High prevalence of cholestasis, with increased conjugated bile acids in inflammatory bowel diseases patients

Table 1 Clinical characteristics of patients¹n (%)

	TBA > 8	TBA < 8	P value
	(n = 96)	(n = 1246)
Age (mean ± SD, yr)	44 ± 1.6	41.5 ± 0.4	0.118
Male	60 (63)	639 (51)	0.027
Female	35 (36)	603 (48)
CD	47 (49)	716 (57)	0.267
UC	45 (47)	498 (40)
IC	3 (3)	26 (2)
Disease duration (mean ± SD, yr)	11 ± 1.2	9.8 ± 0.3	0.446
CDAI (mean ± SD)	92.8 ± 8.7	82.1 ± 2.7	0.316
MTWI (mean ± SD)	3.6 ± 0.6	4.1 ± 0.2	0.436
Smokers	16 (17)	339 (27)	0.023
Non smokers	80 (83)	903 (72)
Extra intestinal manifestations
Arthritis	21 (22)	362 (2)	0.133
Uveitis	4 (4)	68 (5)	0.588
Pyoderma gangrenosum	1 (1)	12 (1)	0.938
Erythema nodosum	4 (4)	42 (3)	0.679
Oral soars	5 (5)	70 (6)	0.867
Spondylarthritis	3 (3)	52 (4)	0.617
Primary sclerosing cholangitis	5 (5)	10 (1)	0.000
Colorectal cancer	0 (0)	5 (0)	0.533
Colonic dysplasia	1 (1)	5 (0)	0.364
Lymphoma	0 (0)	0 (0)	Ns
Osteoporosis	17 (18)	184 (15)	0.436
Anemia	11 (11)	229 (18)	0.088
Thrombosis	5 (5)	20 (2)	0.011
Gallstone	5 (5)	33 (3)	0.145
Urinary stones	2 (2)	38 (3)	0.591
Malabsorption	5 (5)	38 (3)	0.247
Lab values
TBA (mean ± SD, μmol/L)	21.9 ± 5.5	3.1 ± 0.1	1.36 × 10-30
CRP (mean ± SD, mg/L)	9.8 ± 1.6	11.7 ± 0.7	0.460
Ferritine (mean ± SD, μg/L)	158.5 ± 39.9	239.2 ± 35.9	0.516
B12 vitamin (mean ± SD, pmol/L)	604.1 ± 155.9	446.8 ± 27.1	0.130
Alkaline phosphatase (mean ± SD, U/L)	108.1 ± 10.8	69.7 ± 1.2	10.00 × 10-13
Albumin (mean ± SD, g/L)	38.0 ± 0.8	39.8 ± 0.2	0.016
Medical therapies
Oral 5-ASA	39 (41)	415 (33)	0.147
Topical 5-ASA	9 (9)	114 (9)	0.855
Sulfasalazine	0 (0)	28 (2)	Ns
Metronidazole	1 (1)	31 (2)	0.723
Ciprofloxacine	4 (4)	28 (2)	0.281
Clarithromycine	0 (0)	1 (0)	Ns
Cyclosporine	0 (0)	12 (1)	Ns
Tacrolimus	3 (3)	8 (1)	0.009
Azathioprine	38 (40)	407 (33)	0.177
6-Mercaptopurine	5 (5)	67 (5)	Ns
Remicade	9 (9)	183 (15)	0.174
Humira	1 (1)	51 (4)	0.172
Cimzia	0 (0)	19 (2)	Ns
Methotrexate	5 (5)	79 (6)	0.827
Budesonide	9 (9)	107 (9)	0.708
Systemic prednisone	20 (21)	170 (14)	0.051
Topical prednisone	2 (2)	28 (2)	0.716
Ursodesoxycholic acid	10 (10)	7 (1)	2.84 × 10-8
Cholestiramine	2 (2)	24 (2)	0.708
Supplements
Iron	12 (13)	188 (15)	0.492
Vitamin B12	13 (14)	191 (15)	0.638
Folate	8 (8)	125 (10)	0.591
Multivitamin	2 (2)	76 (6)	0.105
Magnesium	6 (6)	54 (4)	0.381
Calcium	37 (39)	356 (29)	0.038
Vitamin D	28 (29)	270 (22)	0.088
Vitamin E	3 (3)	9 (1)	0.016
Potassium	1 (1)	16 (1)	Ns
Lactase	0 (0)	3 (0)	Ns
Pancreatic enzymes	0 (0)	6 (0)	Ns
Fishoil	4 (4)	37 (3)	0.511
Enteric nutrition	0 (0)	6 (0)	Ns
Parenteric nutrition	1 (1)	3 (0)	0.165
Probiotics	3 (3)	16 (1)	0.141

¹Results expressed in number with percentage in parenthesis otherwise stated. Clinical characteristics of patients with elevated or normal total bile acid level. SD: Standard deviation; CD: Crohn’s disease; UC: Ulcerative colitis; IC: Indeterminate colitis; CDA: Crohn’s disease activity index; MTWI: Modified Truelove and Witts index; TBA: Total bile acid; CRP: C-reactive protein.