Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth in inactive Crohn’s disease: Influence of thiopurine and biological treatment

Table 1 Baseline characteristics of the patients n (%)

Time since disease diagnosis (yr)	8.5 ± 7.3
Age (yr)	40.8 ± 12.1
Gender (% female)	56 (52.3)
BMI (kg/m2)	25.2 ± 4.9
Location
Ileum	39 (36.5)
Ileum and colon	53 (49.5)
Colon	15 (14)
Pattern
Inflammatory	29 (27.1)
Stenotic	58 (54.2)
Fistulizing	20 (18.7)
Ileocecal valve resection	63 (58.9)
Treatment
Immunosuppressant1	62 (57.9)
Biological treatment2	21 (19.6)
Double (immunosuppressant + biological)	13 (12.1)
Proton pump inhibitors	19 (17.8)
Bacterial overgrowth	18 (16.8)
Presence of symptoms (n = 102)	55 (51.4)
Bowel frequency (24 h)	2.8 ± 2

¹Fifty-six azathioprine, six mercaptopurine;

²Seventeen infliximab, four adalimumab. Quantitative variables are expressed as mean ± SD.

Table 2 Study variables and the presence of bacterial overgrowth (univariate analysis) n (%)

	Bacterial overgrowth		P value
	YES 18 (16.8)	NO 89 (83.2)
Time since disease diagnosis (yr)	9.5 ± 7.1	8.4 ± 7.4	NS
Age (yr)	47 ± 17.8	39.5 ± 10.3	NS
BMI (kg/m2)	25 ± 6.2	25.2 ± 4.6	NS
Ileal location	17 (94.4)	75 (84.3)	NS
Pattern
Inflammatory	2 (11.1)	27 (30.3)	NS
Stenotic	10 (55.5)	48 (53.9)	NS
Fistulizing	6 (33.3)	14 (15.7)	NS
Ileocecal valve resection	12 (66.6)	51 (57.3)	NS
Treatment
Immunosuppressant	12 (66.6)	50 (56.2)	NS
Biological	2 (11.1)	19 (21.3)	NS
Double (immunosuppressant + biological)	1 (5.5)	12 (13.5)	NS
Proton pump inhibitors	4 (22.2)	15 (16.9)	NS
Presence of symptoms	13 (72.2)	42 (47.2)	NS
Abdominal pain	6 (33.3)	36 (40.4)	NS
Abdominal distension	9 (50)	43 (48.3)	NS
Meteorism	12 (66.6)	37 (41.6)	< 0.05
Borborygmus	11 (61.1)	42 (47.2)	NS
Bowel frequency (24 h)	3.1 ± 1.8	2.8 ± 2.1	NS

Quantitative variables are expressed as mean ± SD. NS: Not significant.

Table 3 Independent variables associated with bacterial overgrowth

	With bacterial overgrowth	OR (95%CI)	P value
Meteorism
No	6/53 (11)	Reference
Yes	12/49 (24)	4.1 (1.2-13.6)	< 0.05
Fistulizing pattern
No	12/87 (14)	Reference
Yes	6/20 (30)	4.2 (1.0-17.5)	< 0.05