Vedolizumab does not increase CDI Risk in IBD Patients

Written By : Jacinthlyn Sylvia |Medically Reviewed By : Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli Published On 2023-09-13T20:00:00+05:30 | Updated On 20 Oct 2023 2:25 PM IST

A recent study published in Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal found that the use of biologic therapy like vedolizumab or anti-TNF does not appear to impact the risk of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI).

In recent years, various studies have indicated a rising occurrence, recurrence, and severity of CDI. Notably, patients who have inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and contract CDI tend to face a higher level of health risks and mortality compared to individuals with CDI who do not have IBD. The study conducted by Abdulaziz and team aimed to assess the CDI risk in IBD patients using vedolizumab when compared with alternative therapies.

This retrospective cohort study involved the inclusion of 684 patients who had confirmed IBD. These patients were divided into three groups: 228 were on vedolizumab treatment, 228 were on anti-TNF treatment, and 228 were receiving 5-Aminosalicylates acid therapy. The enrollment of these patients took place between January 2009 and August 2019, at a specialized IBD center located at McMaster University Medical Centre (MUMC) in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

The primary objective of this study was to determine the time it took for IBD patients, receiving different treatments, to develop Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). Secondary objectives included examining the rates of CDI and assessing the connection between baseline variables and the risk of developing CDI.

The key findings of this study:

There was no significant difference in the time it took for CDI to develop among the three treatment groups, as indicated by a log-rank p-value of 0.37.

CDI occurred in a total of 16 patients, accounting for 2.3% of the cases.

Specifically, four patients (1.75%) belonged to the vedolizumab group, another four patients (1.75%) were in the anti-TNF group, and eight patients (3.5%) were part of the 5-ASA group.

Upon analysis using the Cox proportional hazards (PH) model, several risk factors for CDI emerged, including current smoking, older age, and concurrent use of immunomodulators, after adjusting for other variables. Importantly, vedolizumab treatment was not associated with an increased risk of CDI in this model.

Reference:

Saad Alshahrani, A., Mohammad, D., attieh Alzahrani, M., & Narula, N. (2023). Vedolizumab does not increase risk of clostridium difficile infection in patients with inflammatory bowel disease using vedolizumab: A retrospective cohort study. In Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal (Vol. 31, Issue 9, p. 101736). Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsps.2023.101736

Saudi Pharmaceutical JournalInflammatory bowel diseaseClostridium difficile infection

Source : Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal

Jacinthlyn Sylvia

Neuroscience Masters graduate

Jacinthlyn Sylvia, a Neuroscience Master's graduate from Chennai has worked extensively in deciphering the neurobiology of cognition and motor control in aging. She also has spread-out exposure to Neurosurgery from her Bachelor’s. She is currently involved in active Neuro-Oncology research. She is an upcoming neuroscientist with a fiery passion for writing. Her news cover at Medical Dialogues feature recent discoveries and updates from the healthcare and biomedical research fields. She can be reached at editorial@medicaldialogues.in

Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli

Dr Kamal Kant Kohli-MBBS, DTCD- a chest specialist with more than 30 years of practice and a flair for writing clinical articles, Dr Kamal Kant Kohli joined Medical Dialogues as a Chief Editor of Medical News. Besides writing articles, as an editor, he proofreads and verifies all the medical content published on Medical Dialogues including those coming from journals, studies,medical conferences,guidelines etc. Email: drkohli@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751