Cyprus

Name of group: Cyprus Gastroenterology Society
Number of active members: 45
Number of meetings per year: 12
President: Andreas Evgeniou
Secretary: Adamos Saveriades
National Representatives: Ioannis Kaimakliotis, Theodora Demetriou and Anastasia Nicolaou
Joined ECCO in:  2007
Incidence of IBD in the country (if available): 
31/100,000 (approximation, not based on Ministry of Health epidemiological report, which is pending)

Viktor Domislović  © Viktor Domislović

Cumulative burden of inflammation predicts colorectal neoplasia risk in Ulcerative Colitis: A large single-centre study

Choi CR, Al Bakir I, Ding NJ, Lee GH, Askari A, Warusavitarne J, Moorghen M, Humphries A, Ignjatovic-Wilson A, Thomas-Gibson S, Saunders BP, Rutter MD, Graham TA, Hart AL
Gut. 2017 Nov 17. pii: gutjnl-2017-314190. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2017-314190.

Valentina Petito © Valentina Petito

Uncoupling of mucosal gene regulation, mRNA splicing and adherent microbiota signatures in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Häsler R, Sheibani-Tezerji R, Sinha A, Barann M, Rehman A, Esser D, Aden K, Knecht C, Brandt B, Nikolaus S, Schäuble S, Kaleta C, Franke A, Fretter C, Müller W, Hütt MT, Krawczak M, Schreiber S, Rosenstiel P
Gut. 2017;66:2087–2097. doi:10.1136/gutjnl-2016-311651

Nuha Yassin © ECCO

With the Y-ECCO Interview corner, we travel the world and share the thoughts of some of the most inspirational IBD leaders. Today we travel to Australia in order to share the IBD journey of a very successful and inspirational IBD leader, Professor Jane Andrews, who is head of the IBD service and Education in the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at The Royal Adelaide Hospital in Australia and a clinical professor at the School of Medicine, University of Adelaide.

Nuha Yassin © ECCO

Dear Y-ECCO Friends,

Greetings fellow Y-ECCOs. I hope you are all enjoying some warmth after the prolonged winter. The Young ECCO Committee (Y-ECCO) has been using the cold winter time well, wrapped up indoors and brewing up a couple of brand new hot beverages for you as we continue to strive to provide Y-ECCO Members with the best possible offers.

Magali Svrcek © ECCO

In addition to the “classical” pathway of colorectal carcinogenesis, involving development of cancer from an adenomatous precursor lesion, an alternative pathway, the serrated pathway, is now recognised to exist, and it is estimated that approximately 30% of colorectal cancers (CRC) arise via this alternative pathway [1]. In the last WHO classification, serrated polyps were classified as (i) hyperplastic polyps (HP), (ii) sessile serrated adenoma/polyps (SSA/P), with or without dysplasia, and (iii) traditional serrated adenomas (TSA). The possibility of a serrated pathway has also been suggested in colorectal carcinoma complicating Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) [2–4]. Little is known concerning immunohistochemical and molecular features of serrated lesions in IBD: Data are limited to small series of patients or case reports and findings are controversial due to the rarity of the cases. However, the clinical, pathological and biological characteristics of serrated polyps in patients with IBD do seem to resemble those of their sporadic counterparts.

Lissy de Ridder © ECCO

Paediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) accounts for 10%–15% of all incident cases of IBD, while the incidence in children under 10 years old is rising most rapidly [1, 2]. Children and adolescents present with a more severe phenotype of disease and have both higher and unique risks (e.g. fistulising disease, growth failure, pubertal delay) and a longer disease duration, given that IBD is a lifelong disease. 

Yves Panis © ECCO

As Chair of the S-ECCO Committee, it is my pleasure to introduce two newly elected members for 2018: Christianne Buskens and Hagit Tulchinsky. Thus, as of today, the members of the S-ECCO Committee are: Antonino Spinelli (Milan, Italy; member until March 2019), Yves Panis (Clichy, France; Chair until February 2020), Michel Adamina (Winterthur, Switzerland; member until February 2020) and Christianne Buskens and Hagit Tulchinsky. Both Christianne and Hagit will stay for 3 years, until February 2021.

Rotem Sigall-Boneh © ECCO

In recent years, there has been increasing evidence that diet has an important role in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases and their management, from the pathogenesis of disease through to treatment and supportive therapy. Exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) is a well-established dietary therapy that leads to induction of remission and also is associated with mucosal healing in patients with Crohn’s Disease (CD), especially in children. However, adherence to this therapy is low and it is difficult to maintain EEN for a long period. The mechanism by which EEN works is still elusive but several possibilities have been suggested. Accordingly, many groups have sought different dietary strategies to treat patients with CD or UC with several goals: Induction of remission, maintenance of remission and management of gastrointestinal symptoms.

Kay Greveson © ECCO

The first update of the N-ECCO Consensus Statements on the European nursing roles in caring for patients with Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis was completed in 2018, led by one of the previous N-ECCO Chairs, Karen Kemp. 

The Consensus document focusses on the fundamental IBD nursing role and the role of the advanced Inflammatory Bowel Disease nurse, looking at factors that are more complex and need advanced IBD knowledge.