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Inflammatory bowel disease in children of middle eastern descent
Christina Mai Ying Naidoo1, Steven T Leach1, Andrew S Day2
1School of Women's and Children's Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
Insights
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is increasing in Middle Eastern children in Australia. These children show a different disease pattern, including more active Crohn's disease, compared to non-Middle Eastern children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric gastroenterology
- Epidemiology of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
Background:
- Rising incidence of IBD globally, even in previously uncommon populations.
- Lack of data on IBD patterns in Middle Eastern children in Australia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence and characteristics of IBD in Middle Eastern children.
- To compare the disease phenotype and behavior of IBD in Middle Eastern versus non-Middle Eastern children.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of the Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick (SCHR) IBD database (1987-2011).
- Inclusion of 24 Middle Eastern children with IBD.
- Comparison with an age- and gender-matched non-Middle Eastern IBD control group.
Main Results:
- Middle Eastern Crohn's disease patients exhibited higher disease activity at diagnosis.
- Increased thiopurine use was observed in the Middle Eastern cohort.
- Less restricted colonic disease was noted in Middle Eastern children compared to controls.
Conclusions:
- Estimated higher prevalence of IBD in Middle Eastern children in Australia.
- Distinct IBD phenotype and behavior in Middle Eastern children, characterized by potentially more active disease and less colonic involvement.
Abstract:
Increasing rates of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are now seen in populations where it was once uncommon. The pattern of IBD in children of Middle Eastern descent in Australia has never been reported. This study aimed to investigate the burden of IBD in children of Middle Eastern descent at the Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick (SCHR). The SCHR IBD database was used to identify patients of self-reported Middle Eastern ethnicity diagnosed between 1987 and 2011. Demographic, diagnosis, and management data was collected for all Middle Eastern children and an age and gender matched non-Middle Eastern IBD control group. Twenty-four patients of Middle Eastern descent were identified. Middle Eastern Crohn's disease patients had higher disease activity at diagnosis, higher use of thiopurines, and less restricted colonic disease than controls. Although there were limitations with this dataset, we estimated a higher prevalence of IBD in Middle Eastern children and they had a different disease phenotype and behavior compared to the control group, with less disease restricted to the colon and likely a more active disease course.
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