Tauseef Ali

Long-term Safety Concerns with Proton Pump Inhibitors

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are among the most widely prescribed medications worldwide. Their use has resulted in dramatic improvements in treatment of peptic ulcer disease and gastroesophageal reflux disease. Despite an acceptable safety profile, mounting data demonstrate concerns about the long-term use of PPIs. To provide a comprehensive review regarding the concerns of long-term PPI use, a literature search was performed to identify pertinent original and review articles. Despite study shortcomings, the collective body of information overwhelmingly suggests an increased risk of infectious complications and nutritional deficiencies. Data regarding any increased risk in gastric or colon malignancy are less convincing. PPIs have revolutionized the management and complications of acid-related disorders with a high margin of safety; however, with the data available, efforts to reduce the dosing of or discontinue the use of PPIs must be reassessed frequently.

Osteoporosis in inflammatory bowel disease.

Osteoporosis commonly afflicts patients with inflammatory bowel disease, and many factors link the 2 states together. A literature review was conducted about the pathophysiology of osteoporosis in relation to inflammatory bowel disease. Screening guidelines for osteoporosis in general as well as those directed at patients with inflammatory bowel disease are reviewed, as are currently available treatment options. The purpose of this article is to increase physician awareness about osteopenia and osteoporosis occurring in patients with inflammatory bowel disease and to provide basic, clinically relevant information about the pathophysiology and guidelines to help them treat these patients in a cost-effective manner.

Clinical use of anti-TNF therapy and increased risk of infections

Biologics such as antitumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) drugs have emerged as important agents in the treatment of many chronic inflammatory diseases, especially in cases refractory to conventional treatment modalities. However, opportunistic infections have become a major safety concern in patients on anti-TNF therapy, and physicians who utilize these agents must understand the increased risks of infection. A literature review of the published data on the risk of bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic infections associated with anti-TNF therapy was performed and the clinical presentation, diagnostic tests, management, and prevention of opportunistic infections in patients receiving anti-TNF therapy were reviewed. Awareness of the therapeutic potential and associated adverse events is necessary for maximizing therapeutic benefits while minimizing adverse effects from anti-TNF treatments. Patients should be adequately vaccinated when possible and closely monitored for early signs of infection. When serious infections occur, withdrawal of anti-TNF therapy may be necessary until the infection has been identified and properly treated.

Stress-Induced Ulcer Bleeding in Critically Ill Patients

Increased knowledge of risk factors and improved ICU care has decreased the incidence of stress-related bleeding. Not all critically ill patients need prophylaxis for SRMD and withholding such prophylaxis in suitable low-risk candidates is a reasonable and cost-effective approach. Mechanical ventilation for more than 48 hours and coagulopathy are the main risk factors for stress-induced upper GI bleeding. Although intravenous H2RAs can prevent clinically important bleeding, their benefits seem to be limited by the rapid development of tolerance. The availability of intravenous formulations of PPIs makes it possible to critically compare their prophylactic efficacy and safety to different classes of acid-suppressive agents, such as H2RAs, in critically ill patients. The appropriate dose of PPI and the role of newer PPI formulations need to be further defined along with proposed guidelines for the use of intravenous and oral/enteral formulations of PPIs in patients at risk for stress-related mucosal damage.

Curcumin and Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Biological Mechanisms and Clinical Implication

Increased recognition of the limits of conventional medicine has helped drive the growing interest in complementary and alternative medicine which is now being commonly used in patients with chronic diseases, including individuals with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Recently, scientific interest has unraveled the beneficial pharmacological effects of curcumin. We present an updated concise review of currently available in vitro, animal and clinical studies demonstrating the therapeutic effect of herbal medication in inflammatory bowel disease.

Assessment of the Relationship Between Quality of Sleep and Disease Activity in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients

Purpose:Poor sleep quality is associated with adverse health consequences. Sleep disturbances can impact the immune function and process of inflammation. The relationship between sleep quality and the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has not been well studied. Methods:A prospective observational cohort study was performed to assess the correlation of the quality of sleep and disease activity in IBD. We used the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) to measure sleep quality. IBD disease activity was measured by using the Harvey–Bradshaw Index or Modified Mayo Score. Results:Forty-one patients were enrolled with mean age of 37 ± 15.4 years and 27 (66%) women. Abnormal PSQI was present in all 23 (100%) of the clinically active patients and in 13 (72%) of those with inactive disease (odds ratio = 2.8, P = 0.007). All 30 patients with histologic evidence of inflammation on recent ileocolonoscopy also had abnormal PSQI scores, which were independent of their clinical disease activity status. Only 6 of 11 patients with histologically quiescent disease had abnormal PSQI scores (odds ratio = 6.0, P < 0.0001). There was no difference in disease type, use of steroids, the presence of depression or anxiety, and body mass index between the patients with normal and abnormal sleep. An abnormal PSQI had a positive predictive value for histologic inflammatory activity of 83%. Conclusions:Our data show a strong association between clinically active IBD and poor sleep quality and demonstrate that patients in clinical remission with abnormal sleep have a high likelihood of subclinical disease activity.

