10/13- Management of IBD Flashcards
(41 cards)
Goals of IBD Therapy?
- Induce clinical remission
- Maintain remission
- Enhance quality of life
- Avoid long-term toxicity
What types of drugs should be given as severity increases?
(Low severity -> high severity)
- Salicylates
- Steroids
- Immunosuppressives
- Transplant meds
- Infliximab
How should flare ups be treated? Remission?
Flare:
- Cyclosporine??
- New biologics?
- Anti-adhesion Tx?
- Anti-TNFs
- Steroids
- Salicylates
Remission:
- Anti-adhesion molecules
- Anti-TNFs
- Immunosuppressives
- Salicylates
New goals of therapy? Benefits
Mucosal Healing not Clinical Remission
- Predicts Clinical Remission
- Fewer hospitalizations, surgeries
- Prevents Complications of Crohn’s Disease
- Fewer penetrating complications (fistula, abscess)
- Less steroid, anti-TNF rx
- Lower colectomy rates in UC
- Reduces Risk of Colon Cancer
Possibly Reverse the Natural History
New strategies for therapy?
Top down vs. bottom up
- If you flip the pyramid and start with big guns…
Pros:
- May reverse natural history
Cons:
- Not everyone may need the big drugs
- Cost, complications
In flipped pyramid model, what drugs do you start with? End with?
1st level:
- CyA
- Infliximab
2nd level:
- MTX
- AZA/6-MP
- Systemic steroids
3rd level:
- Budesonide
- Antibiotics
- 5-ASA
What factors correspond to the risk of progression in CD?
- Smoking
- Severe initial presentation
- Perianal disease
- Extra intestinal manifestations
- Younger age of onset
- If steroids required
- Stricture/penetrating phenotype (compared to inflammatory)
Sustained remission of IBD with therapy STRONGLY depends on what?
Adherence
What factors play into adherence?
Treatment-Related Factors
- Dosage/dosing regimen
- Formulation
- Cost/reimbursement
- Adverse effects
Illness-Related Factors
- Severity, extent, duration of disease
- Frequency and intensity of flare-ups
- Complications
Patient-Related Factors
- Skills/knowledge to follow regimen
- Belief systems
- Psychiatric disorders
- Male gender, nonmarried status
What is Mesalamine?
2nd generation (1st gen = Sulfasalazine)
Topical
- Suppositories
- Enemas
Describe delivery/absorption of Mesalamine?
- Sulfapyridine component prevented from absorption/degradation in proximal GIT (released in proximal colon -> hepatic circulation)
- 5-ASA portion released in colon to provide therapeutic benefit

Toxicity of 5-ASA vs. Sulfasalazine
- Why is sulfa still used?
Only sulfa:
- Male infertility
- Hemolytic anemia
- Agranulocytosis
Sulfa >> 5-ASA
- Rash, fever, headache, nausea
- Dyspepsia
- Neutropenia
- Hepatitis
Both:
- Alveolitis
- Pancreatitis
5- ASA:
- Nephritis
Sulfa used because it’s ~ 1/100 the cost
Systemic corticosteroids can be used to treat IBD.
What forms are used? When? What forms?
Oral
- Indications: moderate/severe ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease
- Preparations: prednisone, prednisolone, budesonide
Parenteral:
- Indications: severe/toxic ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease
- Preprations: hydrocortisone, methylprednisone, corticotropin (ACTH)
Results/efficacy of corticosteroids in Ulcerative Colitis?
At 1 mo:
- Complete remission (51%)
- Partial remission (31%)
- No response (18%)
At 1 yr:
- Prolonged response without steroids (55%)
- Steroid dependent (17%)
- Surgery (21%)
Results/efficacy of corticosteroids in Crohn’s Disease?
At 1 mo:
- Complete remission (5%)
- Partial remission (26%)
- No response (16%)
At 1 yr:
- Prolonged response without steroids (32%)
- Steroid dependent (28%)
- Surgery (28%)
Differing opinions in regards to using steroids….
Internists- use steroids!
Gastroenterologists- avoid steroids!
- Complications, side effects
- Tipping point
- Exit strategy
What are downsides of steroids?
- Osteopenia
- Infections
- Hypeglycemia
- HTN
- ACNE
- Moon facies, Buffalo hump
- Insomnia
- Mood changes
What are some immunosuppressive treatments for IBD?
- 6- mercaptopurine
- Azathioprine
- Methotrexate
Characteristics of 6-mercaptopurine and azathioprine?
- Onset
- Uses
- ASEs
- Slow onset of action
- Effective for maintenance and steroid sparing
- Monitoring enzyme activity
- Monitoring drug levels
ASEs:
- Allergic reaction
- GI disturbances
- Hepatotoxicity
- Infection
- Pancreatitis
- Bone marrow suppression
- Malignancy/lymphoma (?)
Characteristics of Methotrexate?
- Onset
- Uses
- Form
- Faster acting than 6MP/Azathioprine
- Maintenance therapy for Crohn’s disease
- Only parenteral rx is proven effective
What is the AZA metabolite pathway? Significance?
AZA -> 6MP
- Some portion of the population is missing a critical enzyme (?)
- May wipe out bone marrow

What are biologics?
Examples of some used for IBD?
Monoclonal Antibodies Anti-TNFs:
- Infliximab (CD and UC)
- Adalimumab (CD and UC)
- Certolizumab (CD)
- Golilumumab (UC)
Anti-interleukin 12/23
- Ustekinumab (CD)
Anti-integrins
- Natalizumab
- Vedolizumab
Uses of Anti-TNFs?
- Downsides
- Examples
Effective in Treating Flares
- May Maintain Remission
- Treats Fulminant Colitis (= cyclosporine) and Crohn’s disease
Downsides
- Cost
- Side Effects
Examples:
- Infliximab (CD and UC)
- Adalimumab (CD and UC)
- Certolizumab (CD)
- Golilumumab (UC)

Adverse effects of biologics?
- Autoimmunity, immunogenicity
- Congestive heart failure
- Hepatotoxicity
- Malignancy/lymphoma (?)
- Demyelinating disease, PML
- Infection (TB, histo, granulomatous diseases…)
- BM suppression
- Infusion reactions, injection site reactions


