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Background: Dietary knowledge, perception and practices may have a role in determining the nutritional status of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, the assessment of these patterns has infrequently been done in developing countries. We aimed to evaluate patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) about their dietary beliefs, practices and changes after the diagnosis., Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey among patients with UC at a tertiary care centre in North India. Apart from clinical details, we collected information about dietary beliefs, sources of information, dietary practices and changes after the diagnosis of UC. The information was collected using a designed and pretested survey questionnaire., Results: We included 93 patients with a mean age of 40.6 ± 13.3 years and 49 (52.7%) were men. A majority of patients felt that diet had an important role in the causation of IBD (86%, n  = 80) and triggering relapses (86%, n  = 80). A total of 94.6% of patients ( n  = 88) felt that certain foods (especially spicy and fatty food and milk) items increased the symptoms of IBD. Patients felt that some food items (yogurt and buttermilk) improved the symptoms. A total of 96.8% of patients ( n  = 90) changed their diet in some form (commonly, restriction of milk products and outside food), 64% of patients ( n  = 60) deprived themselves of their favourite food after diagnosis, 80.6% of patients ( n  = 75) felt a need for additional dietary advice. Regular milk intake was seen more often by patients in remission than those with active disease in IBD (36/47 (76.6%) vs 7/15(46.6%), p  = 0.03)., Conclusion: Most patients believe that diet has an important role in the causation, relapses and treatment of UC. Patients also felt the need for more information regarding diet in IBD., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship and/or publication of this article.

Rising number of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) cases in developing countries necessitate clear guidance for clinicians for the appropriate use of advanced therapies. An expert consensus document was generated to guide the usage of tofacitinib, a Janus kinase inhibitor, in ulcerative colitis. Tofacitinib is a useful agent for the induction and maintenance of remission in ulcerative colitis. It can be used in the setting of biological failure or even steroid-dependent and thiopurine refractory disease. Typically, the induction dose is 10 mg BD orally. Usually, clinical response is evident within eight weeks of therapy. In those with clinical response, the dose can be reduced from 10 mg BD to 5 mg BD. Tofacitinib should be avoided or used cautiously in the elderly, patients with cardiovascular co-morbidity, uncontrolled cardiac risk factors, previous thrombotic episodes and those at high risk for venous thrombosis or previous malignancy. Baseline evaluation should include testing for and management of hepatitis B infection and latent tuberculosis. Where feasible, it is prudent to ensure complete adult vaccination, including Herpes zoster, before starting tofacitinib. The use of tofacitinib may be associated with an increased risk of infections such as herpes zoster and tuberculosis reactivation. Maternal exposure to tofacitinib should be avoided during pre-conception, pregnancy, and lactation. There is emerging evidence of tofacitinib in acute severe colitis, although the exact positioning (first-line with steroids or second-line) is uncertain., (© 2024. Indian Society of Gastroenterology.)

Introduction: Patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) are likely to have poor nutritional intake and increased gut losses. This study was designed to study the prevalence and predictors of nutritional deficiencies in patients with UC and their impact on the quality of life (QOL)., Methods: A prospective study was conducted among consenting patients with UC (cases) and healthy relatives of the cases (controls) visiting a university teaching hospital. They were assessed for clinical, demographic, endoscopic (Mayo score) and histological profile (Robart's score). They were assessed for the presence of macronutrient and micronutrient deficiency, anthropometry, functional status (muscle strength by dynamometer and sit-to-stand test) and the quality of life (short inflammatory bowel disease questionnaire [SIBDQ]). A SIBDQ score of ≤ 50 was considered poor QOL., Results: We studied 126 cases and 57 healthy controls (age [mean ± SD] 37.7 ± 13.2 years vs. 34.40 ± 11.05 years; [p = 0.10] females [38.1% vs. 38.7%]; p = 0.94). Cases more often were underweight (28% vs. 3.5%; p < 0.001), had low mid arm circumference (45% vs. 12%; p < 0.0001), lower functional status in the form of weaker hand grip strength (67% vs. 45.6%; p = 0.007) and weaker lower limb strength (80% vs. 42%; p < 0.0001). Cases more often had the evidence of macronutrient deficiencies: total serum protein deficiency (31% vs. 3.5%; p < 0.0001), serum albumin deficiency (25.4% vs. 0.00%; p < 0.0001) and cholesterol deficiency (63% vs. 28%; p < 0.0001). Micronutrient deficiencies were highly prevalent among cases: calcium (44%), phosphate (21%), magnesium (11%), zinc (76%), iron (87%), folate (16%), vitamin B 12 (10%) and vitamin D (81%). Most cases had a poor quality of life (85/126; 67.5%). Factors associated with poor QOL were low hemoglobin, serum albumin, zinc and vitamin D levels and histologically active disease. On multi-variate analysis, low vitamin D levels (odds ratio [OR] = 6.1; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.9-19.7) and histologically active disease (OR = 4.0; 95% CI: 1.6-9.9) were identified as independent predictors of poor QOL., Conclusions: Macronutrient deficiency, micronutrient deficiency, lower functional status and poorer QOL are highly prevalent among patients with UC. The independent predictors of poor QOL were histologically active disease and low serum vitamin D levels. Identifying and correcting the deficiencies may help in improving the QOL of patients with UC., (© 2024. Indian Society of Gastroenterology.)

