Michael A Kamm

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Crohn's disease (CD) usually recurs after intestinal resection; postoperative endoscopic monitoring and tailored treatment can reduce the chance of recurrence. We investigated whether monitoring levels of fecal calprotectin (FC) can substitute for endoscopic analysis of the mucosa.

METHODS: We analyzed data collected from 135 participants in a prospective, randomized, controlled trial, performed at 17 hospitals in Australia and 1 hospital in New Zealand, that assessed ...

BACKGROUND & AIMS: SPD476 (MMX mesalamine), a novel, once-daily mesalamine formulation, uses MMX Multi Matrix System (MMX) technology to delay and extend delivery of active drug throughout the colon. We performed a randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled, multicenter phase III study in patients with mild to moderately active ulcerative colitis.

METHODS: Two hundred eighty patients with mild to moderately active ulcerative colitis received MMX mesalamine 2.4 g/day ...

The advent of biological therapy has revolutionized inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) care. Nonetheless, not all patients require biological therapy. Selection of patients depends on clinical characteristics, previous response to other medical therapy, and comorbid conditions. Availability, reimbursement guidelines, and patient preferences guide the choice of first-line biological therapy for luminal Crohn's disease (CD). Infliximab (IFX) has the most extensive clinical trial data, but ...

BACKGROUND: Infliximab, a monoclonal antibody against tumor necrosis factor, is an effective maintenance therapy for patients with Crohn's disease without fistulas. It is not known whether infliximab is an effective maintenance therapy for patients with fistulas.

METHODS: We performed a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of infliximab maintenance therapy in 306 adult patients with Crohn's disease and one or more draining abdominal or ...

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are becoming more common in Asia, but epidemiologic data are lacking. The Asia-Pacific Crohn's and Colitis Epidemiology Study aimed to determine the incidence and phenotype of IBD in 8 countries across Asia and in Australia.

METHODS: We performed a prospective, population-based study of IBD incidence in predefined catchment areas, collecting data for 1 year, starting on April 1, 2011. New cases were ascertained from multiple ...

BACKGROUND: Most patients with Crohn's disease need an intestinal resection, but a majority will subsequently experience disease recurrence and require further surgery. This study aimed to identify the optimal strategy to prevent postoperative disease recurrence.

METHODS: In this randomised trial, consecutive patients from 17 centres in Australia and New Zealand undergoing intestinal resection of all macroscopic Crohn's disease, with an endoscopically accessible anastomosis, received 3 ...

BACKGROUND: Preliminary data suggest that short-term antibiotic therapy with a single drug is effective for the treatment of patients with pouchitis. However, some patients are resistant to treatment.

AIM: To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of a prolonged course of a combination of two antibiotics in patients with refractory or recurrent pouchitis, as well as its impact on their quality of life.

METHODS: Patients with active refractory or recurrent pouchitis were recruited. This was ...

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) can induce remission in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). In a randomized controlled trial of FMT in patients with active UC, we aimed to identify bacterial taxonomic and functional factors associated with response to therapy.

METHODS: We performed a double-blind trial of 81 patients with active UC randomly assigned to groups that received an initial colonoscopic infusion and then intensive multidonor FMT or placebo enemas, 5 ...

BACKGROUND: The intestinal microbiota is implicated in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis. Faecal microbiota transplantation is a novel form of therapeutic microbial manipulation, but its efficacy in ulcerative colitis is uncertain. We aimed to establish the efficacy of intensive-dosing, multidonor, faecal microbiota transplantation in active ulcerative colitis.

METHODS: We conducted a multicentre, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial at three hospitals in Australia. We ...

BACKGROUND & AIMS: To investigate the efficacy and safety of certolizumab pegol (a polyethylene-glycolated Fab' fragment of anti-tumor necrosis factor, CDP870) in Crohn's disease.

METHODS: In a placebo-controlled, phase II study, 292 patients with moderate to severe Crohn's disease received subcutaneous certolizumab 100, 200, or 400 mg or placebo at weeks 0, 4, and 8. The primary end point was the percentage of patients with a clinical response at week 12 (a Crohn's Disease Activity ...

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common condition affecting around 10-20% of the population and associated with poorer psychological well-being and quality of life. The aim of the current study was to explore the efficacy of the Common Sense Model (CSM) using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) in an IBS cohort. One hundred and thirty-one IBS patients (29 males, 102 females, mean age 38 years) participating in the IBSclinic.org.au pre-intervention assessment were included. Measures ...

BACKGROUND & AIMS: SPD476 (LIALDA in the US; MEZAVANT in the EU; otherwise known as MMX mesalamine; Shire Pharmaceuticals Inc., Wayne, PA, under license from Giuliani SpA, Milan, Italy) is a novel, once-daily, high-strength (1.2 g/tablet) formulation of mesalamine, utilizing MMX Multi Matrix System (MMX) technology designed to deliver the active drug throughout the colon. We performed a double-blind, multicenter study, comparing MMX mesalamine vs placebo for the treatment of active ...

OBJECTIVES: To determine (i) risk factors in the development of third degree obstetric tears and (ii) the success of primary sphincter repair.

DESIGN: (i) Retrospective analysis of obstetric variables in 50 women who had sustained a third degree tear, compared with the remaining 8553 vaginal deliveries during the same period. (ii) Women who had sustained a third degree tear and had primary sphincter repair and control subjects were interviewed and investigated with anal endosonography, ...

PURPOSE: The aim of lateral internal anal sphincterotomy when treating anal fissure is to divide the distal one-third to one-half of the internal anal sphincter. This study aimed to evaluate prospectively the extent of disruption to the internal anal sphincter following lateral anal internal sphincterotomy and also to establish the prevalence of symptoms of anal incontinence in these patients.

METHODS: Fifteen patients with anal fissure (ten females and five males) had bowel symptoms ...

PURPOSE: We employed the Common Sense Model (CSM) of illness perceptions to examine the relative contribution of illness perceptions, stoma self-efficacy, and coping strategies in explaining anxiety and depression symptoms in patients with a fecal ostomy. The CSM suggests that the consequences of illness activity, such as psychological distress, are influenced by an individual's illness perceptions as well as what coping strategies they engage in.

DESIGN: Descriptive, cross-sectional ...