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Biomedical subjects

W J Sandborn

Publications and source records attributed to W J Sandborn.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Bismuth carbomer foam enemas for active chronic pouchitis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Bismuth carbomer liquid enemas are equivalent to mesalamine enemas for active distal ulcerative colitis. AIMS: In this study, the efficacy and safety of bismuth carbomer foam enemas for active chronic pouchitis was determined in a placebo-controlled trial. PATIENTS: Forty adult patients with active chronic pouchitis were randomly assigned into either concurrent therapy for pouchitis or no concurrent therapy. Topical corticosteroids and mesalamine were withdrawn prior to the study. METHODS: Patients received either bismuth carbomer (270 mg elemental bismuth) (n = 20) or placebo (n = 20) foam enemas for 3 weeks. Clinical assessment was performed at baseline and at 3 weeks using the pouchitis disease activity index score which incorporates symptoms, endoscopy and histology. Serum bismuth concentrations were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. RESULTS: At 3 weeks nine of 20 patients (45%) in both the bismuth and placebo groups had improved. Ten patients discontinued prematurely because of worse diarrhoea (three in each group) or abdominal cramping after enema use (one from the bismuth group and three from the placebo group). No other side-effects were noted. Serum bismuth concentrations were negligible in all patients. CONCLUSIONS: Bismuth carbomer foam enemas (270 mg bismuth) nightly for 3 weeks are safe but not efficacious for active chronic pouchitis.

Adolescent↗

A dose-ranging study of azathioprine pharmacokinetics after single-dose administration of a delayed-release oral formulation.

6-Mercaptopurine and its prodrug azathioprine are an effective treatment for inflammatory bowel disease, but widespread use has been limited by concern about toxicity. Ileocolonic delivery of azathioprine as a 50-mg delayed-release oral capsule has been shown to decrease bioavailability, thus potentially decreasing toxicity. This study aimed to determine the bioavailability and pharmacokinetic parameters of delayed-release oral azathioprine capsules at doses of 200 mg, 400 mg, and 600 mg relative to 100 mg of standard oral azathioprine tablets. Thirty healthy human volunteers each received delayed-release oral azathioprine at one of the three doses (n = 10 for each group). All participants also received a 100-mg tablet of standard oral azathioprine. Plasma concentrations of 6-mercaptopurine were determined by high-pressure liquid chromatography. The relative bioavailabilities of 6-mercaptopurine after ileocolonic azathioprine administration via delayed-release oral capsules at doses of 200 mg, 400 mg, and 600 mg (means of 15%, 15%, and 12%, respectively) were all significantly less than 100% compared with standard oral azathioprine at a 100-mg dose. Ileocolonic delivery of azathioprine by a delayed-release oral capsule formulation at doses up to 600 mg considerably reduces 6-mercaptopurine bioavailability, relative to standard oral azathioprine tablets. The therapeutic potential of this ileocolonic delivery formulation, which can limit toxicity by local delivery of azathioprine, should be investigated in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Administration, Oral↗

Increased eosinophil granule proteins in gut lavage fluid from patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the potential role of eosinophils in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). DESIGN: We measured the concentrations of eosinophil granule proteins-namely, major basic protein, eosinophil peroxidase, eosinophil cationic protein, and eosinophil-derived neurotoxin-in gut lavage fluid. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Ten healthy persons and 17 patients with IBD (9 with Crohn's disease and 8 with ulcerative colitis) underwent gut lavage. Each study subject submitted an early specimen when lavage effluent became liquid and a late specimen when the output became clear. The concentrations of the granule proteins were measured by immunoassay. RESULTS: The median concentrations of eosinophil-derived neurotoxin and eosinophil cationic protein were significantly higher in patients with IBD than in control subjects for both early and late lavage specimens. Excretion of eosinophil peroxidase was also significantly higher in patients with IBD than in the healthy control subjects, but only in the early specimens. No differences were noted in the concentrations of any of the proteins between patients with ulcerative colitis and those with Crohn's disease. CONCLUSION: Concentrations of eosinophil granule proteins were increased in whole gut lavage fluid from patients with IBD in comparison with healthy control subjects. These results encourage further studies of the role of eosinophils in the pathogenesis of IBD.

Adult↗

Preliminary report on the use of oral tacrolimus (FK506) in the treatment of complicated proximal small bowel and fistulizing Crohn's disease.

