Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 16, 2026
Measuring Psoriasis Severity at Home
Published on: March 1, 2024
Correlation between the Crohn's disease activity and Harvey-Bradshaw indices in assessing Crohn's disease severity
Severine Vermeire1, Stefan Schreiber, William J Sandborn
1Department of Gastroenterology, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium. severine.vermeire@uz.kuleuven.ac.be
Insights
The Harvey-Bradshaw Index effectively assesses Crohn's disease activity, correlating well with the standard Crohn's Disease Activity Index. This simpler tool aids in long-term clinical trials for Crohn's disease management.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Clinical Trials
- Biostatistics
Background:
- Crohn's disease clinical trials typically use the complex Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) for disease assessment.
- The Harvey-Bradshaw Index (HBI) offers a simpler alternative for evaluating disease severity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlation between the Harvey-Bradshaw Index and the Crohn's Disease Activity Index in assessing Crohn's disease activity.
- To determine if the HBI is an effective and practical tool for long-term clinical trials.
Main Methods:
- Data from two large multicenter trials (PRECiSE 1 and 2) involving certolizumab pegol were analyzed.
- Crohn's Disease Activity Index and Harvey-Bradshaw Index scores from nearly 1000 patient data pairs were compared.
- Spearman correlation coefficients were calculated to assess the relationship between the two indices.
Main Results:
- A strong positive correlation was observed between the CDAI and HBI scores (pooled Spearman correlation coefficient = 0.800).
- Specific HBI score changes corresponded to defined CDAI thresholds for clinical response and remission.
- A 3-point change in HBI correlated with a 100-point change in CDAI for clinical response.
Conclusions:
- The Harvey-Bradshaw Index demonstrates strong correlation with the Crohn's Disease Activity Index for assessing Crohn's disease activity.
- The HBI may serve as a simpler, more practical tool for disease assessment in long-term clinical trials.
- Utilizing the HBI can facilitate standardized disease activity measurements and enhance cross-center comparisons in Crohn's research.
Background & Aims:
Clinical trials of Crohn's disease generally use the Crohn's Disease Activity Index to assess disease activity; these calculations are complex, time-consuming, and impracticable. We investigated whether a simpler tool, the Harvey-Bradshaw Index, was equally effective in assessing disease severity.
Methods:
Crohn's Disease Activity and Harvey-Bradshaw Index scores were collected from 2 large multicenter Crohn's disease studies. The PEGylated antibody fragment evaluation in Crohn's disease: safety and efficacy (PRECiSE) 1 and 2 trials assessed efficacy and tolerability of certolizumab pegol (PEGylated, humanized, Fab' fragment of an antitumor necrosis factor alpha antibody). PRECiSE 1 and 2 data were analyzed to determine if results from the Crohn's Disease Activity Index correlated with those from the Harvey-Bradshaw Index criteria for defining response and remission.
Results:
Analysis of almost 1000 data pairs showed a positive correlation between scores. The correlation between the indices for pooled data from PRECiSE 1 and PRECiSE 2 was 0.800 (Spearman correlation coefficient). The correlations between indices for the PRECiSE 1 or PRECiSE 2 were 20.698 and 0.716, respectively (Kronecker product variance). A 3-point change in the Harvey-Bradshaw Index score corresponded to a 100-point change in the Crohn's Disease Activity Index (clinical response); scores < or =4 points corresponded to a Crohn's Disease Activity Index score < or =150 points (clinical remission).
Conclusions:
Results from the Crohn's Disease Activity Index correlate with those from the Harvey-Bradshaw Index; use of the Harvey-Bradshaw Index might permit simpler Crohn's disease activity assessment in long-term clinical trials, and facilitate standardized disease activity measurements and cross-center comparisons.
Related Concept Videos
01:25Inflammatory Bowel Disease III: Crohn's Disease
01:30Inflammatory Bowel Disease II: Crohn's Disease
Inflammatory bowel disease, commonly known as IBD, refers to a collection of disorders that lead to persistent inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. The two types of IBD are ulcerative colitis, which impacts the colon, and Crohn's disease, which can involve any part of the gastrointestinal segment.
Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease is a chronic, systemic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that predominantly affects the gastrointestinal tract. It is marked by transmural...
01:20Inflammatory Bowel Disease IV: Clinical Manifestations
01:17Chronic Bowel Disorders: Introduction
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder affecting the gastrointestinal tract. The distinctive feature is recurrent abdominal pain associated with altered bowel movements, manifesting as constipation, diarrhea, or fluctuating between both. The...
01:30Criteria for Causality: Bradford Hill Criteria - I
01:30Inflammatory Bowel Disease III: Diagnostic Studies and Management I-Nutritional Therapy
Diagnostic studies
A colonoscopy is the definitive screening test, distinguishing ulcerative colitis from other colon diseases with similar symptoms. During a colonoscopy test, inflamed mucosa with exudate ulcerations can be observed, and biopsies are taken to determine the histologic characteristics of the colonic...