treatment with intravenous corticosteroids (IVCS) is a mainstay in the management of acute severe ulcerative colitis (UC). Although most patients respond to IVCS, little is known about the long-term outcomes. In this study, we assessed the long-term outcomes of IVCS in a real-life cohort.

Interleukin-34 promotes tumorigenic signals for colon cancer cells.

Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is one of the most common forms of malignancy in the Western world. Accumulating evidence indicates that colon carcinogenesis is tightly controlled by tumour-associated immune cells and stromal cells, which can either stimulate or suppress CRC cell growth and survival, mainly via the production of cytokines. Interleukin-34 (IL-34), a cytokine known to regulate mainly monocyte/macrophage survival and function, is highly produced within the CRC microenvironment by several cell types, including cancer cells, tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs) and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), and regulates the pro-tumoural functions of such cells.

Natural History of Ulcerative Colitis with Coexistent Colonic Diverticulosis.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) and colonic diverticulosis can co-exist in some patients. However, the natural history of UC associated with colonic diverticulosis is not well known. We here compared the disease characteristics and outcome of UC patients with and without concomitant colonic diverticulosis.

Effect of Vedolizumab on Anemia of Chronic Disease in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.

Background: Anemia of Chronic Disease (ACD) can negatively influence the clinical course of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Vedolizumab on ACD in IBD.

Methods: Clinical data of 75 IBD patients (25 Crohn's disease (CD) and 50 Ulcerative Colitis (UC)) receiving Vedolizumab in a tertiary referral IBD center were retrospectively evaluated and the effect of the drug on ACD was ascertained at weeks 14 and 24.

No effect of a liquid diet in the management of patients with stricturing Crohn's disease.

Purpose: Patients with stricturing Crohn's disease (CD) may experience episodes of intestinal sub-occlusions, which in many cases lead to surgery. The aim of this study was to examine whether adding a liquid diet to medical therapy could improve the management of patients with stricturing CD.

Methods: Medical records of CD outpatients with a small bowel stricture, either receiving (group 1) or not (group 2) a 24-h liquid diet every 10-14 days, were retrospectively analyzed.