BACKGROUND: Tacrolimus (FK506) has a mechanism of action similar to cyclosporine. Unlike standard oral cyclosporine, tacrolimus is well absorbed orally, even from diseased small bowel mucosa. OBJECTIVE: To report the use of oral tacrolimus in three patients with complicated proximal small bowel or fistulizing Crohn's disease as a "bridge" to methotrexate or 6-mercaptopurine. CASE REPORTS: Oral tacrolimus was started at doses of 0.15-0.29 mg/kg/day and adjusted to a whole blood tacrolimus concentration range of 10-20 ng/ml. Case 1: Gastroenterostomy for gastroduodenal Crohn's disease complicated by recurrent gastrointestinal hemorrhage from persistent duodenal ulceration. Case 2: Diffuse jejunoileal Crohn's disease, seven prior stricturoplasties, and a postoperative small intestinal fistula causing an abdominal abscess. Case 3: Perianal and pouch-vaginal fistulae after colectomy and ileal pouch-anal anastomosis in a patient with Crohn's disease. All three patients had good oral absorption of tacrolimus, rapid clinical improvement of their Crohn's disease, and began long-term remission maintenance treatment with either methotrexate (n = 2) or 6-mercaptopurine (n = 1). Dose dependent side effects resulting from tacrolimus therapy occurred in all three patients (nephrotoxicity, hyperkalemia, diarrhea, nausea, flushing, headache, tremor, paresthesias, and insomnia). CONCLUSIONS: Oral tacrolimus (0.15-0.29 mg/kg/day) is well absorbed in patients with Crohn's disease with proximal small bowel involvement or fistulae and appears to be of clinical benefit as a rapidly acting "bridge" to long-term therapy with methotrexate or 6-mercaptopurine.

Administration, Oral↗

Simultaneous determination of azathioprine and 6-mercaptopurine by high-performance liquid chromatography.

A specific, sensitive, single-step solid-phase extraction and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the simultaneous determination of plasma 6-mercaptopurine and azathioprine concentrations is reported. Following solid-phase extraction, analytes are separated on a C18 column with mobile phase consisting of 0.8% acetonitrile in 1 mM triethylamine, pH 3.2, run on a gradient system. Quantitation limits were 5 ng/ml and 2 ng/ml for azathioprine and 6-mercaptopurine, respectively. Peak heights correlated linearly to known extracted standards for 6-mercaptopurine and azathioprine (r = 0.999) over a range of 2-200 ng/ml. No chromatographic interferences were detected.

Administration, Oral↗

Risk of colorectal neoplasia in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Studies implicating primary sclerosing cholangitis as a risk factor for colorectal neoplasia in patients with ulcerative colitis have been limited by small sample size and referral bias. The aim of this study was to determine the relative risk and cumulative incidence of colorectal neoplasia in a large sample of patients with sclerosing cholangitis. METHODS: A sample of patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (n = 178), stratified by geographic area of residence, was identified and followed up to determine survival and development of colorectal neoplasia. The relative risk of colorectal cancer was determined using age- and sex-specific incidence rates of colorectal cancer in the U.S. general population as well as rates in patients with ulcerative colitis from central Sweden. RESULTS: The relative risk of colorectal cancer was elevated 10-fold (standardized morbidity ratio, 10.3; 95% confidence interval, 2.1-30) compared with the general population for exposure to both sclerosing cholangitis and colitis but not cholangitis alone (standardized morbidity ratio, 4.9; 95% confidence interval, 0.1-27). The observed number of cancers was similar to that expected on the basis of rates in Swedish patients with ulcerative colitis. CONCLUSIONS: If primary sclerosing cholangitis is an additional risk factor for neoplasia in ulcerative colitis, the clinical significance of the risk seems to be low.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Primary sclerosing cholangitis is associated with nonsmoking: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Cigarette smoking is thought to protect against the development of ulcerative colitis. The relationship between a related disease, primary sclerosing cholangitis, and smoking is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine if the relationship between smoking and sclerosing cholangitis is similar to that found between smoking and ulcerative colitis. METHODS: A stratified sample of 184 patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis and age- and sex-matched institutional control subjects were identified. Smoking information was obtained from a medical questionnaire completed at the time of visit. RESULTS: Eighty-one percent of the patients had associated inflammatory bowel disease. Only 4.9% of them were current smokers compared with 26.1% of the controls; 69.6% of the patients had never smoked vs. 46.7% of the controls. The estimated odds of having primary sclerosing cholangitis in current smokers compared with never-smokers was 0.13. The odds of having disease among former and current users of any tobacco relative to never-users was 0.41 regardless of the presence or absence of inflammatory bowel disease. CONCLUSIONS: The odds of having primary sclerosing cholangitis was significantly decreased among current smokers. Concomitant ulcerative colitis does not fully explain the association between nonsmoking and primary sclerosing cholangitis. Smoking may exert its protective effect in a systemic, rather than colonic, manner.

Adult↗

Azathioprine pharmacokinetics after intravenous, oral, delayed release oral and rectal foam administration.

