Barnes, Edward L.

Abstract Background Complications such as intermittent pouchitis (IP) and chronic inflammatory disorders of the pouch (CP) are common after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA), particularly among patients with both ulcerative colitis and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). There are no standardized approaches for prophylaxis against these complications for patients with PSC undergoing IPAA. We compared outcomes among patients with PSC and IPAA who received antibiotic or immunosuppressive therapies to those who did not. Methods We designed a retrospective cohort study that included patients with ulcerative colitis and PSC from 7 tertiary care centers that underwent IPAA between 1994 and 2023. Patients were categorized on whether they received medications following IPAA that may provide primary prophylactic benefit, such as antibiotics, probiotics, immunomodulators, or biologic medications; and the proportion of patients developing IP and CP was evaluated. Results A total of 172 patients were included in the cohort, and 13 (7.6%) patients received antibiotics or immunosuppressant medications. Antibiotics and probiotics were the most common therapy (5 patients, 2.9%), followed by biologics, small-molecule inhibitors, immunomodulators, or mesalamine (all 1 patient, 0.6%). Compared to patients not receiving antibiotics or immunosuppression, patients receiving antibiotics or immunosuppression were significantly less likely to develop IP (69.2% vs 91.2%; P = .03; odds ratio 0.22; 95% CI, 0.06-0.80) and CP (23.1% vs 56.0%, P = 0.04; OR 0.24, 95% CI, 0.06-0.89). Conclusions In this retrospective cohort of patients with ulcerative colitis and PSC undergoing IPAA, usage of concomitant antibiotics or immunosuppression was low. However, use of concomitant antibiotics or immunosuppression may decrease the burden of inflammatory conditions of the pouch in these high-risk patients.

Abstract Background Large language models (LLMs) offer promise for systematic review data extraction, but performance in complex multidisciplinary domains and utility for clinical statement generation remain insufficiently described. Objectives To evaluate Google NotebookLM for AI-assisted data extraction and RAND/UCLA consensus statement generation in a systematic review of IBD, obesity, and cardiometabolic comorbidities. Methods Studies were organized into domain-specific notebooks; structured prompts generated standardized evidence tables. Two independent reviewers validated outputs against full-text articles using a four-category error classification. Cell-level accuracy and critical accuracy (cells free of major factual errors) were the primary metrics; workflow time was compared against a published conventional extraction benchmark. Concordance between AI-generated and expert-finalized statements was assessed. Results Across 57 articles, 1,710 data cells were extracted; 151 (8.83%) were flagged, yielding 91.17% cell-level accuracy. Major factual errors occurred in only 4 cells (0.23%), for a critical accuracy of 99.77%. Most errors were minor omissions (59.6%) or incomplete extractions (30.5%); domain error rates ranged from 7.08% to 11.33%. The pipeline required 17.7 versus a projected 165.1 person-hours (89.3% reduction). PICO-structured prompting generated 70 candidate statements; 58 of 112 finalized panel statements (51.8%) were AI-derived, and 85.7% were retained in the finalized set. Conclusion Google NotebookLM demonstrates feasibility as a primary extraction and synthesis tool in a multidisciplinary systematic review, with extractive incompleteness as the principal limitation and substantial time savings over conventional approaches. Its novel application to RAND/UCLA consensus statement generation extends AI-assisted evidence synthesis to clinical consensus generation workflow.

Abstract Introduction There are limited data on the impact of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) on the risk of recurrent pouchitis after ileal pouch–anal anastomosis (IPAA) for ulcerative colitis (UC). Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted in the TriNetX Research Network in adult patients with obesity and IPAA for UC with a history of pouchitis in whom a GLP-1RA was initiated compared to those patients in whom a GLP-1RA was not initiated. The primary outcome was the risk of recurrent pouchitis within 12 months. The secondary outcomes were mean number of antibiotic prescriptions, anti-diarrheal medication use, Crohns-like disease of pouch (CLDP), and pouch excision. One-to-one propensity score matching was performed. Results We identified 43 UC-IPAA patients with obesity and history of pouchitis (mean age 51.7 ± 14.7 years, mean body mass index [BMI] 34.4 ± 6 kg/m2, 60.4% female). After propensity score matching, the GLP-1RA cohort had a significantly decreased risk of recurrent pouchitis (26.3% vs 52.6%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.32; 95% CI, 0.12-0.84) compared to the control cohort. Mean antibiotic prescriptions were numerically lower in the GLP-1RA cohort (2 vs 4.4, P = .16). Anti-diarrheal medication use was lower in the GLP-1RA cohort (18.4% vs 47.3%; aOR, 0.23; 95% CI, 0.07-0.67). There was no difference in the risk of CLDP. Zero patients required pouch excision in both cohorts. Conclusion Our study in a small cohort of patients with UC-IPAA and obesity with a history of pouchitis showed that GLP-1RA use was associated with decreased risk of recurrent pouchitis and anti-diarrheal medication use.

