Two-Year Outcomes After Exclusive Enteral Nutrition Induction Are Superior to Corticosteroids in Pediatric Crohn's Disease Treated Early with Thiopurines

Impact of first-line induction therapy on medium-term outcomes in the setting of early thiopurine (TP) use in children with Crohn's disease has not been evaluated, in particular whether choice of exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) over corticosteroids (CS) for induction impacts clinical outcomes at 12 and 24 months. In this retrospective study, 89 children from our database with new diagnosis CD and follow-up of at least 2 years following induction with exclusive course of CS or EEN and early, dose-optimized TP (within 6 months from diagnosis) were evaluated. We compared steroid dependency (relapse < 3 months of tapering first course CS or inability to wean < 10 mg prednisolone), need for IFX, linear growth, and surgical resections over the first 2 years. Choice of EEN over CS induction was associated with reduced linear growth failure (7 vs. 26 %, p = 0.02), CS dependency (7 vs. 43 %, p = 0.002), and improved primary sustained response to IFX (86 vs. 68 %, p = 0.02). Combined CS/IFX-free remission and surgical resection rates were similar. In the setting of early TP commencement, EEN induction is superior to CS induction for reducing growth failure, CS dependency, and loss of response to IFX over the first 2 years.