Vitamin D does not prevent postoperative Crohn's Disease after ileocolonic resection
Netherlands: Patients with Crohn's disease (CD) are generally known to be deficient in vitamin D and high-dose vitamin D is known to have anti-inflammatory effects in CD patients. However, according to a recent study administration of high-dose vitamin D did not prevent the postoperative occurrence of Crohn's disease after ileocolonic resection. The study is published in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
Jessica R. de Bruyn, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and colleagues conducted the study to determine whether high-dose vitamin D prevents postoperative recurrence of CD after ileocolonic resection.
For this study, CD patients undergoing ileocolonic resection were given weekly 25,000 IU oral vitamin D (n=72) or placebo (n=71) postoperatively. Patients were assessed at baseline and week 2, 6, 12, and 26 for laboratory and clinical parameters, and underwent ileocolonoscopy at 26 weeks. The primary endpoint was endoscopic recurrence on ileocolonoscopy at 26 weeks.
Key findings of the study include:
- In the vitamin D group, serum levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D increased from median 42 nmol/L at baseline to 81 nmol/L at week 26, whereas levels did not change significantly in the placebo group and remained unchanged at 43 nmol/L.
- In the intention-to-treat analysis, the proportion of patients with endoscopic recurrence at 26 weeks did not differ significantly between the vitamin D vs the placebo group (58% vs 66%).
- The cumulative rate of clinical recurrence did not differ significantly between the groups (18.1% in the vitamin D group vs 18.3% in the placebo group).
- Quality of life improved slightly over time in both groups but did not differ significantly between groups.
- There were few adverse events in either group.
Compared with placebo, high dose vitamin D did not reduce the incidence of postoperative endoscopic or clinical recurrence of CD in patients who underwent ileocolonic resection with ileocolonic anastomosis.
The study, "High-Dose Vitamin D Does Not Prevent Postoperative Recurrence of Crohn's Disease," is published in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
