Intestinal microbiome dysbiosis has been consistently described in patients with IBD. In the last decades, Escherichia coli, and the adherent-invasive E coli (AIEC) pathotype in particular, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of IBD. Since the discovery of AIEC, two decades ago, progress has been made in unravelling these bacteria characteristics and its interaction with the gut immune system. The mechanisms of adhesion of AIEC to intestinal epithelial cells (via FimH and cell adhesion molecule 6) and its ability to escape autophagy when inside macrophages are reviewed here. We also explore the existing data on the prevalence of AIEC in patients with Crohn’s disease and UC, and the association between the presence of AIEC and disease location, activity and postoperative recurrence. Finally, we highlight potential therapeutic strategies targeting AIEC colonisation of gut mucosa, including the use of phage therapy, bacteriocins and antiadhesive molecules. These strategies may open new avenues for the prevention and treatment of IBD in the future.

This article is the second in a series of two publications relating to the European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation [ECCO] evidence-based consensus on the management of Crohn’s disease. The first article covers medical management; the present article addresses surgical management, including preoperative aspects and drug management before surgery. It also provides technical advice for a variety of common clinical situations. Both articles together represent the evidence-based recommendations of the ECCO for Crohn’s disease and an update of previous guidelines.

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] increasingly use alternative and complementary therapies, for which appropriate evidence is often lacking. It is estimated that up to half of all patients with IBD use various forms of complementary and alternative medicine during some point in their disease course. Considering the frequent use of such therapies, it is crucial that physicians and patients are informed about their efficacy and safety in order to provide guidance and evidence-based advice. Additionally, increasing evidence suggests that some psychotherapies and mind-body interventions may be beneficial in the management of IBD, but their best use remains a matter of research. Herein, we provide a comprehensive review of some of the most commonly used complementary, alternative and psychotherapy interventions in IBD.

Familial aggregation in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been established for several decades, reflecting shared genetic and environmental susceptibility. A positive family history remains the strongest recognizable risk factor for the development of IBD and is reported in around 8-12% of IBD patients. Crohn’s disease shows a more frequent familial pattern than ulcerative colitis. The risk of developing IBD in first-degree relatives of an affected proband is increased 4- to 8-fold. The risk for twins and children born from couples who both have IBD is also substantially higher; a cumulative effect of the number of family members affected has been described, with the highest incidence being described for families with three or more affected members. Herein, we review the available evidence regarding familial IBD, and briefly discuss the variation of IBD across different races and ethnicities, hoping to provide a useful update and a practical guide that can serve clinicians as a guide for counseling.

Skin manifestations are common in patients suffering from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and can be associated with the disease itself, with nutritional deficiencies, or with therapy. All drugs currently used for treating IBD have the potential to cause dermatologic manifestations that can have a wide range of clinical presentations, from mild drug eruptions to potentially life-threatening immune-mediated reactions. The wider use of thiopurines and anti-tumor necrosis factor in the past years has led to the recognition of 2 more skin complications of IBD therapy: the potentially disfiguring non-melanoma skin cancer associated with the current or past use of thiopurines and the paradoxical new onset or exacerbation of anti-tumor necrosis factor-associated psoriasis. Despite being rare, these complications can be severe and lead to therapy discontinuation, and therefore, gastroenterologists need to become familiar with their epidemiology, diagnosis, and management. Herein, we reviewed the skin side effects of IBD therapy, specially focusing in thiopurines and anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy and in the recently described skin cancer and psoriasis, and we tried to advance some practical algorithms that can provide some help to the clinicians dealing with these complications in their day-by-day practice.

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Our study demonstrates that women with IBD have misperceptions about fertility, pregnancy, and health maintenance. We also show that education by physicians has a positive influence. We thus conclude that improved multidisciplinary approaches should be used to educate and implement European guidelines for women with IBD.

Tyrosine kinase receptors (TKR) comprise more than 60 molecules that play an essential role in the molecular pathways, leading to cell survival and differentiation. Consequently, genetic alterations of TKRs may lead to tumorigenesis and, therefore, cancer development. The discovery and improvement of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) against TKRs have entailed an important step in the knowledge-expansion of tumor physiopathology as well as an improvement in the cancer treatment based on molecular alterations over many tumor types. The purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive review of the different families of TKRs and their role in the expansion of tumor cells and how TKIs can stop these pathways to tumorigenesis, in combination or not with other therapies. The increasing growth of this landscape is driving us to strengthen the development of precision oncology with clinical trials based on molecular-based therapy over a histology-based one, with promising preliminary results.