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The prevalence of penetrating complications in Crohn's disease (CD) increases progressively over time, but evidence on the medical treatment in this setting is limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of biologic agents in CD complicated with internal fistulizing disease.Adult patients with CD-related fistulae who received at least one biologic agent for this condition from the prospectively-maintained ENEIDA registry were included. Exclusion criteria involved those receiving biologics for perianal disease, enterocutaneous, rectovaginal, anastomotic or periostomal fistulae. The primary endpoint was fistula-related surgery. Predictive factors associated with surgery and fistula closure were evaluated by multivariate logistic regression and survival analyses.A total of 760 patients from 53 hospitals (673 receiving anti-TNFs, 69 ustekinumab, and 18 vedolizumab) were included. After a median follow-up of 56 months (IQR, 26-102), 240 patients required surgery, with surgery rates of 32%, 41%, 24% among those under anti-TNF, vedolizumab, or ustekinumab, respectively. Fistula closure was observed in 24% of patients. Older patients, ileocolonic disease, entero-urinary fistulae, or an intestinal stricture distal to the origin of the fistula were associated with a higher risk of surgery, while non-smokers, and combination therapy with an immunomodulator reduced this risk.Biologic therapy is beneficial in approximately three quarters of patients with fistulizing CD, achieving fistula closure in 24%. However, around one third still undergo surgery due to refractory disease. Some patient and lesion-related factors can identify patients who will obtain more benefit from these drugs.

Background Hepatitis B virus (HBV) chronic infection affects up to 240 million people in the world and it is a common cause of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HBV covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) plays an essential role in HBV persistence and replication. Current pharmacological treatment with nucleos(t)ide analogues (NA) may suppress HBV replication with little or no impact on cccDNA, hence lifelong treatment is required in the vast majority of patients. Clearances of intrahepatic cccDNA and/or HBsAg are critical endpoints for future antiviral therapy in chronic HBV. Recent promising developments targeting different molecular HBV life cycle steps are being pre-clinically tested or have moved forward in early clinical trials. Methods We review the current state of the art of these pharmacological developments, mainly focusing on efficacy and safety results, which are expected to lay the ground for future HBV eradication. An inclusive literature search on new treatments of HBV using the following electronic databases: Pubmed/MEDLINE, AMED, CINAHL and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Full-text manuscripts and abstracts published over the last 12 years, from 2005 to March 2011 were reviewed for relevance and reference lists were crosschecked for additional applicable studies regarding new HBV antiviral treatment. Results HBV entry inhibitors, HBV core inhibitors, HBV cccDNA transcripts RNA interference, HBV cell apoptosis inducers, HBV RNA, viral proteins and DNA knock down agents, HBV release inhibitors, anti-sense nucleosides, exogenous interferon stimulation, interferon response stimulation and HBV therapeutic vaccines were reviewed. Conclusion This review will provide readers with an updated vision of current and foreseeable therapeutic developments in chronic hepatitis B.

espanolIntroduccion: se han comunicado casos de reactivacion de virus de la hepatitis B (VHB) en pacientes con virus de la hepatitis C (VHC) tratados con agentes antivirales directos (AAD). Objetivos y metodos: los objetivos del presente estudio son: a) conocer la prevalencia de la coinfeccion VHB/VHC en pacientes VHC tratados con AAD en la Comunidad de Madrid (CM) y determinar la incidencia y relevancia clinica de la reactivacion del VHB; y b) conocer las tasas de cribado del VHB en pacientes VHC en nuestra comunidad. Se evaluaron 1.337 pacientes VHC consecutivos tratados con AAD en dos hospitales del sur de la CM desde enero de 2015 hasta junio de 2017. Resultados: nueve de los 1.337 (0,67%) presentaban HBsAg positivo y 356 (26,6%) presentaban algun marcador de infeccion VHB pasada. Dos de los cuatro (50%) pacientes HBsAg positivo sin tratamiento desarrollaron reactivacion virologica VHB pero no bioquimica. De los 356 con patron de infeccion VHB pasada, el 100% presento transaminasas normales al finalizar el tratamiento y durante el seguimiento. La tasa de cribado VHB ascendio al 92,9% de la cohorte. Conclusiones: la prevalencia de infeccion VHB (HBsAg positivos) en pacientes con hepatitis cronica por VHC en la zona sur de la CM es baja. La reactivacion del VHB en pacientes HBsAg positivo que reciben AAD es frecuente, pero sin relevancia clinica. En nuestro medio existe una alta tasa de cribado del VHB en pacientes con VHC candidatos a recibir AAD. EnglishIntroduction: cases of hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation have been reported in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) treated with direct antiviral agents (DAA). Objectives and methods: the main objectives of the present study are: a) to determine the prevalence of HBV/HCV coinfection in HCV patients treated with DAAs in the Autonomous Community of Madrid (CM) and also to determine the incidence and clinical relevance of HBV reactivation; and b) to determine the HBV screening rates in HCV patients in our region. For that purpose, 1,337 HCV patients were consecutively treated with DAAs in two hospitals located in South CM between January 2015 and June 2017. Results: nine of the 1,337 (0.67%) participants were HBsAg positive and 356 (26.6%) had previous HBV infection markers. Two of the four (50%) HBsAg positive patients with untreated HBV developed a virological reactivation, but not a biochemical reaction. Of the 356 patients with previous HBV infection markers, all had normal transaminases at the end of treatment and during follow-up. The HBV screening rate amounted to 92.9% of the cohort. Conclusions: the prevalence of HBV (HBsAg positive) infection in patients with chronic hepatitis C in the southern area of the CM is low. HBV reactivation in HBsAg positive patients treated with DAAs is common, although without clinical relevance. In our region, there is a high rate of HBV screening in patients with HCV that are likely treated with DAAs.

Although sedation in endoscopy is increasingly used and contributes to the quality of procedures, its role in upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (UGE) is not as well defined as in other procedures. For this reason, we conducted a prospective pilot study where the patient, once informed of the different options, decided whether or not to undergo sedation for UGE. Remarkably, almost 60% preferred not to undergo sedation, with a high degree of satisfaction and no adverse effects in any of the groups (Ferrer Rosique JA, et al. XXXIX Congreso SEED, Toledo 2017).