C. Ponsioen

Suppression of anti‐drug antibodies to infliximab or adalimumab with the addition of an immunomodulator in patients with inflammatory bowel disease

Loss of response to anti‐tumour necrosis factor (TNF) therapy in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is often caused by anti‐drug antibody formation with neutralisation of drug effect. Addition of an immunomodulator has been suggested to reduce immunogenicity, leading to regained response.

Serum Concentration of Anti-TNF Antibodies, Adverse Effects and Quality of Life in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Remission on Maintenance Treatment

BACKGROUND AND AIMS High serum concentrations of infliximab [IFX] and adalimumab [ADA] may be associated with adverse effects in patients with inflammatory bowel disease [IBD]. We aimed to investigate whether high anti-tumour necrosis factor [TNF] trough levels [TLs] were associated with toxicity and impaired quality of life [QoL]. METHODS We conducted a prospective cohort study in IBD patients in clinical and biochemical remission on IFX or ADA maintenance therapy. Trough serum concentrations and antidrug antibodies were measured in addition to biochemical markers of inflammation in serum and stool to confirm quiescent disease. QoL was assessed using the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire and 36-item short form]. Side effects such as fatigue and arthralgia were measured with a visual analogue score [VAS]. Skin toxicity was reported with a European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer-derived score. RESULTS In all, 252 IBD patients on maintenance anti-TNF therapy were screened, of whom 95 [73 with Crohns disease, 22 with ulcerative colitis; 72 on IFX, 23 on ADA] were in clinical and biochemical remission and were included. Median TLs were 5.5 µg/ml and 6.6 µg/ml for IFX and ADA, respectively. Patients with anti-TNF TLs above median had lower IBDQ scores than patients with lower TLs [IBDQ 176 vs 187, p = 0.02], particularly regarding systemic symptoms and emotional status. A trend towards lower SF-36 and higher fatigue scores was observed in the higher anti-TNF TL group. Skin and arthralgia scores were not significantly different between the groups. CONCLUSIONS IBD patients with higher anti-TNF serum concentrations had significantly lower disease-specific QoL. Fatigue, arthralgia, and skin lesions do not occur more often in these patients. These data are reassuring that high serum concentrations of anti-TNF antibodies are not toxic.

Similar Short- and Long-term Colectomy Rates with Ciclosporin and Infliximab Treatment in Hospitalised Ulcerative Colitis Patients.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Ciclosporin A [CsA] and infliximab [IFX] are similarly effective in preventing short-term colectomy in ulcerative colitis [UC] patients, but long-term data are scarce. We aimed to compare short- and long-term efficacy of CsA and IFX by analysing colectomy rates and failure of remission-induction treatment as outcome parameters for treatment success. METHODS We retrospectively studied hospitalised UC patients who received CsA or IFX for moderate-to-severe UC, between January 2000 and April 2014. The primary endpoint was time to colectomy, and treatment failure [defined as colectomy or another remission-induction treatment with corticosteroids, CsA, or IFX] was used as secondary endpoint. Variables possibly affecting colectomy outcomes were analysed. RESULTS A total of 55 patients were studied for colectomy outcome and 58 patients for treatment failure. A significantly longer follow-up duration was available for CsA-treated patients [p < 0.001, both subcohorts]. Patients showed comparable patient- and disease-specific characteristics. Colectomy rates did not differ significantly at 3, 12, and 36 months: 36% versus 29%, 58% versus 48%, and 64% versus 67% for CsA- and IFX-treated patients, respectively. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed the lowest hazard ratio [HR] for colectomy in patients concomitantly using thiopurines: HR 0.28 (confidence interval [CI] 0.13-0.64), p = 0.002. Treatment failure rates were not significantly different at 3, 12 and 36 months: 35% versus 48%, 51% versus 68%, and 62% versus 83% for CsA- and IFX-treated patients, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Treatment with CsA and IFX is similarly effective in preventing short- and long-term colectomy in hospitalised UC patients. Furthermore, failure rates of these remission-induction treatments were comparable.

PTU-258 Prevalence and severity of pre-pouch ileitis: a distinct disease entity or a manifestation of refractory pouchitis?

Introduction Pre-pouch ileitis (PI) is a complication that can occur after panproctocolectomy and ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) for ulcerative colitis (UC). It is characterised by inflammation of pre-pouch ileum in the afferent limb of the pouch. Our aims were to assess the prevalence of PI as well as to identify predictive factors and investigate the medications needed for its management. Method Data on 546 patients who underwent IPAA for UC was retrospectively collected from three tertiary inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) referral centres. Data was collected from sites in the Netherlands (Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam), Belgium (Leuven University Hospital) and England (University College London Hospital). PI was considered present if there was endoscopic, as well as histological inflammation in the afferent limb. Results PI was present in 33/546 (6%) UC patients, all of these had concurrent pouchitis. 144 (26%) patients had pouchitis without PI. 369 (68%) patients did not have any inflammatory pouch problems. Rates of requiring potent immunosupressive treatment were higher amongst patients with PI than those with pouchitis alone. Patients who went on to develop PI were significantly younger at the time of their UC diagnosis. PSC was significantly more common in patients with PI than those with pouchitis alone. Conclusion PI is a much less common and more treatment refractory condition than pouchitis alone. Pouchoscopy should be considered in any patient with symptoms of pouchitis. This should include careful endoscopic evaluation of the afferent pouch limb as well as biopsies of the pre-pouch ileum. Once a diagnosis of PI is made, clinicians should commence immunomodulatory therapy early in the disease course and consider escalating to an anti-TNF if this proves ineffective. Disclosure of interest None Declared.Abstract PTU-258 Table 1