Volume 69 - 2006 - Fasc.1 - Original articles
Evolution of the prevalence and characteristics of anemia in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases between 1993 and 2003
Introduction : Anemia has been considered as an overlooked complication of inflammatory bowel disease. Studies dating back to the 80ties and the 90ties have shown 30% of anemia among Inflammatory Bowel Disease patients. More recently, the broader use of immunosuppressive drug and infliximab allowing better mucosal healing as well as a more aggressive treatment of anemia, including the use of safer form of IV iron, may have influenced the prevalence of anemia among IBD patients. Our aim was to asses the prevalence and characteristics of anemia among two cohorts of IBD patients at 10 years interval and to look for associated clinical or demographic factors.
Methods : using the IBD patients register of one senior gas- troenterologist, we identified IBD patients he had consecutively seen and who had blood test at the outpatient clinic during the years 1993 and 2003. Demographic and clinical characteristics, treatment for Crohn's disease, blood test results and treatment of anemia were recorded and compared between these two cohorts. Anemia was defined as an hemoglobin level lower than the normal value of the laboratory of our hospital.
Results : 80 and 90 patients were identified in 1993 and 2003, respectively. There was no significant difference between the two cohorts, according to age, gender, disease type, duration or loca- tion. There were 27/80 (33.8%) and 15/90 (16.7%) anemic patients in 1993 and 2003, respectively (P = 0.013). The prevalence of severe anemia (hemoglobin level < 10.5 g/100 ml) was similar in the two cohorts (6.3% and 5.6%). Characteristics of the anemia were sim- ilar in the two cohorts with a majority of iron deficiency anemia and inflammatory anemia. Ferritin and CRP levels were not sig- nificantly different in the two cohorts. The only significant differ- ence was a more frequent use of immunosuppressive treatment and infliximab in 2003 than in 1993 (33.3% vs. 13.8% ; P = 0.0038, RR : 0.41, 0.22-0.77)
Conclusions : Prevalence of mild to moderate anemia has sig- nificantly decreased in our population over the last 10 years. The only difference detected between the two cohorts was the increased use of immunosuppressive drug (mainly azathioprine). (Acta gastroenterol. belg., 2006, 69, 1-4).
Serum vitamin-E levels and its relation to clinical features in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease with elevated ALT levels
Background : Oxidative stress and free oxygen radicals play an important role in the progression from simple fatty liver to steato- hepatitis. Deficiency of antioxidants like vitamin-E has been reported to trigger this progression. The main aims of our study were to measure plasma vitamin-E levels in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), to explain its relationship with biochemical parameters and to examine the possible therapeutic and prophy- lactic role of vitamin-E.
Methods : 52 patients with NAFLD and elevated liver function tests were enrolled. After 6 months of follow up with a standard low-fat, low-calorie diet, changes in liver enzymes were evaluated.
Results : Deficiency of vitamin-E was detected in 16 patients with NAFLD. Homogenous echo pattern of the liver and attenua- tion was found to be significantly higher in the low vitamin-E group (p = 0.03). The low vitamin-E group had significantly high- er levels of triglyceride (p = 0.02). After 6 months, patients in the low vitamin-E group did not respond to the diet and no decrease in ALT levels was detected (p = 0.04).
Conclusion : This is the first study measuring the serum vita- min-E levels in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. A correlation was found between low vitamin-E levels, high triglyceride levels, as well as sonographic findings, both of which are negative prognos- tic factors causing progression of fatty liver to steatohepatitis. Patients with low vitamin-E levels did not respond to a classical diet for fatty liver disease. Based on the data, we suggest that diet alone is not adequate for patients with fatty liver, and vitamin-E supplementation should be added. (Acta gastroenterol. belg., 2006, 69, 5-11).