Background & aims Pregnancy can be a complex and risk filled event for women with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). High-quality studies in this population are lacking, with limited data on medications approved to treat IBD during pregnancy. For patients, limited knowledge surrounding pregnancy impacts pregnancy rates, medication adherence, and outcomes. Limited provider knowledge leads to highly varied practices in care affected by local dogma, available resources, individual interpretation of the literature, and fear of harming the fetus. The variations in guidelines by different societies and countries reflect this and lead to confusion for physicians and patients alike. The Global Consensus Consortium is a group of 39 IBD and content experts and 7 patient advocates from 6 continents who convened to review and assess current data and come to an agreement on best practices based on these data. Methods The GRADE process was used when sufficient published data were available and the RAND process in those instances where expert opinion was needed to guide consistent practice. Recommendations were informed by the guiding principle that maternal health best supports infant health. Results The topics were divided into ten categories with 34 GRADE recommendations and 35 Consensus statements. Conclusions Overall, the goal of the group was to provide data-driven and practical guidance to improve the care of women with IBD around the globe based on the best available research.

Abstract Background & Aims Pregnancy can be a complex and risk-filled event for women with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). High-quality studies in this population are lacking, with limited data on medications approved to treat IBD during pregnancy. For patients, limited knowledge surrounding pregnancy impacts pregnancy rates, medication adherence, and outcomes. Limited provider knowledge leads to highly varied practices in care affected by local dogma, available resources, individual interpretation of the literature, and fear of harming the fetus. The variations in guidelines by different societies and countries reflect this and lead to confusion for physicians and patients alike. The Global Consensus Consortium is a group of 39 IBD and content experts and 7 patient advocates from 6 continents who convened to review and assess current data and come to an agreement on best practices based on these data. Methods The GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) process was used when sufficient published data were available and the RAND (Research and Development) process in those instances where expert opinion was needed to guide consistent practice. Recommendations were informed by the guiding principle that maternal health best supports infant health. Results The topics were divided into ten categories with 34 GRADE recommendations and 35 consensus statements. Conclusions Overall, the goal of the group was to provide data-driven and practical guidance to improve the care of women with IBD around the globe based on the best available research.

Introduction: Pregnancy can be a complex and risk filled event for women with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). High-quality studies in this population are lacking, with limited data on medications approved to treat IBD during pregnancy. For patients, limited knowledge surrounding pregnancy impacts pregnancy rates, medication adherence, and outcomes. Limited provider knowledge leads to highly varied practices in care affected by local dogma, available resources, individual interpretation of the literature, and fear of harming the fetus. The variations in guidelines by different societies and countries reflect this and lead to confusion for physicians and patients alike. The Global Consensus Consortium is a group of 39 IBD and content experts and 7 patient advocates from 6 continents who convened to review and assess current data and come to an agreement on best practices based on these data. Methods: The GRADE process was used when sufficient published data were available and the RAND process in those instances where expert opinion was needed to guide consistent practice. Recommendations were informed by the guiding principle that maternal health best supports infant health. Results: The topics were divided into 10 categories with 34 GRADE recommendations and 35 Consensus statements. Discussion: Overall, the goal of the group was to provide data-driven and practical guidance to improve the care of women with IBD around the globe based on the best available research.