BACKGROUND: 6-Mercaptopurine and its prodrug azathioprine are effective medications for refractory inflammatory bowel disease. However, use of these drugs has been limited by concerns about their toxicity. Colonic delivery of azathioprine may reduce its systemic bioavailability and limit toxicity. AIM: To determine the bioavailability of 6-mercaptopurine after administration of azathioprine via three colonic delivery formulations. METHODS: Twenty four healthy human subjects each received 50 mg of azathioprine by one of four delivery formulations (each n = 6): oral; delayed release oral; hydrophobic rectal foam; and hydrophilic rectal foam. All subjects also received a 50 mg dose of intravenous azathioprine during a separate study period. Plasma concentrations of 6-mercaptopurine were determined by high pressure liquid chromatography. RESULTS: The bioavailabilities of 6-mercaptopurine after colonic azathioprine administration via delayed release oral, hydrophobic rectal foam, and hydrophilic rectal foam (7%, 5%, 1%; respectively) were significantly lower than the bioavailability of 6-mercaptopurine after oral azathioprine administration (47%) by Wilcoxon rank sum pairwise comparison. CONCLUSIONS: Azathioprine delivered to the colon by delayed release oral and rectal foam formulations considerably reduced systemic 6-mercaptopurine bioavailability. The therapeutic potential of these colonic delivery methods, which can potentially limit toxicity by local delivery of high doses of azathioprine, should be investigated in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Administration, Oral↗

Methotrexate for inflammatory bowel disease: pharmacology and preliminary results.

OBJECTIVE: To review the limited published experience with methotrexate treatment for inflammatory bowel disease, to examine the proposed anti-inflammatory and immune-modifying mechanism of action and pharmacologic properties of methotrexate, and to detail its limiting toxicities. DESIGN: A comprehensive synopsis of methotrexate is presented to aid physicians who treat patients with inflammatory bowel disease. RESULTS: Methotrexate and its polyglutamate metabolites are folic acid analogues with inhibitory activity against many enzymes in the metabolic pathway of folic acid. Long-term low-dose methotrexate therapy (25 mg or less once a week) inhibits production of thymidylate, purines, and methionine and leads to accumulation of adenosine, a potent anti-inflammatory substance. These actions inhibit cellular proliferation, decrease formation of antibodies, and decrease production of mediators of inflammation such as interleukins and eicosanoids. Three uncontrolled trials and two controlled trials have demonstrated efficacy of low-dose methotrexate therapy for induction of remission in Crohn's disease and have also suggested possible benefit for ulcerative colitis and for remission maintenance indications in both diseases. Although methotrexate is generally well tolerated for long-term use at a low dose, several serious toxicities potentially limit its use. CONCLUSION: Methotrexate is a promising new agent for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.

Anti-Inflammatory Agents↗

Association of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies with resistance to treatment of left-sided ulcerative colitis: results of a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies with perinuclear staining in patients with treatment-resistant left-sided ulcerative colitis. METHODS: We studied four groups: treatment-resistant left-sided ulcerative colitis, treatment-responsive left-sided ulcerative colitis, ulcerative colitis historical controls, and healthy control subjects. Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and positive results were confirmed by demonstration of a perinuclear staining pattern by indirect immunofluorescence assay. RESULTS: The frequency of perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies was significantly greater in treatment-resistant left-sided ulcerative colitis (90%) than in treatment-responsive left-sided ulcerative colitis (62%) (P = 0.03) or in ulcerative colitis historical controls (60%). CONCLUSION: The increased frequency of perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies in treatment-resistant left-sided ulcerative colitis suggests a possible association between these antibodies and relative resistance to medical therapy in patients with ulcerative colitis.

Adolescent↗

Clinical response does not correlate with intestinal or blood cyclosporine concentrations in patients with Crohn's disease treated with high-dose oral cyclosporine.

OBJECTIVE: High-dose ( >5 mg/kg/d) oral cyclosporine may be effective treatment for Crohn's disease, whereas low-dose oral cyclosporine ( < or = 5 mg/kg/d) is not. This study determined the correlation between blood and intestinal tissue cyclosporine concentrations and clinical response in patients with Crohn's disease treated with cyclosporine 8 mg/kg/day. METHODS: Twelve patients with inflammatory Crohn's disease were treated for 6 wk with oral cyclosporine 8 mg/kg/day, adjusted to a whole blood cyclosporine concentration (chromatography) of 200-300 ng/ml. Response was determined by the Crohn's disease activity index. Cyclosporine was measured in intestinal tissue biopsies obtained by colonoscopy at week 6 (chromatography). RESULTS: Eight patients responded and four did not respond. There were no significant differences between the responders and nonresponders in the mean whole blood or intestinal tissue cyclosporine concentrations. Similarly, there were no significant correlations between change in the Crohn's disease activity index score (baseline to week 6) and whole blood or intestinal tissue cyclosporine concentrations. Cyclosporine side effects, including nephrotoxicity and peroneal nerve palsy, were common. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical response did not correlate with whole blood or intestinal tissue cyclosporine concentrations in patients treated with high-dose cyclosporine for Crohn's disease. Cyclosporine side effects, including a significant decrease in renal function, were common.

