Evaluation of clinical, laboratory findings, and histopathologicalfeatures in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) constitute a group of disorders characterized by multifactorial chronic idiopathic inflammation of the gastrointestinal system, categorized into Crohn's disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC), and unclassified colitis (UC). This study aimed to assess the clinical, laboratory, and endocolonoscopic data of pediatric patients diagnosed with IBD. Furthermore, we investigated the role of CD30+ stained T helper lymphocytes in distinguishing between UC, CD, and UC in histopathological samples at the time of diagnosis. Regions displaying intense inflammation were selected for CD30 staining, and rectal biopsy samples from 33 IBD patients were also evaluated for CD30 staining.The study included 88 out of 110 IBD patients who underwent terminal ileum biopsies at the time of diagnosis. Among these patients, 50 (56.8%) were diagnosed with UC, 30 (34.1%) with CD, and 8 (9.1%) with UC. No significant gender or growth retardation differences were found between IBD groups. Mean CD30+ lymphocyte counts in histopathological samples were 3.9 (0-20) in the stomach, 4.78 (0-28) in the terminal ileum, and 11.43 (0-80) in the colon. CD patients had significantly higher CD30+ lymphocyte counts in the terminal ileum compared to UC patients (7.53 vs. 3.14, p=0.007). Among 56 patients with ileal inflammation, CD30 counts did not differ between those with and without ileitis. CD30 counts in stomach and colon samples were not significantly different between IBD groups. CD30+ lymphocyte counts in the rectum were significantly lower in patients with CD compared to those with UC (8.1 vs. 14.4, p=0.047). CD30+ cells in the ileum and rectum may be useful in distinguishing between CD and UC. CD30 counts, unaffected by ileal inflammation, may also be useful in distinguishing UC with ileal inflammation from CD. Keywords: Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn's Disease, CD30