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Inflammatory bowel disease in African-American children living in Georgia
S O Ogunbi1, J A Ransom, K Sullivan
1Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA.
Insights
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may be more common in African-American children than previously thought. This study found shorter symptom duration before diagnosis in this group, highlighting the need for further research.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Immunology
- Genetics
Background:
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) affects children, with varying prevalence across ethnic groups.
- Previous data on IBD in African-American children is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the clinical characteristics of IBD in African-American children compared to non-African-American children.
- To estimate the incidence of IBD subtypes in African-American children.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of 172 pediatric IBD cases.
- Comparison of clinical features and diagnosis timelines between African-American and non-African-American children.
- Incidence rate calculation for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis in African-Americans over a 10-year period.
Main Results:
- African-American children constituted 29% of the IBD cohort (49 out of 172).
- Median symptom duration before diagnosis was shorter in African-American children (6 months) versus non-African-American children (10 months).
- Hematochezia and abdominal pain were common presenting symptoms in both groups, aligning with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, respectively.
Conclusions:
- IBD may be more prevalent in African-American children than previously reported.
- Shorter diagnostic delays suggest potential differences in presentation or healthcare access.
- Further population-based studies are warranted to explore ethnic and genetic factors in pediatric IBD.
Abstract:
We describe the clinical characteristics of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) African-American compared with non-African-American children. We identified 172 children with IBD; forty-nine (29%) were African-American. Median symptom duration before IBD diagnosis in African-American children (6 months) was shorter than that of non-African-American children (10 months). The most frequent presenting symptom was hematochezia (ulcerative colitis) and abdominal pain (Crohn's disease) in both racial groups. The estimated incidence of Crohn's disease in African-Americans ranged from 7 per 100,000 to 12 per 100,000, whereas the observed incidence in those with ulcerative colitis was between 5 and 7 per 100,000 during the 10 years of the study. Our pilot study suggests that IBD may be more common in African-American children than previously reported. Prospective population-based studies would be useful to determine whether inheritable factors linked with ethnicity are associated with IBD.