Abstract Background & Aims Pregnancy can be a complex and risk-filled event for women with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). High-quality studies in this population are lacking, with limited data on medications approved to treat IBD during pregnancy. For patients, limited knowledge surrounding pregnancy impacts pregnancy rates, medication adherence, and outcomes. Limited provider knowledge leads to highly varied practices in care affected by local dogma, available resources, individual interpretation of the literature, and fear of harming the fetus. The variations in guidelines by different societies and countries reflect this and lead to confusion for physicians and patients alike. The Global Consensus Consortium is a group of 39 IBD and content experts and 7 patient advocates from 6 continents who convened to review and assess current data and come to an agreement on best practices based on these data. Methods The GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) process was used when sufficient published data were available and the RAND (Research and Development) process in those instances where expert opinion was needed to guide consistent practice. Recommendations were informed by the guiding principle that maternal health best supports infant health. Results The topics were divided into ten categories with 34 GRADE recommendations and 35 consensus statements. Conclusions Overall, the goal of the group was to provide data-driven and practical guidance to improve the care of women with IBD around the globe based on the best available research.

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) often consider their gastroenterologist to be the primary provider of care. To improve the care delivered to patients with IBD, health maintenance issues need to be addressed by the gastroenterology team. In particular, documentation and recommendation for vaccinations are crucial because more than 70% of patients with IBD will at some time be on immune-modifying therapies that may increase the risk for infections, many of which are preventable with vaccinations. Health maintenance recommendations addressed in this guideline include the safety and appropriate timing of vaccinations, screening for osteoporosis, cervical cancer, melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer and screening for depression, anxiety, and need for smoking cessation. To accomplish these health maintenance goals, coordination among the primary care provider, gastroenterology team, and other specialists is necessary.

INTRODUCTION: Many patients with chronic pouchitis and Crohn's-like disease of the pouch (CLDP) are treated with biologics; however, the comparative effectiveness of advanced therapies in this population has not been systematically evaluated. We sought to compare the effectiveness of antitumor necrosis factor α (anti-TNF) therapies and ustekinumab in patients with chronic inflammatory conditions of the pouch. METHODS: We conducted a prospective, multicenter, cohort study. We included patients with chronic pouchitis and CLDP initiating treatment with anti-TNF therapies or ustekinumab. The primary outcome was clinical remission at 6 months after induction. We also evaluated clinical remission at 6 months among patients with chronic pouchitis and CLDP separately. RESULTS: Among 132 patients, 106 (80%) had a diagnosis of CLDP and 82 (62%) initiated therapy with ustekinumab. A significantly higher proportion of patients with CLDP treated with ustekinumab were in clinical remission at 6 months as compared with patients treated with anti-TNF therapy (62% vs 40%, P = 0.027); however, there was no significant difference among patients with chronic pouchitis ( P = 0.946). There was no independent statistical significance in the odds of remission at 6 months among patients with CLDP among patients receiving ustekinumab compared with anti-TNF therapy (adjusted odds ratio 1.91, 95% confidence interval 0.69–5.30) after adjusting for presence of a fistula, number of preoperative advanced therapies, and number of advanced therapies after IPAA. DISCUSSION: These data suggest the potential benefit of ustekinumab in patients with CLDP and should prompt future novel effectiveness evaluations in this population.

Crohn's disease (CD) is an idiopathic inflammatory disorder of unknown etiology with genetic, immunologic, and environmental influences. The incidence of CD has steadily increased over the past several decades. The diagnosis and treatment of patients with CD has evolved since the last practice guideline was published. These guidelines represent the official practice recommendations of the American College of Gastroenterology and were developed under the auspices of the Practice Parameters Committee for the management of adult patients with CD. These guidelines are established for clinical practice with the intent of suggesting preferable approaches to medical problems as established by interpretation and collation of scientifically valid research, derived from extensive review of published literature. When exercising clinical judgment, health care providers should incorporate this guideline along with patient's needs, desires, and their values to care for patients fully and appropriately with CD. Shared decision-making with the patient is advocated. This guideline is intended to be flexible, not necessarily indicating the only acceptable approach, and should be distinguished from standards of care that are inflexible and rarely violated. To evaluate the level of evidence and strength of recommendations, we used the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation system. The Committee reviews guidelines in depth, with participation from experienced clinicians and others in related fields. The final recommendations are based on the data available at the time of the production of the document and may be updated with pertinent scientific developments later.