P194 Risk factors of axial spondyloarthritis among inflammatory bowel disease patients

C. JEMMALI1, A. Laabidi2, M. Hafi2, N. Ben Mustapha2, M. Serghini2, M. Fekih2, J. Boubaker2

1Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Gastroenterology A Rabta, Tunis, Tunisia, 2Rabta, Gastroenterology A, Tunis, Tunisia

Background

Spondyloarthritis (SpA) is the most common extraintestinal manifestation (EIM) in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. However, the delay for the diagnosis of SpA in IBD patients is still unacceptably long, and may be the main cause of impairment due to ankylosing spondylitis. The aim of this study was to identify predictors of axial SpA in IBD patients, in order to prevent complications.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study between 2001 and 2018 including all IBD patients diagnosed with symptomatic axial Spondyloarthritis (SpA) (Group1) and non-SpA patients among IBD (Group2). Diagnosis of SpA was based on ASAS 2009 criteria and confirmed by rheumatologists. Medical data were collected then uni and multivariate statistical analysis (p significant if ≤0.05) were performed.

Results

Seventy-eight patients with mean age 38 ± 11 years and sex ratio H/F = 1.6 were included. There were 58 (74.4%) Crohn’s disease (CD) patients and twenty patients (25.6%) had ulcerative colitis (UC). The average duration of IBD in all patients was 89.7 ± 69.1 months. SpA group included 26 patients (33.3%), six of whom (23%) had a late-stage disease (ankylosis). Most of the SpA patients (53.8%) had their disease before IBD onset with an average delay of 52.5 ± 68 months between SpA diagnosis and IBD symptoms. In univariate analysis, factors associated with SpA in IBD patients were familial history of IBD (p = 0.025) and the type of IBD (39.7% in CD vs. 15% in UC; p = 0.04). Among CD patients’, structuring-type was significantly associated with SpA (p = 0.04). Multivariate analysis showed that familial history of IBD (OR = 0.17; IC95%; 0.03–0.93; p = 0.04) and CD (OR = 3.72; IC 95%; 0.98–14.15; p = 0.05) were independent risk factors of axial SpA during IBD. EIMs other than SpA were more frequent in group 1 than in group 2 such as peripheral arthropathies (19.2% vs. 8.3% respectively; p = 0.02), anterior uveitis (11.5% vs. 0% respectively; p = 0.01) and erythema nodosum (7.7% vs. 0% respectively; p = 0.04).

Conclusion

In conclusion, predictors of symptomatic axial SpA were familial history of IBD and CD with structuring behaviour. Early-stage diagnosis is important to avoid ankylosis, which is a major cause of handicap in younger patients.