Apolipoprotein E variants correlate with the clinical presentation of paediatric inflammatory bowel disease: A cross-sectional study

Table 3 Clinical characteristics in patients with ulcerative colitis depending on major apolipoprotein E genotypes

Variables median (IQR) or n (%)	n	ε2/ε3	ε3/ε3	ε3/ε4	P value
Age in yr
At inclusion	184	15.7 (12.5-16.9)	15.3 (11.9-16.9)	14.3 (11.5-16.3)	0.2464
At diagnosis	191	11.4 (7.9-14.6)	12.4 (7.9-15.0)	12.4 (8.2-14.9)	0.9070
At worst flare	171	14.6 (9.9-16.4)	13.7 (10.4-16.0)	13.7 (10.0-15.7)	0.7255
Duration of the disease in yr	179	3.0 (1.4-6.2)	1.9 (0.4-3.5)	1.2 (0.0-3.5)	0.0868
Nutritional status
Weight at diagnosis in kg	180	40.0 (28.8-59.5)	39.0 (27.8-54.0)	43.8 (29.5-53.4)	0.9704
Weight at diagnosis, z score	179	-0.20 [(-0.86)-0.43]	-0.5 [(-1.1)-0.1]	-0.24 [(-0.95)-0.63]	0.3037
Height at diagnosis in cm	175	146.5 (129.0-169.0)	153.0 (131.0-168.5)	156.0 (131.5-169.0)	0.9175
Height at diagnosis, z score	174	0.12 [(-0.62)-0.75]	0.09 [(-0.69)-0.79]	0.22 [(-0.44)-1.06]	0.5823
Body mass index at diagnosis in kg/m2	175	17.61 (16.02-19.74)	17.0 (15.4-19.1)	17.9 (15.4-20.3)	0.5121
Body mass index at diagnosis, z score	174	-0.11 [(-0.70)-0.29)]	-0.56 [(-0.99)-0.11]	-0.30 [(-1.12)-0.56]	0.2293
Weight at worst flare in kg	164	46.1 (31.6-62.0)	46.2 (31.9-55.6)	50.0 (28.0-61.0)	0.9600
Weight at worst flare, z score	161	-0.33 [(-1.00)-0.56]	-0.58 [(-0.95)-0.16]	-0.52 [(-0.90)-0.40]	0.6559
Height at worst flare in cm	162	162.5 (138.5-173.5)	159.0 (140.9-171.0)	160.0 (135.0-172.0)	0.9688
Height at worst flare, z score	161	0.11 [(-0.72)-1.16]	-0.09 [(-0.62)-0.78]	0.06 [(-0.62)-0.89]	0.8376
Body mass index at worst flare in kg/m2	160	18.20 (16.47-19.74)	17.36 (15.75-19.71)	17.93 (15.89-20.96)	0.6013
Body mass index at worst flare, z score	159	-0.22 [(-1.16)-0.14]	-0.68 [(-1.10)-0.16]	-0.43 [(-1.12)-0.63]	0.6789
Albumin level
At diagnosis in g/dL	159	4.2 (4.0-4.6)	4.1 (3.7-4.4)	4.1 (3.6-4.4)	0.2569
At worst flare in g/ dL	148	4.3 (4.0-4.7)	4.1 (3.6-4.4)	4.2 (4.0-4.4)	0.3488
Parameter of inflammation
CRP at diagnosis in mg/L	178	3.8 (0.7-6.6)	2.5 (0.7-12.2)	1.1 (0.2-8.0)	0.0515
CRP at worst flare in mg/L	162	2.1 (1.1-23.3)	3.7 (1.1-19.0)	0.8 (0.3-2.9)	0.0012
Disease activity scales
PUCAI at diagnosis	166	40 (18-55)	45 (30-60)	50 (25-60)	0.5144
PUCAI at worst flare	155	48 (20-65)	55 (40-65)	50 (30-65)	0.3766
Disease localisation and behaviour
E1 at diagnosis	19/192	3 (16.7)	10 (8.5)	6 (12.8)	0.4694
E2 at diagnosis	33/192	8 (44.4)	16 (13.6)	9 (19.1)	0.0063
E3 at diagnosis	28/192	1 (5.6)	18 (15.3)	9 (19.1)	0.3953
E4 at diagnosis	83/192	5 (27.8)	60 (50.8)	18 (38.3)	0.0990
S0 at diagnosis	110/192	13 (72.2)	69 (58.5)	28 (59.6)	0.5383
S1 at diagnosis	37/192	3 (16.7)	23 (19.5)	11 (23.4)	0.7885
