Real-world Effectiveness of Tofacitinib on Ulcerative Colitis-Associated Spondyloarthropathy: a multicenter prospective study from the Italian Group for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IG-IBD).

Background: The efficacy of tofacitinib (TOFA) in various rheumatic diseases has generated interest in its potential benefits for treating spondyloarthritis (SpA) associated with ulcerative colitis (UC).

Objectives: RETUCAS (Real-world Effectiveness of Tofacitinib on Ulcerative Colitis-Associated Spondyloarthropathy) is the first study designed to evaluate the effectiveness of TOFA in UC-associated SpA.

Design: This was a prospective, multicentre, single-arm, observational study promoted by the Italian Group for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Attitudes of physicians managing inflammatory bowel disease toward alterations of liver function tests: an Italian Group for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IG-IBD) survey.

Background: Liver diseases are common in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Little is known about how specialists perceive and manage liver enzyme abnormalities. This study investigates the current practice and educational needs of IBD specialists in the management of liver enzyme abnormalities.

IBD impact on quality of life and perception of disease activity in Italian patients and physicians: An IBD-PODCAST study sub analysis.

Background: IBD-PODCAST was a global real-world study to assess suboptimal disease control (SDC) in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) using STRIDE-II criteria.

Aim: To evaluate quality of life (QoL), disease characteristics and control in patients with SDC, comparing perspectives of patients and healthcare providers (HCPs) in the Italian subpopulation.

Methods: IBD-PODCAST-Italy enrolled adult outpatients from 17 centers.

A multicenter study on bowel preparation in inflammatory bowel disease patients: comparison between 1L-PEG-ASC and 2L-PEG regimens in an outpatient setting.

Background And Aims: There is a paucity of data on which bowel preparation (BP) to use in an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) outpatient setting, in particular after the introduction of 1L-PEG-ASC. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the most effective BP between 1L-PEG-ASC and 2L-PEG and to identify risk factors for inadequate BP in this IBD population.

Methods: This is a multicentric, retrospective, cross-sectional study including IBD patients aged >16 years, who underwent outpatient split-dose colonoscopy between January 2021 and December 2022.

Applications of generative artificial intelligence in inflammatory bowel disease: A systematic review.

Background And Aims: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are chronic conditions that can lead to a physical, social, and economic burden. Generative artificial intelligence (AI), particularly ChatGPT, gained attention for its potential to support medical practice. However, concerns remain about the reliability and consistency of its responses.

Second-line strategies after anti-TNF failure in chronically active, moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis: a retrospective, multicentre cohort study.

Background: Many ulcerative colitis (UC) patients require the use of second-line agents after the failure of anti-TNF therapy.

Research Design And Methods: We conducted a multicenter, retrospective study including 683 chronically active, moderate-to-severe UC patients who failed first-line anti-TNFs. The rate of treatment persistence and colectomy-free survival was assessed up to 3 years after the initiation of second-line therapy.

Adaptation of the European Crohn's Colitis Organisation quality of care standards to Italy: The Italian Group for the study of inflammatory bowel disease consensus.

Introduction: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) poses significant clinical challenges due to its chronic, disabling nature. Despite established guidelines, care standards remain inconsistent globally. In 2020, the European Crohn's Colitis Organisation (ECCO) developed quality-of-care standards.

Fidaxomicin for Clostridioides difficile infection in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: a multicenter retrospective cohort study.

Background And Aims: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients with Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) are at increased risk of adverse outcomes. Data on fidaxomicin use in IBD remain scarce. We assessed the effectiveness and safety of fidaxomicin for CDI and its impact on IBD outcomes in a large international cohort.

Relapse Rates and Predictors for Relapse in Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease Patients After Discontinuation of Vedolizumab or Ustekinumab: The REVEUS Study.

: In the current era of tailored therapy, biologics such as vedolizumab (VDZ) and ustekinumab (UST) are increasingly administered to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. The decision to discontinue biologics after side effects or a lack of response is usually simple, but the decision to stop treatment in patients in remission is more difficult: to date, no study has been conducted to investigate the effects of VDZ or UST withdrawal. Our study aims to investigate the rates and predictors of relapse of IBD after the discontinuation of VDZ and UST during a well-controlled disease phase and to evaluate the response to retreatment.

Combining Advanced Targeted Therapy in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Current Practice and Future Directions.

Despite the increasing number of available medications, a significant proportion of IBD patients fail to achieve the current therapeutic targets. Uncontrolled IBD has a significant impact on patients' quality of life and on overall costs for the healthcare system. Given the complex pathophysiology of IBD, Combined Advanced Targeted Therapy (CATT), involving the combination of biologics/small molecules, appears to have biological plausibility and is gaining increasing interest.

Real-World Effectiveness and Safety of Selective JAK Inhibitors in Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease: A Retrospective, Multicentre Study.

