Review
Biology
Federica Furfaro, Arianna Dal Buono, Mariangela Allocca, Ferdinando D'Amico, Alessandra Zilli, Roberto Gabbiadini, Silvio Danese
Summary: Bowel ultrasound (BUS) is a non-invasive and accurate technique for assessing activity, extension of disease, and complications in inflammatory bowel diseases. It provides a safe and cost-effective alternative to colonoscopy and magnetic resonance, with high sensitivity and specificity compared to endoscopy. BUS allows for quick diagnosis and treatment decisions by distinguishing between inflammation and fibrosis.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Ludovico Alfarone, Arianna Dal Buono, Vincenzo Craviotto, Alessandra Zilli, Gionata Fiorino, Federica Furfaro, Ferdinando D'Amico, Silvio Danese, Mariangela Allocca
Summary: This article summarizes the current evidence on the use of cross-sectional imaging techniques as cost-effective, noninvasive, and reliable alternatives to colonoscopy for monitoring patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD).
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Siddharth Singh, Alexander S. Qian, Nghia H. Nguyen, Stephanie K. M. Ho, Jiyu Luo, Vipul Jairath, William J. Sandborn, Christopher Ma
Summary: Despite the rising prevalence of IBD, healthcare spending on IBD patients in the United States has significantly increased from 1996 to 2016, primarily in middle-aged and older adults. Inpatient and emergency department services accounted for the majority of costs during this period.
INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASES
(2022)
Review
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Maaser Christian, Maconi Giovanni, Kucharzik Torsten, Allocca Mariangela
Summary: Intestinal ultrasound is a non-invasive and accurate tool for assessing inflammatory bowel disease. It has the potential to change the way treatment response is evaluated and speed up the clinical decision-making process. Development of validated sonographic scores and spreading knowledge of intestinal ultrasound remain important issues for the future.
UNITED EUROPEAN GASTROENTEROLOGY JOURNAL
(2022)
Review
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Jiro Hata, Hiroshi Imamura
Summary: Transabdominal ultrasound (TAUS) is a useful and noninvasive method for screening, monitoring, and diagnosing inflammatory bowel disease. Its ability to diagnose complications is comparable to that of CT or MRI. TAUS images of ulcerative colitis show continuous large intestinal wall thickening, mainly due to mucosal layer thickening, while images of Crohn's disease vary in the affected areas, distribution, and layer structure.
KOREAN JOURNAL OF RADIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Mallory Chavannes, Lara Hart, Panteha Hayati Rezvan, Jonathan R. Dillman, D. Brent Polk
Summary: Increasing bowel wall thickness (BWT) is associated with increasing IBD endoscopic scores. Intestinal ultrasound (IUS) can accurately predict IBD diagnosis and classify disease severity. The cutoff values for BWT in detecting inflamed bowel may differ between children and adults.
INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Jordi Rimola, Joana Torres, Shankar Kumar, Stuart A. Taylor, Torsten Kucharzik
Summary: Endoscopy, the reference standard for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) diagnosis and assessment, has limitations. Cross-sectional imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) and intestinal ultrasound (IUS) are better tolerated, safer, and can examine the entire bowel. They also allow visualization of the small-bowel and assessment of extraintestinal disease, making them viable alternatives to colonoscopy for diagnosing and monitoring Crohn's disease.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Vu Q. Nguyen, Fabiano Celio, Maithili Chitnavis, Mohammad Shakhatreh, Jeffry Katz, Fabio Cominelli, Amitabh Chak, Paul Yeaton
Summary: This study examined the role of EUS in distinguishing between Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, finding that it can be used to diagnose active and inactive disease by measuring colon wall layer thickness and assessing transmural disease activity.
