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Background: Faecal biomarkers are emerging tools in the assessment of mucosal healing in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs)., Aim: To evaluate the accuracy of faecal chitinase 3-like 1(CHI3L1) compared to calprotectin in detecting endoscopic activity in IBD., Methods: Overall, 86 IBD adults underwent colonoscopy consecutively and prospectively, with Crohn's disease Endoscopic Index of Severity (CDEIS) or Mayo endoscopic subscore calculation for ulcerative colitis, and stool collection. Faecal calprotectin was measured using quantitative immunochromatographic testing. Faecal CHI3L1 was quantified by ELISA. CHI3L1 cut-off value was determined using a receiver-operating curve., Results: In 54 Crohn's disease patients, faecal CHI3L1 (ρ = 0.70, P < 0.001) and calprotectin (ρ = 0.74, P < 0.001) levels correlated with CDEIS and were significantly increased in patients with endoscopic ulceration. In patients with ileal Crohn's disease, faecal CHI3L1 seemed to be better correlated with CDEIS than faecal calprotectin (ρ = 0.78 vs. ρ = 0.62, P < 0.001 for both). CHI3L1 > 15 ng/g detected endoscopic ulceration in Crohn's disease with a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 63.6%, compared to faecal calprotectin > 250 μg/g showing a sensitivity of 90.5% and a specificity of 59.1%. In 32 ulcerative colitis patients, faecal CHI3L1 and calprotectin levels correlated with Mayo endoscopic subscore (ρ = 0.44 and 0.61, respectively, P < 0.001 for both) and were significantly increased in ulcerative colitis patients with endoscopic activity. In ulcerative colitis patients, faecal CHI3L1 > 15 ng/g predicted endoscopic activity with a sensitivity of 81.8% and a specificity of 80.0%, compared to faecal calprotectin>250 μg/g showing a sensitivity of 86.4% and a specificity of 80.0%., Conclusion: Faecal CHI3L1 is a reliable biomarker in detecting endoscopic activity in IBD., (© 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Magnetic resonance entero-colonography enables accurate assessment of ileocolonic Crohn's disease, but the need for bowel cleansing and rectal enema limits considerably its use in daily practice., Aim: We evaluated the accuracy of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance entero-colonography with neither bowel cleansing nor rectal enema to assess endoscopic activity., Methods: Forty-four Crohn's disease patients underwent prospectively and consecutively diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance entero-colonography [with apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and Clermont score calculation] and ileocolonoscopy [with Crohn's Disease Endoscopic Index of Severity (CDEIS) and Simplified Endoscopic score for Crohn's Disease (SES-CD) calculation]., Results: Mean ADC was inversely correlated with total CDEIS (ρ = -0.40; P = 0.0067) and total SES-CD (ρ = -0.33; P = 0.032). Considering the 194 segments, ADC was inversely correlated with segmental CDEIS (-0.48; P < 0.001) and segmental SES-CD (-0.44; P < 0.001). ADC values were lower in segments with deep ulcers (1.30 ± 0.23) or superficial ulcerations (1.75 ± 0.64) than in non-ulcerated segments (2.15 ± 0.5) (P = 0.001). Using a receiver operating curve, we determined that segmental ADC <1.42 detected endoscopic deep ulcerations with sensitivity = 0.91 and specificity = 0.83 (Area under the curve = 0.84; P < 0.001). Segmental ADC <1.88 detected endoscopic superficial ulcerations with sensitivity = 0.64 and specificity = 0.75. The segmental ADC values decreased when the ulcerations size increased (P = 0.0001). Clermont score correlated with ileal CDEIS (0.63; P < 0.05) and ileal SES-CD (0.58; P < 0.05). Clermont score was higher in ulcerated segments (23.3 ± 8.4) than in non-ulcerated segments (12.4 ± 10.0) (P = 0.006) and increased with ulcers size (P = 0.012). Clermont score >18.9 detected ulcerations with sensitivity = 0.79 and specificity = 0.73., Conclusion: Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance entero-colonography using apparent diffusion coefficient and Clermont score was effective to indirectly detect endoscopic ulcerations in ileocolonic Crohn's disease., (© 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Dilation of intercellular spaces is reported to be an early morphological marker in gastro-oesophageal reflux. It remains unknown if this marker is useful in diagnosing reflux-related chronic laryngitis., Aim: To determine histopathology and electron microscopic changes in oesophageal and laryngeal epithelium in chronic laryngitis., Methods: In this prospective blinded study, we enrolled 53 participants: 15 controls, 20 patients with GERD and 18 patients with chronic laryngitis. The latter two groups were subsequently treated with lansoprazole 30 mg bid for 12-weeks. Baseline and postacid suppressive therapy biopsies were obtained from distal oesophagus and laryngeal postcricoid areas. Biopsy specimens were evaluated for histopathology and dilated intercellular space changes., Results: There was no significant increase in oesophageal or laryngeal epithelium intercellular spaces among GERD or laryngitis patients compared with controls at baseline or postacid suppressive therapy. Only patients with GERD had significantly (P = 0.03) higher proportion of moderate-to-severe oesophageal spongiosis and basal cell hyperplasia, which normalized postacid suppressive therapy., Conclusions: There was no increase in the width of intercellular spaces in the oesophagus or larynx in GERD or chronic laryngitis at baseline or postacid suppressive therapy. Our findings question the uniform presence of dilated intercellular space in patients with GERD., (2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.)