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Poster presentations: Clinical: Diagnosis and Outcome 2020

P292 Inflammatory bowel disease and their implications in Roma ethnicity: A preliminary study

B. Castro1, M.J. García García1, M. Pascual1, J.L. Fernández-Forcelledo2, J. Crespo1, M. Rivero1

1Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital, Gastroenterology, Santander- Cantabria, Spain, 2Sierrallana Hospital, Gastroenterology, Torrelavega-Cantabria, Spain

Background

The pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is multifactorial and many factors have been involved such as genetic or environmental elements. The characteristics of IBD in different ethnic groups have been investigated to clarify the North-South gradient. We considered that Roma patients seem to have a more aggressive disease than Caucasian patients but no data to support this feeling is published. For this reason, the aim of our study is to analyse clinical characteristics of our cohort of IBD patients comparing Roma and Caucasian ethnicity

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was realised in both IBD Units to compare Roma and Caucasian groups. IBD patients were identified in the outpatient clinic. Demographical, clinical characteristics, pharmaceutical requirements and surgeries were collected. This group was matched by age, gender, disease and location of IBD with Caucasian patients.

Results

24 Roma patients were identified in our cohort. The prevalence of Gypsy ethnic group in our cohort was 1.66%. A percentage of 41.67% were men (n = 10) meanwhile 58.33% (n = 14) were women. The average age of the patients of our cohort was 43.77 years (SD 12.82). Crohn’s disease (CD) was observed in 62.5% (n = 15), ulcerative colitis (UC) in 29.19% (n = 7) and Unclassified IBD in 8.33% (n = 2). A statistic significant difference in family history was observed in the group of Roma patients (50%, n = 12 vs. 8.34%, n = 2) (p =0.001). Regarding to therapy, the Roma group required biological treatment in 58,32% (n = 14) compare to a percentage of 25% (n = 6) (p = 0.019) in the Caucasian group. We also found more hospital admissions (5.18 (SD 4,33) vs. 2,5 (SD 1,93) (p = 0,04)) and surgical procedures (41.66%, n = 10 vs. 12.5%, n = 3) (p = 0,023).

Conclusion

In our cohort, the Roma IBD patients showed more familial aggregation than the Caucasian group. An aggressive disease was also found in Roma patients and the subsequent increase in biological therapy, hospital admissions and surgical procedures to control the disease. Future studies should be performing to investigate genetic or environmental factors associated with this ethnic group.