TABLE 1.
Sample size and clinical characteristics of subjectsa
| Characteristic | Value for the following: |
P valuec | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| H subjectsb | IBS patients | IBD patients |
CRC patients | |||
| UC | CD | |||||
| No. of patients | 31 | 6 | 23 | 36 | 22 | |
| Mean ± SD age (yr) | 49.2 ± 16.3 | 42.4 ± 11.4 | 38.4 ± 14.0 | 34.5 ± 12.8 | 70.1 ± 10.3 | <0.001d |
| No. (%) of male patients | 15 (48.4) | 2 (20.0) | 15 (65.2) | 21 (58.3) | 11 (50.0) | 0.538e |
| No. (%) of patients with active disease | NA | NA | 17 (73.9) | 23 (63.8) | NA | 0.365e |
| No. (%) of patients with previous surgery | 0 | ND | 2 (8.7) | 7 (19.4) | ND | 0.145e |
| No. (%) smokers | 0 | 0 | 2 (8.7) | 4 (11.1) | 1 (4.5) | 0.386e |
| No. (%) of patients receiving the following treatmentf: | 0.520e | |||||
| No treatment | NA | NA | 10 (43.5) | 11 (30.6) | NA | |
| Mesalazine | NA | NA | 2 (16.7) | 3 (8.3) | NA | |
| Moderate immunosuppressant | NA | NA | 4 (17.4) | 11 (30.6) | NA | |
| Anti-TNF-α (infliximab, adalimumab) | NA | NA | 4 (17.4) | 7 (19.4) | NA | |
| No. (%) of patients with the following UC classificationg: | NA | |||||
| Ulcerative proctitis (E1) | NA | NA | 4 (17.4) | NA | NA | |
| Distal UC (E2) | NA | NA | 12 (52.2) | NA | NA | |
| Extensive UC or pancolitis (E3) | NA | NA | 4 (17.4) | NA | NA | |
| CD Montreal classification | ||||||
| No. (%) of patients with the following age at diagnosish: | 0.309d | |||||
| ≤16 yr (A1) | NA | NA | 1 (4.3) | 3 (8.3) | ND | |
| 17–40 yr (A2) | NA | NA | 11 (47.8) | 23 (63.8) | ND | |
| ≥41 yr (A3) | NA | NA | 7 (30.4) | 7 (19.4) | ND | |
| No. (%) of patients with CD at the following location: | NA | |||||
| Ileum (L1) | NA | NA | NA | 11 (30.5) | NA | |
| Colon (L2) | NA | NA | NA | 11 (30.5) | NA | |
| Ileocolon (L3) | NA | NA | NA | 9 (25.0) | NA | |
| No. (%) of patients with the following disease behaviori: | NA | |||||
| Nonstricturing, nonpenetrating (B1) | NA | NA | NA | 20 (55.6) | NA | |
| Stricturing (B2) | NA | NA | NA | 4 (11.1) | NA | |
| No. (%) of patients with the following CRC subtypej: | NA | |||||
| Sporadic | NA | NA | NA | NA | 11 (50.0) | |
| Hereditaryk | NA | NA | NA | NA | 1 (4.5) | |
H, healthy control; IBS, irritable bowel syndrome; IBD, inflammatory bowel disease; UC, ulcerative colitis; CD, Crohn's disease; CRC, colorectal cancer; TNF-α, tumor necrosis factor alpha; ND, not determined; NA, not applicable.
Controls consisted of subjects who underwent colonoscopy for different reasons: 9/31 for rectorrhagia, 11/31 for a familial history of colorectal cancer, and 11/31 for abdominal pain.
Groups were compared by nonparametric statistical tests, and a P value of ≤0.05 was considered significant.
Mann-Whitney U test.
χ2 test.
Medical treatment at the time of sampling was available in 33/36 CD patients and 20/23 UC patients.
Maximal disease extent at the time of sampling was available for 20/23 UC patients and 31/36 CD patients.
Age of disease onset was available for 33/36 CD patients and 19/23 UC patients.
Disease behavior at last follow-up before the time of sampling was available in 24/36 CD patients, and none had penetrating CD (B3).
The presence or absence of relatives with CRC could be clearly tracked in only 12/22 CRC patients.
Patients were included within this category if a first-grade relative had also had CRC.