THE DUBLIN SCORE IS A USEFUL TOOL FOR PREDICTING DISEASE COURSE IN PATIENTS WITH ULCERATIVE COLITIS

Aims The DUBLIN (Degree of Ulcerative colitis Burden of Luminal Inflammation) is a novel simple clinical score of inflammation in patients with Ulcerative Colitis (UC).

Methods We performed a multicentre study. DS at diagnosis was calculated based on disease extent and endoscopic severity in patients with UC. Study outcomes were need for colectomy and/or biologic therapy and time to commencing biologics dependent on DS at diagnosis. We examined prospectively the association between DS at recruitment and FCP, albumin and C-reactive protein.

Results 268 patients had a DS at diagnosis. Baseline demographics are summarised in [Table 1]. Median DS was significantly higher in patients requiring a colectomy compared to those colectomy free (5 versus 4, p=0.005) and in patients requiring biologic therapy compared to patients not requiring biologic agents (4 versus 3, p=0.02) ([Figure 1a,b]). Of patients requiring biologic 28% with a DS≤3 required biologic therapy compared to 64% of patients with a DS>3. Median time to commencing biologic therapy was significantly shorter in patient with a DS>3 than those with a DS≤3 (2.8 versus 7.1 years, p=<.001). There was a weak positive correlation between both DS and faecal calprotectin [correlation coefficient 0.27, p=0.001] and C-reactive protein [correlation coefficient 0.1, p=0.03] and a weak negative correlation between DS and albumin [correlation coefficient -0.32, p=<0.001].

Fig. 1

Table 1

Baseline Demographics	N=268
Median age at diagnosis (IQR)	38.9 (27 – 50)	Biologic therapy
Male	138 (	Colectomies
5ASA		Median DUBLIN SCORE at diagnosis (IQR)
Immunomodulator		Median DUBLIN Score at recruitment (range)

Conclusions Our study validates the clinical utility of the DS at diagnosis in predicting a patients disease course including need for biologics and surgery.

Publikationsverlauf

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
14. April 2022