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Ulcerative colitis: Impact of early disease clearance on long-term outcomes - A multicenter cohort study
Ferdinando D'Amico1,2, Gionata Fiorino1, Virginia Solitano2
1Gastroenterology and Endoscopy, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele and Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.
Background:
Clinical remission and endoscopic mucosal healing are the main treatment targets in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). Recently, the concept of disease clearance has been proposed as a potential target in UC.
Objective:
We aimed to evaluate the impact of disease clearance on long-term outcomes in UC patients.
Methods:
A multicenter retrospective cohort study was conducted at the Humanitas Research Hospital-IRCCS (Italy) and at the Nancy University Hospital (France) between 2014 and 2021. Disease clearance in UC was defined as simultaneous clinical (partial-Mayo score ≤2), endoscopic (endoscopic-Mayo score = 0), and histological (Nancy index = 0) remission, and patients were monitored over a long-time follow-up (≥12 months), to compare the occurrence of negative outcomes.
Results:
A total of 494 patients with UC was included in the study (269, 54.4% males). Disease clearance was present in 109 patients (22.1%) at baseline. Median follow up was 24 months. Patients with disease clearance were associated to a significantly lower risk of UC-related hospitalization compared with the control group (5.5% vs. 23.1%; p < 0.001) at last observation. Similarly, a lower rate of surgeries was detected in patients with disease clearance at baseline compared with those without (1.8% vs. 10.9%; p = 0.003). The Kaplan Meier curves confirmed that patients with disease clearance at baseline had a lower risk of hospitalization (log-rank p < 0.0001) and surgery (log-rank p < 0.00095).
Conclusion:
In UC patients with early disease clearance are at significant lower risk for hospitalization and surgery. Disease clearance should be considered as a new composite outcome.
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