Perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody myeloperoxidase-positive vasculitis in association with ulcerative colitis

We describe a patient with ulcerative colitis (UC) who developed small vessel vasculitis. Perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody myeloperoxidase (p-ANCA-MPO) positivity was detected along with a highly elevated titer of anticardiolipin antibodies. A total proctocolectomy was undertaken and the patient, more than 5 years later, remains in very good condition. The possible causative association between the UC, the p-ANCA-MPO-positive small vessel vasculitis, and the anticardiolipin antibodies is discussed.     

溃疡性结肠炎60例临床分析

目的探讨溃疡性结肠炎(Ulcerativecolitis,UC)的临床特点。方法回顾性分析我院5年来确诊的UC住院病人60例。结果60例UC患者中,男多于女(1.07∶1),各年龄段均有发病,60%～87%UC患者有腹痛、腹泻、血便和粘液便;UC病变范围分型为直肠炎3例(5%),直肠乙状结肠炎24例(40%),左半结肠炎7例(12%),全结肠炎24例(40%),区域性结肠炎2例(3%);病情轻、中、重度分别为32例(53%)、16例(27%)、12例(20%);临床类型为暴发型3例(5%),初发型25例(42%),慢性持续型10例(17%),慢性复发型22例(35%)。结论腹痛、腹泻、粘液脓血便为UC主要表现。     

Leukocytapheresis with Leukocyte Removal Filter as New Therapy for Ulcerative Colitis

Abstract: Leukocytapheresis (LCAP) with a leukocyte removal filter column was administered for 45 patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). We evaluated changes in the leukocyte count and the differential percentages during LCAP. Cytokine production was assessed from each patient's peripheral mononuclear cells or monocytes. Flow cytometry was performed to assess the removal rates of activated cells and adhesion molecule positive cells by LCAP. Clinical improvement was recognized in 35 of 45 patients during intensive LCAP therapy, and it continued throughout maintenance therapy in 32 patients (71.1%). The leukocyte count was decreased to about 40% during the first 30 min, but it increased to approximately 170% at 20 min after the completion of LCAP. The concentration of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α before LCAP in the effective group was higher than it was in either the ineffective group or the control group. Its level decreased to near normal range after LCAP. In the effective group, the concentrations of interleukin (1L)-1β, IL-2, interferon (IFN)γ, and IL-8 were near the normal upper limits before LCAP; however, they had decreased after LCAP. The concentration of IL-4 increased after LCAP. In the ineffective group, in contrast, the concentrations had been at or near normal before the initial LCAP treatment. Flow cytometry study revealed that LCAP could remove the activated cells and adhesion molecule positive cells more effectively. The clinical improvement and the changes observed before and after LCAP therapy suggest that LCAP is able to intervene in the causal mechanism(s) of UC.     

昆明市379例溃疡性结肠炎患者治疗分析

目的 回顾性调查昆明市近10年来溃疡性结肠炎(UC)住院病例的资料,以进一步了解昆明市UC患者的治疗状况.方法 选取昆明市1998年1月～2007年3月期间7家大型综合医院379例住院的炎症性肠病患者作为调查对象.诊断均符合2007年中华医学会消化病学分会的UC诊治标准,分析UC患者的治疗状况.结果 379例UC患者有...     

抗酿酒酵母菌和中性粒细胞胞浆抗体联合测定鉴别炎症性肠病的意义

目的　联合测定血清抗酿酒酵母菌抗体 (ASCA) IgG、ASCA IgA和核周型抗中性粒细胞胞浆抗体 (pANCA)水平 ,探索其对克罗恩病 (CD)和溃疡性结肠炎 (UC)的诊断和鉴别诊断意义。 方法　分别应用标准化ELISA法和间接免疫荧光法对 19例炎症性肠病 (IBD ,UC10例 ,CD9例 )患者和 18名健康对照者血清ASCA IgG、ASCA IgA和pANCA水平进行测定。 结果　 9例CD患者 (末段回肠和结肠均累及 )血清ASCA IgG和ASCA IgA水平 (酶单位 )分别为18.5 1± 6 .38和 11.74± 5 .4 6 ,显著高于10例UC患者 (6 .98± 5 .2 4和 3.88± 3.5 2 )和 18名健康对照者 (5 .90± 4 .12和 4 .6 2± 3.2 1,P值均 <0 .0 5 ) ,pANCA诊断UC的敏感性为 80 % ,而CD患者和健康对照者的阳性检测率均为 0 %。结论　AS CA是一种对CD具有特异性的抗体 ,pANCA是与UC显著正相关的一个免疫学指标。它们均有助于CD与UC的诊断和鉴别诊断 ,是IBD非创伤性鉴别诊断方法之一。     

