UEG promotes closer ties with and between all its 46 national member societies by funding cross-border scientific and professional activities. Programmes such as the LINK Award initiative foster this exchange and target supporting underserved areas in gastroenterology and underprivileged regions to improve and harmonise the quality of care across Europe.
Coordinated by the National Societies Committee, a particular focus with these support programmes is put on promoting and disseminating appropriate guidelines and standards in various formats together with our member societies to encourage their uptake.
The PRO-MC Collaboration, led by the Svensk Gastroenterologisk Förening (Sweden) and the Asociación Española de Gastroenterología (Spain), is endorsed and co-funded by the UEG.
PRO-MC Collaboration: establishment of a European prospective data registry, and follow-up for microscopic colitis
Over the past few decades, microscopic colitis (MC) has become a more prevalent disease. An increased awareness among clinicians and pathologists is considered to be one of the main contributors to the rising incidence. Nevertheless, the incidence still varies markedly between European countries, which could indirectly suggest that the awareness does as well. The UEG LINK Award 2014 was granted to the European Microscopic Colitis Group (EMCG), which offers an ideal platform to initiate scientific collaboration between national societies on this disease, and thereby increasing awareness for MC across Europe. Thanks to the support of the Swedish and Spanish national societies to the proposal, the PRO-MC Collaboration could be initiated.
The main focus of the PRO-MC Collaboration is to collect data prospectively on the disease course of MC and to search for markers for disease course prediction. To date, our knowledge on the disease course of MC is mainly based on retrospective data, and predictive markers are lacking. In order to study the disease course adequately, a large, prospective patient cohort is required. Considering the low prevalence of MC in some countries, international collaboration is indispensable to reach this goal. At the same time, it enables a pan-European network to be formed on MC between national society members.
We have high expectations of both the short and long-term outcomes of this registry. Among other things, it will give us better insight into the number of patients with spontaneous remission, the frequency and characteristics of budesonide refractory cases, and the long-term remission rates.
In attempting to broaden the network outside the field of gastroenterology, the PRO-MC Collaboration has sought contact with the European Society of Pathology (ESP), a UEG partner organisation. From a scientific point of view, the aim of the ESP involvement is to collect pathology data systematically parallel to the registry and to study, for example, the inter-observer variation across Europe and the use of additional stainings. We also aim to involve local pathologists from participating centres and to instruct them on the diagnostic criteria of MC and even incomplete forms of MC. Pathologists’ involvement will not only enhance data quality, but will also lead to the better identification of MC cases.
For the PRO-MC Collaboration to succeed on all fronts, we request dedicated centres to participate in this project. All interested investigators are invited to join the common interest group on Sunday, 16 October 4 p.m. within the UEG Week 2016. By involving gastroenterologists and pathologists in the project we aim to collect prospective data on the disease course of MC, and more importantly, to increase awareness for MC in Europe.
On behalf of the PRO-MC Collaboration:
Andreas Münch, Linköping University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden
Bas Verhaegh, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands
www.emcg-ibd.eu/european-registry-promc.html; info@pro-mc.eu
See how you can benefit by finding out more about our supporting schemes online: www.ueg.eu/awards-grants