Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, the two main forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), are immunologically mediated disorders. Several therapies are focused on activated T cells as key targets. Although Lactobacillus kefiri has shown anti-inflammatory effects in animal models, few studies were done using human mucosal T cells. The aim of this work was to investigate the immunomodulatory effects of this bacterium on intestinal T cells from patients with active IBD. Mucosal biopsies and surgical samples from IBD adult patients (n = 19) or healthy donors (HC; n = 5) were used. Lamina propria mononuclear cells were isolated by enzymatic tissue digestion, and entero-adhesive Escherichia coli-specific lamina propria T cells (LPTC) were expanded. The immunomodulatory properties of L. kefiri CIDCA 8348 strain were evaluated on biopsies and on anti-CD3/CD28-activated LPTC. Secreted cytokines were quantified by ELISA, and cell proliferation and viability were assessed by flow cytometry. We found that L. kefiri reduced spontaneous release of IL-6 and IL-8 from inflamed biopsies ex vivo. Activated LPTC from IBD patients showed low proliferative rates and reduced secretion of TNF-α, IL-6, IFN-γ and IL-13 in the presence of L. kefiri. In addition, L. kefiri induced an increased frequency of CD4+FOXP3+ LPTC along with high levels of IL-10. This is the first report showing an immunomodulatory effect of L. kefiri CIDCA 8348 on human intestinal cells from IBD patients. Understanding the mechanisms of interaction between probiotics and immune mucosal cells may open new avenues for treatment and prevention of IBD.

Background and Aim. Treatment adherence is a frequent problem in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). No study has assessed adherence in Argentinian patients with IBD. The aim of this study was to determine inadequate adherence to oral and parenteral therapies in patients with IBD from Argentina and to identify factors associated with it. Methods. A multicenter cross-sectional study involving seven referral centers from three cities of Argentina was undertaken. Patients with a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis (UC), Crohn’s disease (CD), or indeterminate colitis (IBDU/IC) were invited to answer an anonymous survey, which included a 5-point Likert scale to evaluate adherence to therapies. Independent variables associated with inadequate adherence were evaluated. Results. Overall, 447 UC/IBDU and 135 CD patients were enrolled. Median age was 37 years (range 21-72); 39.8% were male; median time from diagnosis was 6 years (0.5-35). 91.4% were under treatment with at least one oral medication; 50.3% of patients reported inadequate adherence to oral medications. Patients with UC/IBDU had a lower risk of inadequate adherence when compared to patients with CD (OR 0.57 (0.37-0.87)). 21.8% reported inadequate adherence to biologics; subcutaneous administration was significantly associated with inadequate adherence to biologics (OR 4.8 (1.57-14.66)). Conclusion. Inadequate treatment adherence is common among patients with IBD, and potentially modifiable factors were identified.

A biloma is a collection of bile located outside the bile duct which occurs as a result of iatrogenic and traumatic injuries. Spontaneous biloma is rare and is associated with choledocholithiasis. Diagnosis is performed using an ultrasound, a computed tomography scan, and a nuclear magnetic resonance scan, and is confirmed by drainage and subsequent biochemical analysis of the fluid sample. The first treatment option is percutaneous drainage, and if not successful, endoscopic biliary drainage should be performed. We report a case of a 46-year-old patient with a spontaneous biloma associated with choledocholithiasis.

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Background Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are increasingly recognized as complementary to objective markers of disease activity, yet evidence on PROs in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in the real-world setting in Latin America is limited. Herein, we describe health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and work productivity and activity impairment (WPAI) of IBD patients (pts) in Argentina. Methods RISE-AR (NCT03488030) was a non-interventional study with a cross-sectional evaluation and a 3-year retrospective chart review conducted in 7 centres in Argentina (12/2018-05/2019) to assess healthcare resource utilisation, HRQoL and WPAI. Adult pts (≥18 yr old) with a previous diagnosis of moderate-to-severe (Mod/Sev) ulcerative colitis (UC) or Crohn′s disease (CD) based on clinical, endoscopic or imaging criteria ≥6 months prior to enrolment, were included. HRQoL (IBD Questionnaire [IBDQ], 5-dimensional EuroQoL measure [EQ5D]) and WPAI instruments were administered at screening. Disease activity at enrolment was classified as Mod/Sev (Harvey Bradshaw Index ≥8 or partial Mayo Score ≥5) vs. “no-or-mild” (No/Mild). A p-value ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant (Mann-Whitney U test). Results Overall, 246 pts were included (41.1% CD; 58.9% UC). At enrolment, median (range) age (years) was 39.5 (18.2-74.0) for CD (51.2% female) and 41.9 (18.0-80.4) for UC (55.2% female) pts; 20 pts (9.3% CD; 7.7% UC; excluding 4 ostomized pts) had Mod/Sev disease activity. During the previous 3 years, 17.8% (CD) and 1.4% (UC) of pts required ≥1 surgery, and 33.7% (CD) and 21.4% (UC) were hospitalized. No/Mild pts showed significantly higher overall HRQoL scores (mean±SD) vs. Mod/Sev pts in CD (IBDQ: 178.1±35.4 vs. 140.0±43.5, p<0.05; EQ5D [visual analogue scale]: 75.7±1.8 vs. 64.4±5.5, p<0.05) and UC (180.2±32.9 vs. 132.9±43.8, p<0.001; 77.1±1.3 vs. 57.7±5.3, p<0.001), respectively. Activity impairment was reported by 55.4% and 58.6% of CD and UC pts, respectively, while 37.9% and 43.9% of CD and UC employed pts (67 CD, 92 UC; Mod/Sev: 5 CD, 6 UC) reported work impairment. Mod/Sev IBD pts had higher absenteeism (30.8% vs. 6.3%, p<0.05) and presenteeism (20.0% vs. 7.5%, p=0.149) vs. No/Mild pts. Female gender, surgeries and hospitalizations were associated with lower QoL in the overall IBD population. Conclusion This is the first study to evaluate QoL and WPAI in IBD pts in Argentina. Pts with Mod/Sev activity showed impaired QoL and WPAI compared to No/Mild pts. Whilst, less than 10% of IBD pts had Mod/Sev disease activity at enrolment, nearly 60% of the overall IBD population reported either work or activity impairment. Thus, disease activity scores alone may fail to assess the real burden of IBD, suggesting a relevant role for PROs in disease management.