Lower Prevalence of Diverticulosis in Patients with Ulcerative Colitis

Purpose Colonic diverticulosis is characterized by abnormal thickening of the bowel wall, associated with luminal overpressure and increase of sigmoid contractility. However, patients with ulcerative colitis show chronic inflammatory alterations determining a reduction of both bowel wall muscle tone and contractility. Thus, we could presume ulcerative colitis and colonic diverticulosis as two pathophysiologically and mutually excluding diseases. This study was designed to evaluate the prevalence of colonic diverticulosis in patients with ulcerative colitis compared with a control endoscopic population. Methods We prospectively analyzed the prevalence of colonic diverticulosis in 85 patients, older than aged 45 years, with known ulcerative colitis compared with that in 85 age/gender-matched patients without colitis. All patients underwent pancolonoscopy with ulcerative colitis and colonic diverticulosis diagnosis made by endoscopy and histopathology. The patients with ulcerative colitis also were divided in three subgroups according to the age at diagnosis (<30 years, 30–45 years, >45 years) and extension of disease (sigmoiditis, left colitis, extensive colitis). Results Colonic diverticulosis was present in 7 of 85 patients with and in 24 patients without ulcerative colitis (8.2 vs. 28.2 percent; P < 0.001; relative risk, 3.4; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.56–7.52). All seven patients with both diseases were diagnosed with ulcerative colitis when older than age 45 years. No differences were found between the two groups in terms of extension of diverticula. Conclusions Patients with ulcerative colitis show a significantly lower prevalence of colonic diverticulosis, with this finding probably reflecting the motor alterations caused by chronic bowel wall inflammation. In the patients affected by ulcerative colitis with late onset of the disease, the reduced prevalence of colonic diverticulosis is not evident.     

Seasonality in Flares and Months of Births of Patients with Ulcerative Colitis in a Chinese Population

Background and Aims Reports on seasonality in flares or months of births of inflammatory bowel disease patients have been inconsistent, but little data are available in a Chinese population. The aim of this study was to determine whether symptom flares and births of ulcerative colitis (UC) patients follow a seasonal pattern. Methods Patients with a diagnosis of UC established between January 1990 and December 2007 were investigated according to the occurrence of flares of symptoms and months of births. The expected flares or births were calculated on a monthly basis over the study period, taking into consideration the difference in the number of days in the month in each year. Results A total of 409 UC patients were included in the study, and 1030 flares of symptoms were determined. The peak number of flares occurred during the spring and summer, especially in June, while the nadir occurred in the winter, especially in January (χ² _{(11 df)} = 32.74304, P < 0.005). The symptom flares also occurred more frequently in the spring–summer period than in the autumn–winter period (χ² _{(3 df)} = 22.1269, P < 0.001). There was no statistical difference in birth distribution on a monthly or seasonal (spring, summer, autumn, winter) basis. However, the births of UC patients occurred more frequently in the autumn–winter period than in the spring–summer period when the data were merged into these two seasonal components (χ² _{(1 df)} = 5.255607, P < 0.025). Conclusions The data indicate that the symptom flares of UC occurred more frequently in the spring and summer, while the births of UC patients occurred more often in the autumn and winter. Environmental recurring factors may be associated with the symptom flares of UC, and these factors during pregnancy or postpartum may be associated with susceptibility to UC later in life.     

溃疡性结肠炎合并阿米巴肠病临床特点探讨

目的 探讨溃疡性结肠炎合并阿米巴肠病的临床特点.方法 回顾性分析2003～2010年共104例溃疡性结肠炎患者诊治资料,其中15例确诊合并阿米巴肠病(A组),单纯性溃疡性结肠炎患者89例(B组),统计各患者的腹泻次数、贫血程度、低白蛋白血症程度及结肠病变范围.结果 A、B组患者中腹泻＞6次/d者分别为13例、40例,血红蛋白＜90 g/L患者分别为8例、16例,血清蛋白＜30 g/L患者分别为10例、23例,结肠病变范围超过1/2的患者分别为12例、31例,两组存在统计学差异;15例溃疡性结肠炎合并阿米巴肠病患者中7例为先确诊溃疡性结肠炎,后获得阿米巴感染并致病,其余8例患者无法判断两种疾病的发病先后顺序.所统计病例中溃疡性结肠炎并发阿米巴肠病发病率为14.4％(15/104),高于阿米巴肠病在普通人群中发病率(同地区平均为0.44％,最高2.43％).结论 溃疡性结肠炎合并阿米巴肠病病情较单纯性溃疡性结肠炎患者严重;溃疡性结肠炎患者较普通人群更容易获得溶组织内阿米巴感染并致病.     