Sleep, immunity and inflammation in gastrointestinal disorders

Sleep disorders have become a global issue, and discovering their causes and consequences are the focus of many research endeavors. An estimated 70 million Americans suffer from some form of sleep disorder. Certain sleep disorders have been shown to cause neurocognitive impairment such as decreased cognitive ability, slower response times and performance detriments. Recent research suggests that individuals with sleep abnormalities are also at greater risk of serious adverse health, economic consequences, and most importantly increased all-cause mortality. Several research studies support the associations among sleep, immune function and inflammation. Here, we review the current research linking sleep, immune function, and gastrointestinal diseases and discuss the interdependent relationship between sleep and these gastrointestinal disorders. Different physiologic processes including immune system and inflammatory cytokines help regulate the sleep. The inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor, interleukin-1 (IL-1), and IL-6 have been shown to be a significant contributor of sleep disturbances. On the other hand, sleep disturbances such as sleep deprivation have been shown to up regulate these inflammatory cytokines. Alterations in these cytokine levels have been demonstrated in certain gastrointestinal diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, gastro-esophageal reflux, liver disorders and colorectal cancer. In turn, abnormal sleep brought on by these diseases is shown to contribute to the severity of these same gastrointestinal diseases. Knowledge of these relationships will allow gastroenterologists a great opportunity to enhance the care of their patients.

Risk of post-operative complications associated with anti- TNF therapy in inflammatory bowel disease

There have been increasing concerns regarding the safety of perioperative anti-tumour necrosis factor (anti-TNF) α agents. We performed a literature review to evaluate the post-operative complications associated with perioperative anti-TNF use in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. A comprehensive review was performed with a literature search utilizing Pub Med, Cochrane, OVID and EMBASE databases according to published guidelines. To date, there are only data for infliximab. There are three published studies which have assessed post-operative complications with perioperative infliximab use in patients with Crohns disease (CD), four studies in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients, and one study on both CD and UC patients. Two out of the three studies in CD patients showed no increased post-operative complications associated with perioperative infliximab. Two out of four studies in UC patients also did not show an increase in post-operative complications, and the combined study with CD and UC patients did not show an increased risk as well. Study results could not be combined secondary to significant differences in study designs, patient population and definition of their endpoints. There appears to be a risk of post-operative complications associated with TNF therapy in some patients. Based on these data, careful patient selection and prospective data collection should be performed.

Iron deficiency anemia in inflammatory bowel disease

Anemia is a common extraintestinal manifestation of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and is frequently overlooked as a complication. Patients with IBD are commonly found to have iron deficiency anemia (IDA) secondary to chronic blood loss, and impaired iron absorption due to tissue inflammation. Patients with iron deficiency may not always manifest with signs and symptoms; so, hemoglobin levels in patients with IBD must be regularly monitored for earlier detection of anemia. IDA in IBD is associated with poor quality of life, necessitating prompt diagnosis and appropriate treatment. IDA is often associated with inflammation in patients with IBD. Thus, commonly used laboratory parameters are inadequate to diagnose IDA, and newer iron indices, such as reticulocyte hemoglobin content or percentage of hypochromic red cells or zinc protoporphyrin, are required to differentiate IDA from anemia of chronic disease. Oral iron preparations are available and are used in patients with mild disease activity. These preparations are inexpensive and convenient, but can produce gastrointestinal side effects, such as abdominal pain and diarrhea, that limit their use and patient compliance. These preparations are partly absorbed due to inflammation. Non-absorbed iron can be toxic and worsen IBD disease activity. Although cost-effective intravenous iron formulations are widely available and have improved safety profiles, physicians are reluctant to use them. We present a review of the pathophysiologic mechanisms of IDA in IBD, improved diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, efficacy, and safety of iron replacement in IBD.

Environmental risk factors for inflammatory bowel diseases: Evidence based literature review

AIM Advances in genetics and immunology have contributed to the current understanding of the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). METHODS The current opinion on the pathogenesis of IBD suggests that genetically susceptible individuals develop intolerance to dysregulated gut microflora (dysbiosis) and chronic inflammation develops as a result of environmental insults. Environmental exposures are innumerable with varying effects during the life course of individuals with IBD. Studying the relationship between environmental factors and IBD may provide the missing link to increasing our understanding of the etiology and increased incidence of IBD in recent years with implications for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Environmental factors are heterogeneous and genetic predisposition, immune dysregulation, or dysbiosis do not lead to the development of IBD in isolation. RESULTS Current challenges in the study of environmental factors and IBD are how to effectively translate promising results from experimental studies to humans in order to develop models that incorporate the complex interactions between the environment, genetics, immunology, and gut microbiota, and limited high quality interventional studies assessing the effect of modifying environmental factors on the natural history and patient outcomes in IBD. CONCLUSION This article critically reviews the current evidence on environmental risk factors for IBD and proposes directions for future research.