Kwang Woo Kim, Hyoun Woo Kang, Seong-Joon Koh, Hyuk Yoon, Sihyun Kim, Yukyung Jun, Hyun Jung Lee, Jong Pil Im, Young Soo Park, Ji Won Kim, Joo Sung Kim, Seoul National University Inflammatory Bowel Disease Research Network (SIRN)
Intest Res 2025;23(4):483-490. Published online June 23, 2025
Background/Aims We compared intravenous and subcutaneous infliximab (IFX) as treatment for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Methods This retrospective, multicenter, observational study enrolled patients treated with either intravenous or subcutaneous IFX. Sequential parameters were compared at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months following the initiation of treatment with either type of IFX. The primary outcome was the comparison of the IFX trough levels after 12 months of treatment.
Results In total, 183 participants were included in this study. After 6 months, the subcutaneous group exhibited significant differences compared to the intravenous group; in terms of clinical disease activity (0% vs. 15%, P= 0.007) and IFX trough level (21.72 ± 8.71 μg/mL vs. 7.70 ± 16.65 μg/mL, P= 0.002). After 12 months, subcutaneous, as compared to intravenous, achieved improved clinical disease activity (0% vs. 15%, P= 0.044) and IFX trough level (20.41 ± 12.91 μg/mL vs. 7.06 ± 6.81 μg/mL, P< 0.001). Analyzing the sequential changes compared with baseline data within each group, we observed significant alterations in subcutaneous; 6 months fecal calprotectin (676.3 ± 976.6 μg/g vs. 253.9 ± 483.9 μg/g, P= 0.014), 6 months IFX trough level (7.00 ± 5.67 μg/mL vs. 18.44 ± 6.34 μg/mL, P= 0.026), and 12 months IFX trough level (7.00 ± 5.67 μg/mL vs. 21.33 ± 4.50 μg/mL, P= 0.034).
Conclusions This study indicates the potential suitability of subcutaneous IFX as an alternative treatment option for IBD.
Background/Aims The prevalence and incidence of ulcerative colitis (UC) in Korea is increasing. Each patient has a different disease course and treatment response. Recently, with the development of biologic agents, histological remission has become a treatment goal. In this study, we aimed to identify the predictors of histological remission after first-line biologic agent treatment in patients with biologic agent-naïve UC.
Methods We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 92 patients who had been diagnosed with UC and treated with first-line biologic agent treatment at our center, between 2015 and 2022. The clinical characteristics, laboratory test results, and endoscopic and biopsy findings were analyzed. Histological remission was defined as the absence of cryptitis, crypt abscesses, and inflammatory cells on histology. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the predictors of histological remission after first-line treatment.
Results Of the total 92 patients, 25 (27.2%) achieved histological remission. Each cohort had a varied body mass index (BMI) distribution, with a statistically significant overweight ratio, as defined by the Asian-Pacific BMI category of 23–25 kg/m2, of 48.0% in the histological remission cohort (P= 0.026). A causal correlation between the overweight category and histological remission was confirmed (odds ratio, 3.883; 95% confidence interval, 1.141–13.212; P= 0.030).
Conclusions We confirmed that the overweight category was a predictor of histological remission after first-line treatment with a biological agent. However, as BMI does not account for skeletal muscle mass, future studies are required to confirm the correlation between skeletal muscle mass and histological remission.
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Yu Kyung Jun, Hyuk Yoon, Seong-Joon Koh, A Hyeon Kim, Kwang Woo Kim, Jun Won Park, Hyun Jung Lee, Hyoun Woo Kang, Jong Pil Im, Young Soo Park, Joo Sung Kim, on behalf of Seoul National University Inflammatory Bowel Disease Research Network (SIRN)
Intest Res 2023;21(2):244-251. Published online August 8, 2022
Background/Aims Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) often. However, the disease course of patients with both IBD and AS is not well understood. This study aims to evaluate the effect of concomitant AS on IBD outcomes.
Methods Among the 4,722 patients with IBD who were treated in 3 academic hospitals from 2004 to 2021, 55 were also diagnosed with AS (IBD-AS group). Based on patients’ electronic medical records, the outcomes of IBD in IBD-AS group and IBD group without AS (IBD-only group) were appraised.
Results The proportion of patients treated with biologics or small molecule therapies was significantly higher in IBD-AS group than the proportion in IBD-only group (27.3% vs. 12.7%, P= 0.036). Patients with both ulcerative colitis and AS had a significantly higher risk of biologics or small molecule therapies than patients with only ulcerative colitis (P< 0.001). For univariable logistic regression, biologics or small molecule therapies were associated with concomitant AS (odds ratio, 4.099; 95% confidence interval, 1.863–9.021; P< 0.001) and Crohn’s disease (odds ratio, 3.552; 95% confidence interval, 1.590–7.934; P= 0.002).
Conclusions Concomitant AS is associated with the high possibility of biologics or small molecule therapies for IBD. IBD patients who also had AS may need more careful examination and active treatment to alleviate the severity of IBD.
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