Demographic features of patients diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and crohn's disease and inventory of patients using biological agents

Objective: In this study, determining the demographic features of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) in our region and within these patients investigating characteristics and treatment responses of patients using infliximab and adalimumab was aimed. Material and Method: 143 diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis (UC) and 71 diagnosed with Crohn's disease (CD) totally 214 patients who admitted to Gastroenterology department and/or hospitalized in Gastroenterology Clinic of Karadeniz Technical University included in our study. Performing a retrospective analysis of patients' files, demographical features of patients and characteristics of patients using anti-TNF agents infliximab and adalimumab used for IBD treatment were reviewed. Results: 143 diagnosed with UC and 71 diagnosed with CH totally 214 patients were included in our study. Average age at diagnosis was detected as 42,4±16,6 for patients diagnosed with UC and 34,2±14 for patients diagnosed with CH. Among the patients with UC diagnosis 55,2% were living in urban areas and 44,8% were living in rural areas, whereas of the patients with CD diagnosis 62% were living in urban areas and 38% were living in rural areas. Among the patients with UC 37.1% were high school graduated and 21.4% were graduated from a higher educational institute. Beside this 40,8% of CH diagnosed patients were high school graduated and 21.1% of them were higher degree graduated. 8% of the patients included to study were initiated infliximab and 5% adalimumab as first line anti-TNF treatment. The indications for initiation of anti-TNF therapy were detected as fistula, non-responsiveness to previous treatments, enteropathic arthritis/ankylosing spondylitis. Adalimumab was initiated to 2.3% of patients because of infliximab therapy modification and infliximab was initiated to 1.8% of the patients because of adalimumab therapy modification. 58.3% of the patients whom infliximab was initiated had UC and 41.7% of them had CD diagnoses. Male to female ratio for patients receiving infliximab was 1.4:1. Indications for initiation of infliximab as the first line anti-TNF therapy were fistula in 29.2%, non-responsiveness to previous treatments in 45.8% and ankylosing spondylitis/enteropathic arthritis in 25%. Clinical remission was detected in 75% of patients whom infliximab therapy was initiated. 40% of the adalimumab initiated patients had UC and 60% of them had CD diagnoses. Male to female ratio for patients receiving adalimumab was 1.1:1. First line therapy initiation indication for adalimumab were fistula in 46.7%, non-responsiveness to previous treatments in 46.7% and ankylosing spondylitis/enteropathic arthritis in 6.7%. Clinical remission was detected in 73.3% of adalimumab receiving patients. Conclusion:Among the patients included to study 66% were diagnosed with UC and 33% were diagnosed with CD. Male to female ratio was 1.8:1 for UC and 1.2:1 for CD. 55.2% of patients with UC and 62% of patients with CD were living in urban areas. IBD was more frequent in those living in urban areas and in those with higher socio-economic status. Most often indication for anti-TNF therapy initiation was detected as non-responsiveness to previous treatments. Clinical remission achieved in 75% of patients receiving infliximab and in 73.3% of patients receiving adalimumab. Remission rates were detected similar in patients receiving infliximab and adalimumab.