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While the Crohn's disease activity index is the gold standard for defining clinical endpoints in Crohn's disease clinical trials, its ability to distinguish symptoms due to inflammation from those that are non-inflammatory has been questioned. Dr Lahiff and colleagues compared Crohn's disease activity index scores in patients with Crohn's and those with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. The team performed a prospective, cross-sectional cohort study of 91 patients with either Crohn's or Irritable Bowel Syndrome. The research team compared total Crohn's disease activity index and individual component scores between Crohn's and Irritable Bowel Syndrome patients. Mean Crohn's disease activity index scores were higher in the Irritable Bowel Syndrome patients. The research team noted that 62% of Irritable Bowel Syndrome patients had Crohn's disease activity index scores greater than 150. Mean Crohn's disease activity index hematocrit score and CRP level were higher in the Crohn's group.  | | The calculated pooled gastric cancer incidence-rate was about 0.3% per person-years | | Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics |
The team of doctors assessed that the analysis of Crohn's disease activity index sub-scores demonstrated that Irritable Bowel Syndrome patients had significantly higher pain and well-being scores relative to patients with Crohn's. Specifically evaluating patients with Crohn's disease activity index greater than 150, Irritable Bowel Syndrome patients had higher pain sub-scores, whereas patients with Crohn's had higher CRP. Dr Lahiff's team comments, "Our study demonstrates that the Crohn's disease activity index does not discriminate patients with symptoms due to active Crohn's from patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome." "Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome can have Crohn's disease activity index scores in the clinically meaningful range." "Objective measures, such as Crohn's disease activity index haematocrit score and CRP, are more specific markers of inflammation."
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