Background: Indigo naturalis (Qing dai) is a traditional therapy reported to be useful in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), especially for ulcerative colitis. We performed a systematic review of its efficacy and safety in IBD., Methods: Electronic databases (Pubmed, Embase, and Scopus) were searched on 4th March 2023 to identify reports about the use of indigo naturalis in IBD. We extracted data with respect to clinical response, remission, endoscopic and histological responses, and adverse events with the use of indigo naturalis in IBD. Pooled clinical response rates and remission rates were calculated. The quality of studies was assessed using Joanna-Briggs tools., Results: Nine studies reporting on 299 patients were included. The pooled clinical response rate was 0.796 (95 %CI, 0.7465-0.8379, I2=0), and the clinical remission rate in ulcerative colitis was 0.668 (0.488- 0.809, I 2 =85.2 %). The pooled relative risk of clinical response was higher in the indigo naturalis group as compared to placebo in the two randomized trials [3.82 (2.04; 7.14, I 2 =0)]. Except for one reversible pulmonary arterial hypertension case, most reported adverse effects were mild. The endoscopic and histological responses, when reported, suggested that indigo naturalis is effective for ulcerative colitis. The limitations of the systematic review included a small number of randomized studies, reports only from East Asia and a relatively small number of patients, especially for Crohn's disease., Conclusion: Indigo naturalis is effective in the treatment of ulcerative colitis. Future studies should evaluate the comparative efficacy with other drugs., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have no conflict of interest related to this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Background: Pretherapy assessment of specific genetic polymorphism (TPMT, NUDT15, FTO, RUNX1, etc) or enzyme levels (for TPMT) may help personalize the dose of thiopurines and avoid adverse effects., Research Design and Methods: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing personalized versus standard strategy for initial thiopurine dosing was performed. The electronic databases were searched on 27 September 2022. The outcomes were overall adverse effects, myelotoxicity, drug interruptions, and therapeutic efficacy with either strategy. The certainty of evidence was assessed using GRADE methodology., Results: We included six randomized trials, done dominantly in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The personalized strategies were genotype testing in 4 trials (TPMT in three trials, NUDT15 in two) and enzyme levels for TPMT in two trials. The pooled risk of myelotoxicity in personalized dosing was lower [RR = 0.72 (95%CI, 0.55-0.94, I 2  = 0%)]. The pooled risk of pancreatitis (RR = 1.10I, 0.78-1.56, I 2  = 0%), hepatotoxicity (RR = 1.13, 0.69-1.88, I 2  = 45), and GI intolerance (RR = 1.01, 0.92-1.10, I 2  = 0) were similar in two groups. The pooled risk of drug interruption in individualized dosing was similar to the standard dosing group (RR = 0.97, I 2  = 68%)., Conclusion: Personalized testing-based initial thiopurine dosing is protective against myelotoxicity as compared to standard weight-based dosing.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is recognised to be a prothrombotic state and an increased risk of venous thrombosis has been documented with IBD. However, reports of superficial venous thrombosis are less common, and there is a degree of uncertainty in the appropriate management of such patients. We report about a 55-year-old lady who presented with a flare of ulcerative colitis when cyclosporine (started for a previous episode of acute severe ulcerative colitis) was stopped. This flare was associated with the appearance of cord-like structures on the right lateral abdominal wall, which were confirmed to be thrombosed veins consistent with Mondor's disease. The patient did not have additional predisposing factors and carcinoma breast was excluded.