GASTROINTESTINAL ENDOSCOPY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xiaolin Sheng, Dandan Liu, Sujani K. Gamage, Ying Luo, Emilie Viennois, Didier Merlin, Suri S. Iyer
Summary: The study found that the fecal IAP levels were significantly lower in mice with severe colitis compared to those with mild colitis. Mice treated with anti-TNF-Alpha showed significantly higher levels of IAP compared to untreated mice.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Kevin Casey, Emily W. Lopes, Blake Niccum, Kristin Burke, Ashwin N. Ananthakrishnan, Paul Lochhead, James M. Richter, Andrew T. Chan, Hamed Khalili
Summary: A prospective study of over 230,000 participants found no significant association between alcohol consumption and risk of CD or UC. Only moderate consumption of beer was marginally associated with reduced risk of CD, while higher consumption of liquor was associated with an increased risk of UC. Further investigation into the relationship between alcohol types and risk of CD and UC is warranted.
ALIMENTARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS
(2022)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Adjoa Anyane-Yeboa, Maame Araba E. Buadu, Hamed Khalili, Yvette C. Cozier
Summary: This study investigated the epidemiology and disease characteristics of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Black women, finding that the incidence of IBD was similar to that in White women. Future research should focus on identifying risk factors for IBD in Black individuals in the United States.
INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Gil Y. Melmed, Brant Oliver, Jason K. Hou, Donald Lum, Siddharth Singh, Damara Crate, Christopher Almario, Harry Bray, Catherine Bresee, Mark Gerich, Donna Gerner, Erica Heagy, Megan Holthoff, David Hudesman, Kelly McCutcheon Adams, Mark C. Mattar, Mark Metwally, Eugene Nelson, Arthur Ostrov, David T. Rubin, Frank Scott, Shah Samir, Welmoed van Deen, Ziad Younes, Ridhima Oberai, Alandra Weaver, Corey A. Siegel
Summary: The study showed that a structured quality improvement program can improve outcomes for patients with IBD, including reducing the need for urgent care, hospitalization, corticosteroid, and opioid utilization. Participation in monthly coached webinars was associated with improvement in outcomes.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Elsa A. van Wassenaer, Rick R. van Rijn, Floris A. E. de Voogd, Floor L. Noels, Eline E. Deurloo, Joost van Schuppen, Jonathan I. M. L. Verbeke, Krisztina B. Gecse, Geert R. D'Haens, Marc A. Benninga, Bart G. P. Koot
Summary: Training healthcare physicians to perform intestinal ultrasound (IUS) in children with IBD can achieve comparable diagnostic accuracy as experienced radiologists. The interobserver agreement is moderate. This study supports the usage of IUS in the clinical management of children with IBD.
JOURNAL OF PEDIATRIC GASTROENTEROLOGY AND NUTRITION
(2022)
Article
Emergency Medicine
Yi Li, Lauren Querin
Summary: This case report describes a rare complication of blunt abdominal trauma - delayed small bowel obstruction. Emergency physicians should consider this condition in their differential diagnosis and not rely solely on negative imaging results. Additionally, point-of-care ultrasound plays an important role in evaluating traumatic abdominal pathology.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE
(2022)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Razvan-Cristian Statie, Dan Nicolae Florescu, Dan-Ionut Gheonea, Bogdan Silviu Ungureanu, Sevastita Iordache, Ion Rogoveanu, Tudorel Ciurea
Summary: The diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can be challenging, but can usually be differentiated into ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease (CD) by examining clinical, imaging and histological data. However, for 10-20% of patients, the diagnosis cannot be accurately established and they are classified as IBD unclassified. Common imaging techniques used for evaluating IBD include colonoscopy, ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging. Endoscopic ultrasonography is mainly recommended for evaluating perianal CD, but this study aims to identify other uses of this method in patients with IBD.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Ferdinando D'Amico, Olga Tasopoulou, Gionata Fiorino, Alessandra Zilli, Federica Furfaro, Mariangela Allocca, Pierpaolo Sileri, Antonino Spinelli, Laurent Peyrin-Biroulet, Silvio Danese
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the impact of postoperative biological therapy on the incidence of endoscopic recurrence and long-term outcomes in Crohn's disease patients. The results showed that early treatment with biologics decreased the rates of endoscopic recurrence and hospitalization/surgery.
INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Torsten Kucharzik, Rune Wilkens, Maria-Antonietta D'agostino, Giovanni Maconi, Manuela Le Bars, Marjolein Lahaye, Ivana Bravata, Maciej Nazar, Lioudmila Ni, Elena Ercole, Mariangela Allocca, Nadezda Machkova, Floris A. E. de Voogd, Carolina Palmela, Rose Vaughan, Christian Maaser
Summary: In this study, ustekinumab was found to be effective in reducing bowel inflammation in patients with moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease. The use of intestinal ultrasound as a noninvasive imaging procedure provided valuable insights into the treatment response. Colonic involvement and biologic-naive status were associated with better outcomes.
CLINICAL GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Paolo Angelo Cortesi, Gionata Fiorino, Laurent Peyrin-Biroulet, Lorenzo Giovanni Mantovani, Vipul Jairath, Kristine Paridaens, Fredrik L. Andersson, Silvio Danese
Summary: This study assessed the cost-effectiveness of a treat-to-target strategy based on clinical signs and faecal calprotectin levels in patients with mild-moderate ulcerative colitis. The results showed that this approach increased the time spent in clinical remission and reduced the number of relapses compared to a strategy based solely on symptoms. However, it was also associated with higher costs.
ALIMENTARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS
(2023)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Federica Furfaro, Ferdinando D'Amico, Alessandra Zilli, Vincenzo Craviotto, Annalisa Aratari, Cristina Bezzio, Antonino Spinelli, Daniela Gilardi, Simona Radice, Simone Saibeni, Claudio Papi, Laurent Peyrin-Biroulet, Silvio Danese, Gionata Fiorino, Mariangela Allocca
Summary: The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of a noninvasive approach in detecting postoperative recurrence in Crohn's disease. The results showed that a combination of bowel ultrasound and fecal calprotectin can accurately detect endoscopic recurrence without the need for colonoscopy. This is significant in providing patients with less invasive and more tolerable treatment options.
CLINICAL GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Mariangela Allocca, Torsten Kucharzik, David T. Rubin
Editorial Material
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Paolo Angelo Cortesi, Gionata Fiorino, Lorenzo Giovanni Mantovani, Silvio Danese
ALIMENTARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS
(2023)
Editorial Material
Dermatology
Giorgio Stabile, Stefania Guida, Maria Angela Allocca, Silvio Danese, Franco Rongioletti
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF DERMATOPATHOLOGY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Dermatology
Giorgio Stabile, Stefania Guida, Maria Angela Allocca, Silvio Danese, Franco Rongioletti
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF DERMATOPATHOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Alexander Goetsch, Ferdinando D'Amico, Mariangela Allocca, Gionata Fiorino, Federica Furfaro, Alessandra Zilli, Tommaso Lorenzo Parigi, Simona Radice, Laurent Peyrin-Biroulet, Silvio Danese
Summary: JAK inhibitors are emerging small-molecule drugs used for the treatment of ulcerative colitis and other immune mediated inflammatory diseases. They are orally bioavailable, have a rapid mechanism of action, and are non-immunogenic. Special attention should be given to elderly patients or those with cardiovascular or oncological risk factors, and JAK inhibitors should only be recommended when no alternatives are available. JAK inhibitors also have the potential to be combined with other drugs for the management of difficult-to-treat cases.
