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Multicenter Study
. 2020 Jan 28;26(4):416-423.
doi: 10.3748/wjg.v26.i4.416.

Regional variation of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease in Saudi Arabia: Results from a multicenter study

Mohammad I El Mouzan  1 , Mohammed H AlEdreesi  2 , Mohammed Y Hasosah  3 , Abdulrahman A Al-Hussaini  4 , Ahmad A Al Sarkhy  5 , Asaad A Assiri  5
Affiliations
Multicenter Study

Regional variation of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease in Saudi Arabia: Results from a multicenter study

Mohammad I El Mouzan et al. World J Gastroenterol. .

Abstract

Background: Incidence and severity variations of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have been reported from Western populations between continents and regions of the same countries. However, no data were available from other countries.

Aim: To investigate the regional differences in the IBD profiles of pediatric patients from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Methods: Data from a national multicenter IBD study were used. The incidence, time trend, and clinical presentation of Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) in the Central region (CR), Western region (WR), and Eastern region (ER) were analyzed and compared. Statistical analysis included Poisson regression analysis for incidence variation and Chi-square test for demographic and clinical parameters. A P < 0.05 was considered significant.

Results: The prevalence of positive family history was lower in children with CD from the ER than the CR or the WR. Consanguinity rate was higher in children with CD and UC from the CR and the ER, respectively. The incidences and time trends of CD and UC were not significantly different between regions. In the ER, a significantly higher percentage of children with CD presented with abdominal pain (P < 0.001), blood in stools (P = 0.048), stricturing or penetrating disease (P = 0.029), higher erythrocyte sedimentation rate (P < 0.001), higher C-reactive protein (P < 0.001), higher anemia (P = 0.017), and lower albumin level (P = 0.014). For children with UC from the ER, a significantly higher percentage presented with anemia (P = 0.006) and a lower percentage with pancolitis (P < 0.001).

Conclusion: The most important finding is the identification of significantly more severe presentation of CD in the ER of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Prospective studies are needed to explain such variations.

Keywords: Children; Crohn’s disease; Epidemiology; Regional variation; Ulcerative colitis.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare no conflict of interest related to this study

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Incidence pattern and time trend for ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease from 2003 to 2012. A: Incidence pattern and time trend for ulcerative colitis from 2003 to 2012. Although not statistically significant, there is increasing trend in all regions; B: Incidence pattern and time trend for Crohn’s disease from 2003 to 2012. Although not statistically significant, there is increasing trend in all regions.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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