Background: There is an emerging role of fungal dysbiosis in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease. Prevalence of Candida in patients with active ulcerative colitis (UC) and the effect of fluconazole therapy in reducing disease activity of UC are not known., Patients and Methods: All consecutive consenting patients with active UC defined as Mayo score ≥3 were evaluated for presence of Candida by stool culture and predictors for presence of Candida were identified. Those who had evidence of Candida in the stool were randomized to receive oral fluconazole 200 mg daily or placebo for 3 weeks along with standard medical therapy. Patients were assessed by clinical, sigmoidoscopy, and laboratory parameters at baseline and at 4 weeks. The primary outcome was clinical and endoscopic response at 4 weeks defined by a 3-point reduction in Mayo score. Secondary outcomes were reduction in fecal calprotectin, histologic response, and adverse events., Results: Of the 242 patients with active UC, 68 (28%) patients had Candida in stool culture. Independent predictors for presence of Candida in patients with active UC were partial Mayo score of ≥3 and steroid exposure. Among those with Candida on stool culture (n=68), 61 patients fulfilled eligibility criteria and were randomized to receive fluconazole (n=31) or placebo (n=30). Three-point reduction in Mayo score though was numerically higher in the fluconazole group than the placebo group but was not statistically significant [5 (16.1%) vs. 1 (3.33%); P =0.19]. Postintervention median Mayo score was lower in fluconazole than placebo group [4 (3, 5) vs. 5 (4, 6); P =0.034]. Patients in fluconazole group had more often reduction in fecal calprotectin [26 (83.9%) vs. 11 (36.7%); P =0.001] and histologic scores [23 (74.1%) vs. 10 (33.3%); P =0.001] compared with placebo. All patients were compliant and did not report any serious adverse event., Conclusion: Candida colonization is found in 28% of patients with UC. Steroid exposure and active disease were independent predictors for the presence of Candida . There was no statistically significant difference in the number of patients who achieved 3-point reduction in Mayo score between 2 groups. However, clinical, histologic, and calprotectin levels showed significant improvement in fluconazole group., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Tofacitinib has emerged as a useful drug for the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC)., Areas Covered: There is an unmet need for cost-effective, non-immunogenic drugs with a safe adverse effect profile to treat patients with ulcerative colitis. In the present review, we evaluate the available literature to inform the appropriate positioning of tofacitinib in the current drug landscape and identify subsets where its use should be done with caution., Expert Opinion: Tofacitinib is helpful in the treatment of patients where the standard conventional or biological therapies have failed or were not tolerated. With lower costs of the generic drug than the biologicals (or biosimilars), it could be an important therapy in low- to middle-income countries. The risk of infections, especially Herpes Zoster and tuberculosis, needs to be addressed before initiation. Tofacitinib should be avoided in patients with venous thromboembolism and cardiovascular disease risk factors. Due to limited evidence, the use is not recommended in pregnancy, while it should be used with caution in elderly citizens. Future trials should look into the head-to-head comparison of tofacitinib with biologicals. The role of tofacitinib in acute severe colitis needs evaluation with comparative trials with current standards of care.

Introduction: The detection of cytomegalovirus (CMV) in the setting of inflammatory bowel disease often creates confusion whether CMV is a 'bystander' or 'disease.', Areas Covered: This review discusses the clinical conundrum of CMV in ulcerative colitis, approach to discriminate infection from disease, and therapeutic considerations (immunosuppressive and anti-CMV treatment). CMV disease should be considered in corticosteroid refractory- dependent and thiopurine refractory disease. Endoscopy may reveal deep punched out ulcers, irregular ulcers, or cobble-stoning. The diagnosis rests on the presence and abundance of viral inclusion bodies on hematoxylin and eosin stain, positive immunohistochemistry, and/or positive tissue polymerase chain reaction. CMV disease is associated with worse outcomes including increased colectomy rates., Expert Opinion: The timing and duration of antiviral drugs in CMV disease is debatable but depends on the load of CMV in tissue. In high-grade infection, CMV needs to be treated while increasing immunosuppression may work in the setting of low-grade infection. Ganciclovir is the drug of choice for treatment of CMV disease. Tumor necrosis factor inhibitors may be useful for treating underlying disease activity in the setting of CMV. Other emerging therapies include fecal microbiota transplantation. Randomized studies are necessary to define the best timing and duration of anti-CMV therapy.

Background: Translational data suggest a potential role of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) in a subset of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis for the efficacy and safety of HBOT in IBD., Methods: We searched Pubmed, Embase and CENTRAL to identify studies reporting the efficacy of HBOT in ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease. We pooled the response rates for HBOT in ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease separately., Results: A total 18 studies were included in the systematic review and 16 in the analysis. The overall response rate of HBOT in ulcerative colitis was 83.24% (95% confidence interval: 61.90-93.82), while the response in Crohn's disease was 81.89 (76.72-86.11). The results of randomized trials for HBOT as adjuvant therapy in ulcerative colitis were conflicting. The complete healing of fistula in fistulizing Crohn's disease was noted 47.64% (22.05-74.54), while partial healing was noted in 34.29% (17.33-56.50%). Most of the adverse events were minor., Conclusion: Observational studies suggest benefit of use of HBOT in ulcerative colitis flares and Crohn's disease. However, adequately powered randomized trials are needed to draw a definite conclusion., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)