Falk Gastro Info 1/2024

Peyrin-Biroulet L et al, Gastroenterology. 2023;165(6):1443–57

IL-23 antibody guselkumab in ulcerative colitis: Intravenous induction therapy with guselkumab was more effective than placebo to induce clinical and endoscopic response as well as clinical remission in patients with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis in a phase 2b study (QUASAR).

Tome J et al, Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2023;21(12):3125–31.e2

Bile acid sequestrants (BAS) in microscopic colitis (MC): In a large cohort evaluating BAS treatment in MC, nearly two-thirds have a partial or complete response. Additional research is needed to determine the role of BAS and bile malabsorption in MC pathogenesis.

Giráldez-Gallego Á et al, Gut. 2024;73(1):166–74

Hepatitis B re-vaccination of patients with cirrhosis and vaccine failure: Patients with cirrhosis should be vaccinated against hepatitis B, but often do not respond to the classic vaccination schedule with 3 standard doses. A recent randomized trial shows that 3 double doses of vaccine significantly increases vaccine response from 25% to 47% compared to a single double dose of vaccine following prior failure of the standard regimen. Patients with a Child A stage or a MELD score < 15 (model for end-stage liver disease) particularly benefit.

Ebrahimi F et al, Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2023;21(13):3346–55.e19

Risk of infection in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)*: A recent Swedish national cohort study demonstrates that patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD have a significantly higher risk of serious infections both in comparison to the general population as well as in comparison to their siblings. An increased risk was evident in all phases of NAFLD and increased with increasing disease severity.

*The new international term “metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)” was introduced by the multi‐society Delphi panel in June 2023.

Qin S et al, Lancet. 2023;402(10415):1835–47

First positive trial on adjuvant therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC): Among patients at high risk of HCC recurrence following curative-intent resection or ablation, recurrence-free survival was superior in those who received atezolizumab plus bevacizumab versus active surveillance.

Pérez-Aisa Á et al, Gut. 2023;72(11):2031–7

Optimal schedule for single capsule bismuth quadruple therapy (scBQT) to treat Helicobacter pylori infection: ScBQT given three times a day was more effective than the conventional four times a day schedule in a large prospective patient cohort. No differences were observed in treatment adherence or safety.

Rothenberg ME et al, Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2023;8(11):990–1004

Efficacy of dupilumab up to 52 weeks for eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE): Improvements in histological, symptomatic, endoscopic and molecular features of EoE observed after 24 weeks of weekly dupilumab treatment were maintained or continued to improve to week 52.