A study published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, led by Dr. Karl Mårild, highlights that histologic inflammation in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) significantly increases the risk of serious infections. The research, based on a national population study of 55,626 adults with IBD in Sweden, found that serious infections were more frequent in patients with histologic inflammation compared to those in histologic remission.
The study observed 4.62 serious infections per 100 person-years of follow-up in patients with histologic inflammation, versus 2.53 in those in remission. This increased risk was consistent across both ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. The findings underscore the importance of achieving histologic remission in IBD patients to reduce the risk of serious infections, including sepsis and opportunistic infections. The study’s limitations include unknown clinical indications for histologic examination and a focus on serious infections, potentially excluding milder cases. The research received no commercial funding, and disclosures from the authors included financial relationships with various pharmaceutical and medical companies.