Publications

Despite incredible growth in systems of care and rapidly expanding therapeutic options for people with inflammatory bowel disease, there are significant barriers that prevent patients from benefiting from these advances. These barriers include restrictions in the form of prior authorization, step therapy, and prescription drug coverage. Furthermore, inadequate use of multidisciplinary care and inflammatory bowel disease specialists limits patient access to high-quality care, particularly for medically vulnerable populations. However, there are opportunities to improve access to high-quality, patient-centered care. This position statement outlines the policy and advocacy goals that the American Gastroenterological Association will prioritize for collaborative efforts with patients, providers, and payors.

This case report highlights the clinical challenge and need to distinguish Sweet syndrome and erythema nodosum (EN) in a 50-year-old woman with newly initiated azathioprine for inflammatory bowel disease. While she initially presented with clinical features concerning for drug-induced Sweet syndrome, a subsequent histopathological examination confirmed early-stage EN. Both Sweet syndrome and EN share common triggers and therapeutic responses, but have distinctive clinical characteristics. Subtle histologic differences also exist in lesion distribution and depth of infiltration. This case underscores the need for accurate differentiation in patients with inflammatory bowel disease to initiate appropriate management and avoid potential complications.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Postprandial diarrhea (PPD) is commonly seen in patients with disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI), but the factors associated with it have not been well studied. In this study, we aim to study the burden, impact, and predictors of PPD using a clinical cohort of DGBI patients.

METHODS: This study included patients with chronic diarrhea fulfilling ROME IV criteria for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or functional diarrhea (FDiarr). PPD was defined as patients reporting mushy/watery stools following meals ≥30% of the time in the last 3 months using a ROME IV question on PPD. Age, sex, and BMI, the severity of diarrhea, abdominal pain, depression, anxiety, somatization, and quality of life were assessed using validated measures. Person's chi-square test and Student's t-test were used to compare variables. A multiple linear regression model with backward elimination was done to determine predictors of PPD severity.

KEY RESULTS: Of 213 eligible patients, more than three-fourth of patients (75.6%) had PPD. Women (79.0%, p = 0.037), patients with ROME IV diagnosis of IBS-D (90.5%, p = 0.002), and functional dyspepsia (83.2%, p = 0.014), and those with a history of cholecystectomy (CCY) (95.5%, p = 0.022) were more likely to report PPD. PPD patients experienced more severe abdominal pain, diarrhea, and decreased quality of life (QoL) but showed no significant difference in BMI, anxiety, depression, sleep, or somatization. In our regression model, female sex and history of CCY were independent predictors of PPD.

CONCLUSIONS AND INFERENCES: PPD is frequently reported among chronic diarrhea patients and is associated with more severe GI symptoms and decreased QoL. Female sex and CCY predict PPD, while psychological factors do not.

BACKGROUND: There are limited studies on the impact of gender on training and career advancement in gastroenterology.

AIM: The aim was to study this impact and understand the perceptions of work-life balance and beliefs regarding gender dynamics among gastroenterologists in India and other South Asian countries.

METHODS: A web-based survey was conducted among trainees and attending physicians in South Asia from November 15, 2021, to March 30, 2022. The survey instrument had four components: demographic features, training, career advancement and work-life balance.

RESULTS: As many as 622 gastroenterologists completed the survey, of which 467 responses were from India (mean age: 41.1 years; females: 11.5%). A higher proportion of female respondents from India believed that gender bias in recruiting and training had negatively impacted their careers (40.7% females vs. 1.5% males). Radiation hazard for fertility (11.1% females vs. 1.9% males, p < 0.001) and as a health concern (14.8% females vs. 5.1% males, p = 0.005) were significant career deterrents for females. A higher proportion of female participants from India faced a career interruption (59.3% females vs. 30.3% males, p ≤ 0.001). Common reasons were pregnancy (37%) and childcare provision (25.9%). More females believed that women were more productive than men (40.8% females vs. 16.9% males, p < 0.001) and that a salary gap existed (44.7% females vs. 29.1% males, p < 0.001). The incidence of self-perceived burnout was 63% among females and 51.6% among males (p = 0.115).

