Comparative accuracy of the standard Lémann index versus the simplified Lémann index for Crohn’s Disease: a prospective observational cohort study

Ferdinando D'Amico © Ferdinando D'Amico

Aim of research

Crohn's Disease (CD) is an idiopathic Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) characterised by transmural inflammation of the affected tracts. The uncontrolled inflammation can lead to bowel damage, defined as the onset of strictures, abscesses or fistulas negatively impacting patients' quality of life and outcomes. The Lémann index (LI) is a recently validated tool that was specifically designed to assess the presence of penetrating or stenosing lesions and to quantify their severity. LI is a complex and time-consuming score which is based on imaging [magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)] and endoscopic procedures. Of note, it is mainly used in clinical trials, while its use in clinical practice is limited. Our aim was to develop a simplified LI and to compare the correlation between this simplified LI and the standard LI in assessing bowel damage.

Targeting CD4+ T-cell plasticity in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

Andres Machicote © Andres Machicote

Aim of research

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) are devastating diseases induced by a breakdown of gut homeostasis, in which CD4⁺ effector T cells are major mediators of the inflammatory response. Interestingly, CD4⁺ effector T cells can convert into regulatory T cells, thereby controlling inflammation. However, the forces driving this T-cell plasticity remain largely unexplored, especially in IBD patients. In this regard, changes in the microbiota that can induce different T-cell profiles are commonly observed during IBD. The present proposal aims to elucidate how CD4⁺ T-cell plasticity can be modulated from a pro-inflammatory towards an anti-inflammatory profile in IBD patients. Our hypothesis is that the microbiota may modulate T cells towards an anti- or pro-inflammatory profile. To address this issue, we aim to analyse T-cell plasticity in IBD patients and mouse IBD models, and to correlate our findings with the microbiota composition. Furthermore, we will study whether antibiotics commonly used to treat IBD affect T-cell plasticity through microbiota-dependent processes.

Michael Scharl © ECCO

Marc Ferrante © ECCO

Sebastian Zeissig © ECCO

Similarities and differences in the pathogenesis of immune-mediated inflammatory disorders 

This year’s SciCom Workshop focussed on common and distinct pathways in immune-mediated disorders and the application of this knowledge for early disease recognition and interception as well as for the treatment of established disease.

Sebastian Zeissig  © ECCO

During the ECCO’20 Vienna Congress, the Scientific Committee cordially welcomed Konstantinos Papamichail and Yves Panis as new members of SciCom.

Konstantinos Papamichail has been an ECCO Member since 2007 and has participated in several ECCO Activities, including the 7th ECCO Advanced Course and the ECCO ‘EXIT strategies’ Topical Review. He is a reviewer of the ECCO Grants and also a member of the editorial board of JCC. After completing his PhD in Pharmacology and his GI Fellowship in Greece, Kostas joined the Leuven IBD group as a post-doctoral researcher for 3 years and was also a recipient of an ECCO Fellowship. For the last 5 years he has been working at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, where his research has focussed on the role of therapeutic drug monitoring of biologics in IBD. He is the author of numerous publications and his goal is to stimulate scientific interactions in the ECCO Community and beyond and to interact with the other ECCO Committees in order to promote and support national and international IBD research efforts towards the better care of patients with IBD.

Sebastian Zeissig  © ECCO

One of the main goals of ECCO is to promote IBD-related basic and clinical research as well as to foster interaction and productive collaboration among European research groups working in the IBD field. To achieve this goal, ECCO supports numerous funding schemes with different scopes including ECCO Fellowships, Grants, and Travel Awards.

Rikke Edelbo © Rikke Edelbo

I would like to thank the N-ECCO Committee for awarding me the N-ECCO Travel Award, which was a great financial support and helped me for my studies in Stockholm.

My focus was primarily use of the telephone in patient contacts, patient education, management of newly diagnosed IBD patients and independent nursing activities.

ECCO-AOCC Travel Grant Report

Bei Tan © Bei Tan

This grant gave me the opportunity to increase my knowledge on the management of IBD patients in general and on the management of IBD in pregnancy in particular. At the Erasmus MC, I attended the IBD specialist/pregnancy clinics, which greatly enriched my experience. Further, I learned more about the use of IBD endoscopy, double-balloon enteroscopy, and intestinal ultrasound within the clinical care pathway, and I intend to incorporate this knowledge to some extent within our IBD centre.

ECCO Travel Award Report

Elise van Praag © Elise van Praag

Last year I was granted the ECCO Travel Award to visit St. Mark's Hospital in London. My visit took place in September of this year and was a great success. The ECCO Travel Award made it possible for me to help set up and coordinate our multicentre, international prospective cohort study which is focussing on the surgical treatment of perianal fistulas in patients with Crohn’s Disease.

Stopping Aminosalicylate Therapy in Inactive Crohn’s Disease (STATIC) study: a randomized, open-label, non-inferiority trial

Gordon Moran © Gordon Moran

Aim of research

Oral 5-ASA agents have proven effective for inducing and maintaining remission in mild-to-moderate Ulcerative Colitis (UC) and thus are commonly used as first-line agents. However, in contrast to UC, there is uncertainty regarding their effectiveness in Crohn’s Disease (CD). For induction of remission in CD, a Cochrane review of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and meta-analysis found no evidence that low/high dose 5-ASA was superior to placebo. Several studies originating from North America and Europe indicate that 5-ASA agents are the most commonly prescribed drug class for patients with CD. Therefore, there is discordance between clinical prescribing practice and evidence from RCTs.

Integrative analysis of the intestinal epithelium and the mucosal environment in paediatric versus adult-onset Crohn’s Disease

Azucena Salas © Azucena Salas

Aim of Research

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBDs), including Crohn’s Disease (CD) and Ulcerative Colitis, can manifest from childhood to late adulthood. However, IBD presents age-dependent differences related to phenotype, location and behaviour. Recent studies have revealed that functional alterations in the epithelial layer and in its interplay with the intestinal environment can contribute to IBD pathogenesis. Our research aims to explore the crosstalk between the epithelial barrier, the underlying mucosa and the microbiota in patients with CD using an intestinal epithelial organoid culture system to identify potential mechanisms driving early disease onset.