EXPERT OPINION ON PHARMACOTHERAPY
(2023)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Luca Massimino, Orazio Palmieri, Amanda Facoetti, Davide Fuggetta, Salvatore Spano, Luigi Antonio Lamparelli, Silvia D'Alessio, Stefania Cagliani, Federica Furfaro, Ferdinando D'Amico, Alessandra Zilli, Gionata Fiorino, Tommaso Lorenzo Parigi, Daniele Noviello, Anna Latiano, Fabrizio Bossa, Tiziana Latiano, Alessandra Pirola, Luca Mologni, Rocco Giovanni Piazza, Danilo Abbati, Francesco Perri, Chiara Bonini, Laurent Peyrin-Biroulet, Alberto Malesci, Vipul Jairath, Silvio Danese, Federica Ungaro
Summary: This study found that the virome-associated protein encoded by the hepatitis B virus (HBx) is detected in about 45% of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and is associated with UC progression. Experimental findings showed that HBx induces colonic inflammation and its silencing reverses the colitis phenotype. HBx acts as a transcriptional regulator in epithelial cells, leading to barrier leakage and altering mucosal immunity. This study provides a new perspective on targeted treatments for the virome composition of the gut microbiota.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Antonio Rispo, Giulio Calabrese, Anna Testa, Nicola Imperatore, Marta Patturelli, Mariangela Allocca, Alessia Dalila Guarino, Nicola Mattia Cantisani, Benedetta Toro, Fabiana Castiglione
Summary: Hand-held intestinal ultrasound and conventional intestinal ultrasound are comparable in defining ulcerative colitis extension and evaluating Milan Ultrasound Criteria. Hand-held intestinal ultrasound could be reliable for detecting disease activity and estimating its extension, providing close monitoring. It also represents a non-invasive, easily practicable investigation, allowing immediate medical decisions with significant time and cost advantages.
JOURNAL OF CROHNS & COLITIS
(2023)
Article
Acoustics
Mariangela Allocca, Arianna Dal Buono, Silvia D'Alessio, Paola Spaggiari, Valentina Garlatti, Antonino Spinelli, Francesco Faita, Silvio Danese
Summary: This study aimed to assess the relationships between intestinal ultrasound parameters and histopathologic findings in patients with Crohn's disease undergoing surgery. The results showed that ultrasound had high sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy in detecting stricturing and penetrating complications. There was a strong correlation between ultrasound measurements and histological measurements of wall thickness.
JOURNAL OF ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Sara Massironi, Chiara Vigano, Andrea Palermo, Lorena Pirola, Giacomo Mulinacci, Mariangela Allocca, Laurent Peyrin-Biroulet, Silvio Danese
Summary: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been on the rise worldwide, with impaired nutritional status in patients presenting in various forms such as malnutrition, sarcopenia, and micronutrient deficiency, as well as overweight, obesity, and sarcopenic obesity. Malnutrition can disrupt the gut microbiome, leading to an imbalanced state that triggers inflammation. Despite the clear link between IBD and malnutrition, little is known about the underlying mechanisms that promote inflammation and malnutrition. This Review explores the potential mechanisms behind the vicious cycle of malnutrition and inflammation, and their implications for clinical treatment.
LANCET GASTROENTEROLOGY & HEPATOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Sarah Bencardino, Ferdinando D'Amico, Ilaria Faggiani, Francesca Bernardi, Mariangela Allocca, Federica Furfaro, Tommaso Lorenzo Parigi, Alessandra Zilli, Gionata Fiorino, Laurent Peyrin-Biroulet, Silvio Danese
Summary: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that affects patients' quality of life. There is a need for new drugs that target new pathways and minimize adverse events. Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) receptor modulators have shown promise in reducing inflammation in UC by controlling the movement of immune cells. Several S1P receptor modulators, including ozanimod, etrasimod, and VTX002, have been developed and tested in UC. Oral administration, rapidity, and safety profile are the advantages of these drugs.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Laura Cantoro, Rita Monterubbianesi, Giuliano Falasco, Caterina Camastra, Paolo Pantanella, Mariangela Allocca, Rocco Cosintino, Roberto Faggiani, Silvio Danese, Gionata Fiorino
Summary: Delayed diagnosis poses a challenge to managing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), especially in Crohn's disease (CD). The Red Flags Index score, along with non-invasive biomarkers like fecal calprotectin, can effectively reduce diagnostic delay and aid in early treatment strategies for patients with IBD.