CONCLUSION: Gender-related factors impact the training and career of female gastroenterologists.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Food access is an important social determinant of health and refers to geographical and infrastructural aspects of food availability. Using publicly available data on food access from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), geospatial analyses can identify regions with variable food access, which may impact acute pancreatitis (AP), an acute inflammatory condition characterized by unpredictable outcomes and substantial mortality. This study aimed to investigate the association of clinical outcomes in patients with AP with geospatial food access.

METHODS: We examined AP-related hospitalizations at a tertiary center from January 2008 to December 2018. The physical addresses were geocoded through ArcGIS Pro2.7.0 (ESRI, Redlands, CA). USDA Food Access Research Atlas defined low food access as urban areas with 33% or more of the population residing over one mile from the nearest food source. Regression analyses enabled assessment of the association between AP outcomes and food access.

RESULTS: The study included 772 unique patients with AP residing in Massachusetts with 931 AP-related hospitalizations. One hundred and ninety-eight (25.6%) patients resided in census tracts with normal urban food access and 574 (74.4%) patients resided in tracts with low food access. AP severity per revised Atlanta classification [OR 1.88 (95%CI 1.21-2.92); p = 0.005], and 30-day AP-related readmission [OR 1.78(95%CI 1.11-2.86); p = 0.02] had significant association with food access, despite adjustment for demographics, healthcare behaviors, and comorbidities (Charlson Comorbidity Index). However, food access lacked significant association with AP-related mortality (p = 0.40) and length of stay (LOS: p = 0.99).

CONCLUSION: Low food access had a significant association with 30-day AP-related readmissions and AP severity. However, mortality and LOS lacked significant association with food access. The association between nutrition, lifestyle, and AP outcomes warrants further prospective investigation.

BACKGROUND: Infliximab, an anti-tumor necrosis factor monoclonal antibody, has revolutionized the pharmacological management of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs). This position statement critically reviews and examines existing data on therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of infliximab in patients with IMIDs. It provides a practical guide on implementing TDM in current clinical practices and outlines priority areas for future research.

METHODS: The endorsing TDM of Biologics and Pharmacometrics Committees of the International Association of TDM and Clinical Toxicology collaborated to create this position statement.

RESULTS: Accumulating data support the evidence for TDM of infliximab in the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases, with limited investigation in other IMIDs. A universal approach to TDM may not fully realize the benefits of improving therapeutic outcomes. Patients at risk for increased infliximab clearance, particularly with a proactive strategy, stand to gain the most from TDM. Personalized exposure targets based on therapeutic goals, patient phenotype, and infliximab administration route are recommended. Rapid assays and home sampling strategies offer flexibility for point-of-care TDM. Ongoing studies on model-informed precision dosing in inflammatory bowel disease will help assess the additional value of precision dosing software tools. Patient education and empowerment, and electronic health record-integrated TDM solutions will facilitate routine TDM implementation. Although optimization of therapeutic effectiveness is a primary focus, the cost-reducing potential of TDM also merits consideration.

CONCLUSIONS: Successful implementation of TDM for infliximab necessitates interdisciplinary collaboration among clinicians, hospital pharmacists, and (quantitative) clinical pharmacologists to ensure an efficient research trajectory.

Goltstein LC, Grooteman KV, Bernts LH, et al. Standard of care versus octreotide in angiodysplasia-related bleeding (the OCEAN study): a multicenter randomized controlled trial. Gastroenterology. 2024;166:690-703. 38158089.

Perianal fistulas can develop in around 30% of patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and are associated with impaired quality of life and worse outcomes including increased rates of hospitalizations and surgeries.1 The cornerstone of pharmacologic treatment for perianal fistulizing CD is anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy, mainly infliximab and adalimumab (ADM).2 Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) can be used to identify potential pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic issues and avoid or manage unwanted outcomes, such as primary nonresponse and secondary loss of response.3 There are several exposure-response relationship data demonstrating a positive correlation between serum infliximab concentrations and favorable objective therapeutic outcomes in patients with perianal fistulizing CD.4 Nevertheless, there are only limited data, which is mostly from small retrospective studies regarding the association of ADM concentration and outcomes in patients with perianal fistulizing CD.4-8 Furthermore, the optimal ADM concentration for fistula healing still remains to be elucidated. This is clinically important because drug concentration cutoffs are used in reactive and proactive TDM algorithms to define therapeutic drug concentrations. This study investigates the association of maintenance ADM concentrations with complete fistula healing (CFH) and identifies an optimal ADM concentration threshold for CFH.