The Microvacular Thrombi of Colonic Tissue in Ulcerative Colitis

Mucosal microvacular thrombi in rectal biopsies were observed in some ulcerative colitis (UC). Heparin may be effective in steroid resistant UC in some studies, however, the new results of meta-analysis demonstrated a non-significant effect of heparin in controlled clinical trials, differing markedly from observational studies. The objective of this study was to identify colonic microvascular thrombi in larger cases with UC, and analyse its possible risk factors: age, gender, histologic score, extent of lesions and operation or biopsy specimens, and assess the significance of microvascular thrombosis in patients with UC. The microvascular thrombi were identified by immunohistochemical staining with anti-CD61 monoclonal antibody and Martius scarlet blue (MSB) staining in 40 colonic tissue samples of UC (31 biopsy specimens and nine operated cases) and 12 cases of normal colon tissue from operated colonic carcinoma. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the relationship of age, gender, degree of histology, origin of the specimens, extent of lesions and microvascular thrombi examined. Microvascular thrombi were positive in 14 of 40 UC cases, and none in the controls. The presence of microvascular thrombi was related to operation specimens with odds ratio 11.667, P=0.0179, it might be also related to histologic score (OR=1.350) and extent of lesions (OR=1.619). These results suggest that microvascular thrombosis may be one of the important pathogenesis in some UC, and that the effect of anticoagulant treatment still needs to be assessed.     

Reduction of Dendritic Cells by Granulocyte and Monocyte Adsorption Apheresis in Patients with Ulcerative Colitis

The influence of the granulocyte/monocyte apheresis (GMCAP) on cell populations participating in mechanisms of tolerance, e.g. dendritic cells (DCs), is still not very clear. In a first step, we aimed to investigate changes in the DC population of patients suffering from ulcerative colitis (UC) (n = 13) compared to healthy subjects (n = 9). In a second step, we studied the changes in peripheral DCs in a small group of patients with active UC before and after Adacolumn apheresis (n = 7). For this purpose, plasmacytoid and myeloid DCs and their maturation markers CD40, CD80, and CD86 were measured using four-color flow cytometry in the peripheral blood. After apheresis, and in acute flare-ups, we identified a significantly lower number of lymphocytes, plasmacytoid, and myeloid DCs. In conclusion, the additional removal of peripheral DCs by GMCAP, which otherwise would contribute to the inflammatory process in the gut, may lead to a higher tolerogeneic status towards luminal antigens.     

Preoperative Steroid-Related Complications in Japanese Pediatric Patients With Ulcerative Colitis

Purpose This study was designed to clarify a limit for steroid therapy in patients with ulcerative colitis through analyzing the preoperative major steroid-related complications and to define when alternative therapies, including surgery, should be performed in pediatric ulcerative colitis patients. Methods The medical records of 28 pediatric and 57 adult patients with ulcerative colitis who underwent total proctocolectomy and ileal J-pouch-anal anastomosis were reviewed. The relationship between the preoperative dose of glucocorticoids and major steroid-related complications, as well as the surgery variables, was evaluated. Results Significantly higher incidences of growth retardation, osteoporosis, glaucoma, and cataracts were noted in pediatric patients than in adult patients. In pediatric patients, major steroid-related complications occurred at a significantly lower preoperative total dosage of glucocorticoids/body weight (mg/kg) or preoperative total dosage of glucocorticoids/body surface area (mg/m²) than in adult patients. A similar surgical procedure was performed in both pediatric and adult patients. The presence of major steroid-related complications can lower a patient's long-term quality of life. Conclusions Evidence-based guidelines for the recommended dose ofglucocorticoids according to body weight or body surface area are needed. To allow patients to feel well and maintain a good quality of life, early introduction of alternative treatments, including surgery, should be considered.     

Ulcerative Colitis Accompanied with Sarcoidosis and Dermatomyositis: Report of a Case

We report a rare case of ulcerative colitis with sarcoidosis and dermatomyositis. A 33-year old woman had a ten-year history of ulcerative colitis and dermatomyositis. After nine-year maintenance treatment with sulphasalazine and steroids, she underwent a proctocolectomy and ileal pouch-anal anastomosis because of deterioration of ulcerative colitis. One year after the operation, she noticed some subcutaneous masses in the right forearm and left lower leg. A total biopsy of the mass was performed, and noncaseous epithelioid granulomas were found in the specimen. Chest roentgenogram and chest computed tomography showed hilar adenopathy and a diffuse granular shadow. The diagnosis of sarcoidosis was made. Concomitant development of ulcerative colitis and sarcoidosis may not be incidental, and there may be a common factor in the two diseases. Ulcerative colitis also may be a part of a systemic disorder associated with abnormal immune reactions. Complications by disorders associated with other immunologic abnormalities, as noted in this patient, should be kept in mind in the management of ulcerative colitis. Presented at the Digestive Disease Week (DDW)-Japan 2005 meeting, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan, October 5 to 8, 2005.     

