In an analysis of a large cohort of subjects with IBD, we found a significant association between symptoms of depression or anxiety and clinical recurrence. Patients with IBD should therefore be screened for clinically relevant levels of depression and anxiety and referred to psychologists or psychiatrists for further evaluation and treatment.

Both fecal markers were superior to the sensitivities and specificities of any standard inflammatory test. Both fecal S100A12 and calprotectin are sensitive markers of gastrointestinal inflammation, but fecal S100A12 provided exceptional specificity in distinguishing children with IBD from children without IBD. Fecal S100A12 is a simple, noninvasive test that can be used to screen and select children warranting further invasive and laborious procedures such as endoscopy for the investigation of their gastrointestinal symptoms.

SUMMARY BackgroundAt least 25% of individuals diagnosed with Crohn's disease (CD) have onset of disease in childhood. Almost all children with CD have nutritional impairments, such as weight loss or stunting, at diagnosis or subsequently. Nutritional therapy (exclusive enteral nutrition) is established as a valid and effective treatment in paediatric CD. The advantages of this approach are induction of remission and control of inflammatory changes, mucosal healing, positive benefits to growth and overall nutritional status, and avoidance of other medical therapies.

Serum IgA-TTG measurement is effective and at least as good as IgA-EMA in the identification of coeliac disease. Due to a high percentage of poor histological specimens, the diagnosis of coeliac disease should not depend only on biopsy, but in addition the clinical picture and serology should be considered.

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Increased serum and fecal OPG are seen in active CD and likely originate from the inflamed gut. Fecal and serum OPG decrease following EEN therapy. Further investigation of OPG and related proteins in the setting of IBD is now required.

Background/Aim: Infantile colic (IC) is considered to represent the upper end of the spectrum of early developmental crying behavior. Little is known about hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis activity and sleep in relation to infants’ crying. The aim of the present study was to assess cortisol secretion in infants in relation to their sleep and crying patterns. Method: Sixteen infants (mean age: 8 weeks; SD = 1.5 weeks) were enrolled. Their mothers completed a series of questionnaires regarding the infants’ crying and sleeping patterns. The infants’ sleep was objectively assessed with actigraphs. After 4 weeks, the infants were assessed once again. Cortisol secretion was measured by means of saliva samples in the mornings after awakening. Results: Morning saliva cortisol levels were related to more frequent awakening and to increased crying intensity, but not to sleep or crying duration. Over 4 weeks, both crying behavior and sleep duration decreased, but there was no association between them. Cortisol secretion did not significantly change. Conclusions: In infants suffering from IC, fragmented sleep patterns and increased saliva cortisol levels were related. Cortisol secretion seems to be related to crying intensity, but not to crying duration. Crying intensity may reflect greater physiological or psychological stress rather than mere duration of crying.

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