: Data on the real-world effectiveness and safety of selective JAK inhibitors (JAKis) in ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) are limited. : We conducted a multicentre, retrospective study to assess clinical, biochemical, and endoscopic outcomes of selective JAKis in bio-experienced UC and CD. : A total of 246 patients (mean age: 40.

Prevalence, Risk Factors and Association with Clinical Outcomes of Malnutrition and Sarcopenia in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Prospective Study.

Introduction: The prevalences of malnutrition and sarcopenia in patients with IBD are not precisely known, and nutritional assessment is not standardized. We assessed the prevalence and risk factors of these conditions in outpatients and their impact on clinical outcomes.

Methods: This prospective longitudinal study considered patients who had IBD for at least one year, were attending a tertiary IBD center, and were followed for the subsequent year.

Psoriasis and inflammatory bowel disease: concomitant IMID or paradoxical therapeutic effect? A scoping review on anti-IL-12/23 and anti-IL-23 antibodies.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and psoriasis are chronic inflammatory conditions belonging to the heterogeneous group of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs). A significant bidirectional link between these two entities has been observed, conditioning an increased risk of IBD in patients with psoriasis and vice-versa. Biological therapies used for IBD may lead to the occurrence of psoriasis as a "paradoxical reaction.

Post-Discharge Outcomes of Elderly Patients Hospitalized for Inflammatory Bowel Disease Flare Complicated by Clostridioides difficile Infection.

Objectives: Elderly hospitalized patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) flare and concurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) are considered at high risk of IBD-related complications. We aimed to evaluate the short-,intermediate-, and long-term post-discharge complications among these patients.

Methods: A retrospective multicenter cohort study assessing outcomes of elderly individuals (≥60 years) hospitalized for an IBD flare who were tested for CDI (either positive or negative) and discharged.

Extracellular Vesicle-Enclosed Oxidative Stress- and Inflammation-Related microRNAs as Potential Biomarkers of Vitamin D Responsivity: A Pilot Study on Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients with or without COVID-19.

The relationship between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels, genomic response to vitamin D (Vit.D), and positivity to SARS-CoV-2 remains understudied. In this pilot study, during the follow-up of patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and COVID-19, we investigated this issue by analyzing the molecular contents of serum extracellular vesicles (EVs) from six groups of IBD patients (n = 32), classified according to anti-SARS-CoV-2 status, 25(OH)D level, and Vit.

Suboptimal disease control and contributing factors in Italian IBD patients: The IBD-PODCAST Study.

Background And Aim: Suboptimal disease control (SDC) and its contributing factors in IBD according to STRIDE-II criteria is unclear. IBD-PODCAST was a non-interventional, international, multicenter real-world study to assess this.

Methods: Data from the Italian IBD cohort (N=220) are presented here.

Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases Awareness and Management among Physicians Treating Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: An IG-IBD Survey.

(1) : Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is frequently associated to other immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs). This study aims at assessing physicians' awareness of the issue and the current status of IMID management. (2) : A web-based survey was distributed to all 567 physicians affiliated to IG-IBD.

The management of patients with inflammatory bowel disease-associated spondyloarthritis: Italian Group for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IG-IBD) and Italian Society of Rheumatology (SIR) recommendations based on a pseudo-Delphi consensus.

Spondyloarthritis (SpA) is the most frequent extraintestinal manifestation in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). When IBD and spondyloarthritis coexist, musculoskeletal and intestinal disease features should be considered when planning a therapeutic strategy. Treatment options for IBD and SpA have expanded enormously over the last few years, but randomized controlled trials with specific endpoints focused on SpA are not available in the IBD setting.

Prevalence and Clinical Impact of Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Results from a Large Retrospective Observational Study.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are chronic inflammatory disorders involving innate and adaptive immune responses. Despite primarily affecting the gut, recent insights highlight systemic implications, expanding our understanding beyond intestinal boundaries. This retrospective multicentric study explored the association of IBD and immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) and the impact of concurrent IMIDs on the course of IBD.

The learning curve for using intestinal ultrasonography.

Background And Aims: Intestinal ultrasonography (IUS) is challenging to learn. This prospective study examined how the accuracy of IUS increases with operator experience ("learning curve") and if prior abdominal ultrasound experience facilitates the learning process.

Methods: The study included two trainees with limited abdominal ultrasound experience (< 50 exams) and two with extensive experience (> 500 exams).

Follow-up evaluation and management of anemia in inflammatory bowel disease: A study by the Italian Group for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IG-IBD).

Background: The RIDART I study found a 13.6% prevalence of anemia in Italian patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); most cases were due to iron-deficiency anemia (IDA).

Aims: To evaluate changes in hemoglobin concentration during a 24-week follow-up of anemic patients with IBD.