溃疡性结肠炎患者周围血中性粒细胞凋亡与细胞因子水平的关系

目的：观察溃疡性结肠炎(UC)患者周围血中性粒细胞(PMN)凋亡的变化，并检测周围血中细胞因子IL-8、IL-6、TNF-α、NO水平的变化，探讨细胞因子对PMN凋亡的影响。方法：采用流式细胞术检测28例UC病人周围血PMN凋亡率。结果：活动期UC患者PMN凋亡率明显低于健康人对照组和缓解期UC患者。缓解期UC患者PMN凋亡率与对照组无差别。不同病情活动期UC患者之间PMN凋亡率有显著性差异。活动期UC患者周围血中IL-8、IL-6、TNF—α、NO水平均高于对照组和缓解组，且与PMN凋亡呈负相关，与病情呈正相关。缓解组患者上述细胞因子与对照组无显著性差异。结论：UC患者PMN凋亡延迟，且与病情及疗效密切相关。各种炎性细胞因子产生过多可能是导致PMN凋亡延迟的重要机制。     

Univariate Analysis to Examine Predictors of Response to Leukocytapheresis in Ulcerative Colitis Patients

Leukocytapheresis (LCAP) is reportedly effective for the treatment of active ulcerative colitis (UC) and is a therapeutic option for steroid‐dependent or steroid‐resistant patients with UC. However, a consensus regarding the use of LCAP for UC patients has not yet been established. Therefore, we analyzed patients' records to identify predictors of response to LCAP therapy and subsequent recurrence. Between October 2001 and March 2011, we recruited 41 patients who had been diagnosed as having UC and had received LCAP therapy. Patients diagnosed with moderate to severe UC with left‐side or total colitis and received LCAP therapy for the first time were enrolled. We retrospectively performed a univariate analysis using the patients' medical records to identify factors affecting the therapeutic effect of LCAP. Body mass index exceeding 18.5 kg/m² was found to influence the therapeutic effect of LCAP. Male sex was correlated with a rapid response to LCAP treatment and the maintenance of remission. UC patients experiencing their first attack or had an elevated C‐reactive protein level prior to LCAP therapy exhibited a relatively long remission period. In the “after LCAP therapy” group, a low Rachmilewitz endoscopic score, low erythrocyte sedimentation rate, or high white blood cell count was associated with a long remission period. Our results suggest that LCAP should be performed for the treatment of early‐onset UC. LCAP can be expected to induce a long remission period, enabling mucosal healing, although the factors that affected the remission period did not influence the therapeutic effect and responsiveness.     

Prognostic Value of Terminal Ileal Inflammation in Patients with Ulcerative Colitis

Background/AimsFew studies have investigated terminal ileal lesions and their prognostic value in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). We evaluated the clinical significance of these lesions as a prognostic factor in patients with UC who were in clinical remission.MethodsWe retrospectively selected 567 of 4,066 colonoscopy reports that included positive findings from orificial observations of the terminal ileum (TI) and appendix in patients with UC. We finally recruited patients who were in clinical remission (n=204). We compared the clinical courses, including relapse and other prognostic parameters associated with UC, between the groups.ResultsThe baseline patient characteristics were not significantly different between patients with (n=69, TI+ group) and without TI lesions (n=135, TI– group), although there were more never-smokers in the TI+ group (n=57 [82.6%] in the TI+ group; n=86 [63.7%] in the TI– group; p=0.005). Of note, appendiceal orifice inflammation (AOI) was less frequently found in the TI+ group (14.5%) than in the TI– group (71.9%, p<0.001). The cumulative relapse rate was numerically higher in the TI– group, but it was not significantly different according to the Kaplan-Meier analysis (p=0.116). Multivariate Cox regression analysis also revealed advanced age at diagnosis as the most significant factor (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.964; 95% confidence interval, 0.932 to 0.998; p=0.037), but neither TI inflammation nor AOI were significantly associated with the cumulative relapse rate in patients with UC in clinical remission.ConclusionsFor patients with UC in clinical remission, neither terminal ileal lesions nor AOI had significant clinical or predictive value for future relapse.