The final GH levels prior to discontinuation of SRL should be taken into consideration in patients with acromegaly in long-term remission. Moreover, the first visit 3 months after withdrawal is critically important for determining the future status of remission.

The aim of the study was to identify the frequency of azathioprine-induced acute pancreatitis (AZA-AP) and related factors.Methods: Seven hundred eighty-seven inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients on AZA therapy were retrospectively analyzed. Azathioprineinduced AP was diagnosed with positive imaging and/or an at least 3fold increased amylase level, in presence of typical abdominal pain. The AZA-AP group was compared with patients on AZA therapy with no history of pancreatitis and 4 numerical adjacent cases with the same diagnosis were selected (group B).Results: Fifty-four patients developed gastrointestinal symptoms (6.9%); however, only half of them (26 of 54) had pancreatitis, except 1, all within the first 2 months under AZA. When the AZA-AP group was compared with group B, only budesonide usage and active smoking were significantly more common in group A (46.2% vs 25%, P = 0.034, and 77% vs 51%, P = 0.017, respectively). Active smoking was the only independent risk factor for AZA-AP development (odds ratio, 3.208 [95% confidence interval, 1.192-8.632]). Conclusions:All IBD patients developed AZA-AP nearly all within the first 2 months. Azathioprine intolerance may be a hidden diagnosis in at least half of the patients with AZA-AP symptoms. All smoker IBD patients should be monitored closely for AZA-AP development.

Background/Aims: The aim of the present study was to compare the demographic features and long-term outcomes of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with or without ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Materials and Methods: Among 1640 IBD (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis), 76 patients with IBD+AS were identified. The study group consisted of 76 patients with IBD with synchronous AS. The control group consisted of patients with only IBD, and those were selected according to their registry sequence number being the previous and next case to the diseased case with IBD+AS. The primary endpoint was to compare the rate of intestinal resections between both groups (IBD vs. IBD+AS). Results: Among 76 patients with IBD+AS, 52 (68%) first presented with IBD, 11 (15%) with AS, and the remaining 13 (17%) had both diagnoses at the same time. The mean follow-up time was significantly longer in patients with IBD+AS (43.4 vs. 27.8 months; p=0.01). Twenty-two percent of patients with IBD and 14% of those with IBD+AS had an intestinal resection (p=NS). Biologic and systemic corticosteroid treatments were significantly more common among patients with IBD+AS (32% vs. 7% for biologics, p<0.0001 and 44% vs. 28% for corticosteroids, p=0.042). Age-sex-adjusted regression analysis for both groups disclosed IBD duration as the only independent predictor for resection (R2=0.178; p=0.016). Conclusion: The present study shows that up to 5% of patients with IBD may have AS. Patients with IBD+AS do not have a worse disease outcome than solo patients with IBD.

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