Administration, Oral↗

Fecal bile acids, short-chain fatty acids, and bacteria after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis do not differ in patients with pouchitis.

Construction of an ileal reservoir changes the fecal bacterial flora and the fecal composition of bile acids and short-chain fatty acids. We examined the relationships between pouch inflammation (pouchitis) and pouch content, as assessed by analysis of fecal bacteria, bile acids, and short chain fatty acids. Four groups were studied: ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) for ulcerative colitis with pouchitis (N = 10), IPAA without pouchitis (N =5), IPAA for familial adenomatous polyposis without pouchitis (N = 5); and Brooke ileostomy for ulcerative colitis, which served as controls (N = 5). Pouchitis was defined as > or = 7 points on an 18-point pouchitis disease activity index. Aerobic and anaerobic bacteria were quantitatively cultured. Total aqueous-phase bile acids were measured by thin-layer chromatography and an enzymatic 3 alpha-OH hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase method. Fecal short chain fatty acids were measured by gas liquid chromatography. All patients with an IPAA had higher ratios of anaerobes/aerobes and concentrations of anaerobic gram-negative rods than did patients with an ileostomy. There were no other differences between patient groups with respect to bacteria, aqueous-phase total bile acids, or fecal short-chain fatty acids. Fecal concentrations of bacteria, bile acids, and short-chain fatty acids were similar in patients with and without pouchitis, indicating that these factors can not be the sole cause of pouchitis.

Adenomatous Polyposis Coli↗

An intravenous loading dose of azathioprine decreases the time to response in patients with Crohn's disease.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Azathioprine, an effective therapy for Crohn's disease, is limited by a prolonged time to response. The aim of this study was to determine the safety and utility of a loading dose of azathioprine to decrease the time to response in patients with Crohn's disease. METHODS: Twelve patients were studied: 6 with 13 fistulae and 6 with inflammatory disease. All patients received an intravenous infusion of azathioprine (50 mg/h for 36 hours). Response was determined by physical and radiographic examination for fistulae and by the Crohn's Disease Activity Index for inflammatory disease. Erythrocyte concentrations of azathioprine metabolites were measured by chromatography. RESULTS: Seven of 13 fistulae closed by week 4, and three had a temporary decrease in drainage. One fistula improved at week 16. Two fistulae failed to improve. Four of 6 patients with inflammatory disease achieved remission, and 1 improved temporarily. Improvement was rapid (< or = 4 weeks). Peak concentrations of azathioprine metabolites occurred within 3 days. Clinical response did not correlate with azathioprine metabolite concentrations at the azathioprine dose studied. No adverse events occurred. CONCLUSIONS: An 1800-mg intravenous loading dose of azathioprine is safe and may decrease the time to response to < or = 4 weeks in patients with Crohn's disease. Correlation between clinical response and azathioprine metabolite concentrations at larger azathioprine doses should be determined.

Adult↗

Drug therapy for inflammatory bowel disease.

Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease continue to be frustrating to manage, but the treatment armamentarium has grown. Newer drugs and recent studies on all agents have resulted in a more defined approach based specifically on the patient's condition.

Humans↗

Early cellular rejection after orthotopic liver transplantation correlates with low concentrations of FK506 in hepatic tissue.

We have previously reported that low hepatic tissue cyclosporine levels correlate with early cellular rejection after liver transplantation. The aim of this study is to determine whether there is a similar relationship in patients treated with FK506. Twenty-five liver biopsies were performed in 10 patients immunosuppressed with FK506 without cellular rejection: day 7 = 10; day 14 = 3; day 21 = 9; day 28 = 1; day 35 = 1; and day 42 = 1. These 10 patients without cellular rejection were compared with 7 patients immunosuppressed with FK506 with cellular rejection who underwent a total of 23 liver biopsies, including 9 biopsies that showed rejection: day 7 = 4; day 14 = 2; day 21 = 1; day 28 = 1; and day 49 = 1. There was no significant difference between the nonrejection and current rejection groups in the median plasma concentration of FK506, 0.9 ng/mL versus 0.9 ng/mL (P = .50). In contrast, the median hepatic tissue concentration of FK506 was significantly higher in the nonrejection group than it was in the current rejection group, 144 ng/g versus 48 ng/g (P = .02). In the current rejection group, 7 of 9 hepatic tissue concentrations of FK506 were < 100 ng/g, and in the nonrejection group, 18 of 25 hepatic tissue concentrations were > 100 ng/g. Low hepatic tissue concentrations of FK506 correlate with the occurrence of early cellular rejection after liver transplantation, in contrast to plasma concentrations of FK506. A hepatic tissue concentration of FK506 < 100 ng/g is 78% sensitive and 72% specific for cellular rejection.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