Table 1.
Patient characteristics.
| Characteristics | n (%) or Median (min–max) | |
|---|---|---|
| No. of patients | 30 | |
| 12 R | 18 NR | |
| Male | 8 (67) | 13 (72) |
| CD | 11 (92) | 14 (78) |
| UC | 1 (8) | 1 (6) |
| IBD unclassified | 0 (0) | 3 (17) |
| Age at diagnosis, years | 13 (6–16) | 13 (6–16) |
| Age at IFX initiation, years | 15 (9–18) | 14 (6–17) |
| Anti-TNF-α naïve | 9 (75) | 17 (94) |
| Previous exposure to IFX* | 3 | 1 |
| Disease duration at recruitment, years | 1.4 (0–4) | 0.3 (0–6) |
| IBD surgery | 0 (0) | 2 (11) |
| Baseline fecal calprotectin value (µg/g)** | 360 (7–1317) | 769 (55–6293) |
| 2-week fecal calprotectin value (µg/g) | 25 (< 5–496) | 456 (36–1876) |
| 6-week fecal calprotectin value (µg/g) | 41 (5–89) | 399 (162–2142) |
| Baseline symptom index score38 | 1 (1–4) | 1 (1–8) |
| Baseline VAS (disease impact on QOL)38 | 2 (1–4) | 2 (1–6) |
| Baseline physicians’ global assessment39 | 2 (1–3) | 2 (1–3) |
| Concomitant medication at IFX initiation | ||
| Steroid | 6 (50) | 12 (67) |
| 5-aminosalicylic acid | 5 (42) | 7 (58) |
| Azathioprine | 7 (58) | 3 (17) |
| Methotrexate | 1 (8) | 0 (0) |
| Ursodeoxycholic acid | 1 (8) | 1 (6) |
| Antibiotics*** | 5 (42) | 9 (50) |
| Saccharomyces boulardii supplement**** | 0 (0) | 2 (11) |
| Lactic acid bacteria supplement (regular use) | 9 (75) | 9 (50) |
CD Crohn's disease, UC ulcerative colitis, IBD inflammatory bowel disease, IFX infliximab, TNF tumor necrosis factor.
*Time since exposure at baseline 10–26 months.
**Three patients had baseline fecal calprotectin value < 100 µg/g.
***Metronidazole, cephalosporin or amoxicillin in 12, other = 1.
****Two weeks prior to the study.