Infliximab effective after surgery

Research published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology shows the continuation of infliximab after surgery is effective and useful, even at a low dose.

Patients were given infliximab for three years after surgery, and those with no symptoms then ceased the medication. 83% of those then showed clinical symptoms after a few months, and they were put back onto a low dose of infliximab. This controlled the disease in all patients.

Whilst it's disappointing that most patients were unable to remain in remission without medication, the success of a lower than standard dosage is good news.

Vitamin D to combat Crohn's

Two new studies have pointed to Vitamin D having a role in fighting Crohn's. Scientists believe that the boost to the immune system provided by Vitamin D could benefit Crohn's sufferers, and perhaps ensuring adequate Vitamin D levels could prevent Crohn's from occurring.

As noted in Science Daily:

Dr. White and his team found that Vitamin D acts directly on the beta defensin 2 gene, which encodes an antimicrobial peptide, and the NOD2 gene that alerts cells to the presence of invading microbes. Both Beta-defensin and NOD2 have been linked to Crohn's disease. If NOD2 is deficient or defective, it cannot combat invaders in the intestinal tract.

The Telegraph states:

“Scientists have known for a long time that vitamin D is important for calcium absorption and the vitamin has also been implicated in diseases such as cancer and multiple sclerosis, but what we didn’t realise is how crucial vitamin D is for actually activating the immune system – which we know now, ” said the researchers.

It's interesting that these different mechanisms for Vitamin D to enhance the immune systems have been reported on almost simultaneously. Although their link to Crohn's is speculative, it opens further avenues for research. Who wouldn't hope for a cod liver oil tablet cure?

Genes causing defective gut lining

The BBC reports that research comparing the genes of thousands of people with or without ulcerative colitis has found four genes of interest. They affect the lining of the intestine, and in those with ulcerative colitis the lining may be letting excessive bacteria through.

Researcher Dr Miles Parkes, Consultant Gastroenterologist at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, said: "We have long suspected that genetic defects in the epithelial barrier are important in ulcerative colitis.

"This large scale genetic study provides the first robust genetic evidence that this is the case."

More detailed information about this research is available from the Wellcome Trust.

With the ever increasing knowledge of genetic factors influencing inflammatory bowel disorders it's only a matter of time before more effective and better targeted treatments can be found.