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Background: Serum globulin is an inflammation marker. To date, no evidence regarding the association between serum globulin and disease activity in patients with ulcerative colitis has been reported. Aims: We evaluated the association between serum globulin and endoscopic activity in patients with ulcerative colitis. Methods: Serum globulin was divided into tertiles based on the distribution of study subjects (low globulin, ≤ 2.7 g/dl (reference); moderate globulin, 2.7–3.1 g/dl; and high globulin, > 3.1 g/dl). A single endoscopic specialist evaluated the endoscopic findings, and mucosal healing was based on Mayo endoscopic subscore. Results: A total of 277 patients with ulcerative colitis were included in the study. Serum globulin was independently positively associated with diminished or absent vascular markings [moderate: adjusted odds ratio (OR) 3.70 (95% confidence interval, CI: 1.82–7.88) and high: adjusted OR 2.40 (95%CI: 1.20–4.94), p for trend = 0.005]. A similar positive association between globulin and erosion was found [high: adjusted OR 2.00 (95%CI: 1.05–3.86)]. Serum globulin was independently inversely associated with mucosal healing [moderate: adjusted OR 0.37 (95%CI: 0.18–0.73) and high: adjusted OR 0.31 (95%CI: 0.14–0.64), p for trend = 0.001] and adjusted partial mucosal healing [moderate: OR 0.51 (95%CI: 0.26–0.98), p for trend = 0.048]. The inverse association between globulin and mucosal healing was significant in the low but not the high C-reactive protein group. Conclusions: In patients with ulcerative colitis, serum globulin was significantly positively associated with endoscopic activity, and was significantly inversely associated with mucosal healing, especially in the low C-reactive protein group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although the association between eating habits which can be modified and digestive diseases has been reported, to date, no research has evaluated the association between eating habits and ulcerative colitis (UC). Thus, we investigate the association between eating behavior and clinical outcome in Japanese patients with UC.Methods: Eating quickly, eating until full, and skipping breakfast data was obtained from a self-administered questionnaire. Information on clinical outcome was collected from medical records. Mucosal healing (MH) and partial MH was defined as a Mayo endoscopic subscore of 0 or 0-1, respectively. Age, sex, BMI, current smoking, current drinking, prednisolone use, and anti-TNFα monoclonal antibody use were selected a priori as potential confounding factors.Results: Study subjects consisted of 294 Japanese patients with UC. Eating at speed moderate and eating quickly were independently inversely associated with MH: the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were 0.38 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.16-0.85) and 0.38 (95% CI 0.17-0.81) (p for trend = 0.033). Eating until full was independently inversely associated with MH: the adjusted OR was 0.38 (95% CI 0.27-0.86). MH in patients who skipped breakfast was marginally lower than that in patients who did not skip breakfast. No association between eating habits and clinical remission or partial MH was found.Conclusion: Among patients with UC, eating rate and eating until full may be independently inversely associated with MH but not clinical remission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Bilirubin is known to have antioxidant effects. Several pieces of evidence regarding association between serum bilirubin and UC exist. Three studies found that serum bilirubin was inversely associated with severity of ulcerative colitis (UC), but no evidence regarding an association between serum bilirubin and mucosal healing (MH) has yet been shown. Thus, we evaluated this issue among Japanese patients with UC. Methods: The study subjects consisted of 304 Japanese patients with UC. Serum total bilirubin and indirect bilirubin were divided into quartiles on the basis of the distribution of all study subjects (low, moderate, high, and very high). Several endoscope specialists were responsible for evaluating MH, which was defined as a Mayo endoscopic subscore of 0. The information on clinical remission was collected using medical records. Results: The mean age was 49.9 years, the percentage of male patients was 59.2%, and the percentage of MH was 29.3%. High serum total bilirubin was independently positively associated with MH (OR 2.26 [95%CI 1.13–4.61]. However, after adjustment for confounding factors, the association between total bilirubin and MH disappeared. Very high serum indirect bilirubin was independently positively associated with MH (OR 2.31 [95%CI 1.10–5.00], p for trend = 0.026). No association between bilirubin and clinical remission was found. Conclusions: Among Japanese patients with UC, serum indirect bilirubin, but not total bilirubin, was significantly positively associated with MH but not clinical remission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mucosal healing (MH) has been indicated as the therapeutic goal for ulcerative colitis (UC). Platelet count is known as an inflammation evaluation. However, the association between platelet count and MH among patients with UC is still scarce. We therefore assessed this issue among Japanese patients with UC.Methods: The study subjects consisted of 345 Japanese patients with UC. Platelet count was divided into quartiles on the basis of the distribution of all study subjects (low, moderate, high, and very high). Several endoscope specialists were responsible for evaluating MH and partial MH, which was defined as a Mayo endoscopic subscore of 0 and 0-1, respectively. Estimations of crude odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for partial MH and MH in relation to platelet count were performed using logistic regression analysis. Age, sex, CRP, steroid use, and anti-Tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) preparation were selected a priori as potential confounding factors.Results: The percentage of partial MH and MH were 63.2 and 26.1%, respectively. Moderate and very high was independently inversely associated with partial MH (moderate: OR 0.40 [95%CI 0.19-0.810], very high: OR 0.37 [95%CI 0.17-0.77], p for trend = 0.034). Similarly, moderate, high, and very high were independently inversely associated with MH (moderate: OR 0.37 [95% CI 0.18-0.73], high: OR 0.41 [95% CI 0.19-0.83], and very high: OR 0.45 [95% CI 0.21-0.94], p for trend = 0.033) after adjustment for confounding factors.Conclusions: Among patients with UC, platelet count was independently inversely associated with MH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]