E1 at worst flare	9/192	1 (5.6)	4 (3.4)	4 (8.5)	0.3863
E2 at worst flare	27/192	3 (16.7)	18 (15.3)	6 (12.8)	0.8943
E3 at worst flare	23/192	3 (16.7)	16 (13.6)	4 (8.5)	0.5814
E4 at worst flare	75/192	7 (38.9)	50 (42.4)	18 (38.3)	0.8750
S0 at worst flare	83/192	9 (50.0)	52 (44.1)	22 (46.8)	0.8713
S1 at worst flare	49/192	5 (27.8)	34 (28.8)	10 (21.3)	0.6114
Treatment
Systemic steroids1	192	11 (61.1)	92 (78.0)	29 (61.7)	0.0599
Number of courses of steroid treatment	190	1 (0-2)	1 (1-2)	1 (0-2)	0.0672
Immunosuppressive treatment2	191	9 (50.0)	74 (63.2)	25 (53.2)	0.3451
Number of immunosuppressants	191	1 (0-1)	1 (0-1)	1 (0-1)	0.2572
Time-to-first dose of immunosuppressive treatment in mo	109	3.0 (2.0-17.0)	4.0 (0.0-10.0)	2.8 (0.0-8.0)	0.4356
Age at first intake of immunosuppressive treatment in yr	109	14.7 (10.4-16.1)	12.3 (7.8-14.1)	11.0 (7.3-15.5)	0.2381
Biological therapy3	192	4 (22.2)	29 (24.8)	13 (27.7)	0.8781
Total number of biologics	192	0 (0-0)	0 (0-0)	0 (0-1)	0.8164
Time-to-first dose of biological treatment in mo	48	19.9 (12.8-50.3)	16.4 (9.1-28.1)	10.8 (4.0-27.7)	0.3152
Age at first biological treatment	49	15.7 (14.7-15.9)	11.5 (7.9-14.6)	10.7 (4.5-15.5)	0.0852
Operative treatment4	192	0 (0.0)	3 (2.5)	1 (2.1)	0.7893
Age at first surgery in yr	6	7.7 (5.9-9.6)	14.8 (6.8-17.1)	13.0 (10.4-15.6)	0.2969
Time-to-first surgery in mo	4		16.7 (5.0-28.7)	19.1 (0.9-37.4)	1.0000
Hospitalisations, if duration ≥ 1 yr
Hospitalisations for relapse, per 1 yr of the disease	98	0.3 (0.3-0.8)	0.6 (0.3-1.6)	0.9 (0.5-1.3)	0.2518
Days of hospitalisation for relapse, per 1 yr of the disease	98	2.5 (0.6-4.5)	4.8 (1.8-9.3)	7.3 (3.8-8.7)	0.1362
Relapses from diagnosis, per 1 yr of the disease	98	0.3 (0.1-0.8)	0.6 (0.3-1.2)	0.8 (0.3-1.3)	0.3491
Severe relapses from diagnosis, per 1 yr of the disease	100	0.0 (0.0-0.3)	0.1 (0.0-0.6)	0.2 (0.0-0.4)	0.7150
Concomitant diseases5	192	9 (50.0)	41 (34.7)	15 (31.9)	0.3781
Extraintestinal manifestations	192	3 (16.7)	23 (19.5)	10 (21.3)	0.9131

¹Systemic steroid therapy included: methylprednisolone, prednisone, hydrocortisone.

²Immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory agents included: azathioprine, methotrexate, mercaptopurine, cyclosporine, mycophenolate mofetil, tacrolimus, sulfasalazine.

³Biological agents included: Infliximab, adalimumab, golimumab, vedolizumab.

⁴Only surgery related to inflammatory bowel disease-specific problems (e.g., colectomy, resection, fistula, perforation, abscess) was included.

⁵e.g., celiac disease, bronchial asthma, obesity, gastroesophageal reflux disease, epilepsy, hypothyroidism. CRP: C-reactive protein; IBD: Inflammatory bowel disease; IQR: Interquartile range; PUCAI: Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis Activity Index.