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

Table 4 Clinical characteristics in patients with Crohn’s disease 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	213	15.5 (13.2-16.8)	15.2 (13.3-17.2)	15.2 (13.4-16.2)	0.8055
At diagnosis	213	11.8 (10.1-14.6)	12.7 (9.9-14.5)	12.6 (10.0-13.9)	0.8796
At worst flare	184	13.3 (11.6-15.2)	13.6 (11.3-15.8)	14.3 (12.8-15.9)	0.5121
Duration of the disease in yr	211	2.8 (0.6-5.4)	2.0 (0.8-4.0)	2.3 (0.8-4.1)	0.7843
Nutritional status
Weight at diagnosis in kg	207	38.3 (27.6-48.0)	37.3 (25.3-49.5)	38.4 (28.3-57.6)	0.5360
Weight at diagnosis, z score	204	-0.53 [(-1.02)-(-0.02)]	-0.91 [(-1.46)-(-0.12)]	-0.73 [(-1.34)-0.38]	0.2062
Height at diagnosis in cm	207	148.3 (141.0-164.0)	151.5 (134.0-164.0)	151.3 (141.0-170.0)	0.6757
Height at diagnosis, z score	204	-0.17 [(-0.85)-0.51]	-0.47 [(-1.43)-0.32]	0.05 [(-1.10)-0.96]	0.0617
Body mass index at diagnosis in kg/m2	207	16.73 (14.28-18.42)	16.59 (14.41-18.22)	16.40 (14.78-20.78)	0.8397
Body mass index at diagnosis, z score	204	-0.72 [(-1.33)-(-0.16)]	-0.79 [(-1.53)-(-0.08)]	-0.88 [(-1.29)-0.49]	0.7878
Weight at worst flare in kg	181	41.8 (34.8-50.3)	41.9 (29.6-52.6)	46.8 (36.2-58.9)	0.2294
Weight at worst flare, z score	178	-0.67 [(-1.16)-0.10]	-1.14 [(-1.64)-(-0.25)]	-0.60 [(-1.22)-0.02]	0.0756
Height at worst flare in cm	183	153.0 (148.5-166.0)	158.0 (141.5-167.0)	162.0 (148.5-171.5)	0.3088
Height at worst flare, z score	180	-0.15 [(-1.09)-0.61]	-0.52 [(-1.41)-0.21]	-0.24 [(-1.10)-0.43]	0.1234
Body mass index at worst flare in kg/m2	181	17.29 (15.53-18.60)	16.89 (14.87-19.03)	17.09 (15.56-21.74)	0.4172
Body mass index at worst flare, z score	178	-0.87 [(-1.38)-0.01]	-1.03 [(-1.55)-(-0.19)]	-0.53 [(-1.46)-0.49]	0.3913
Albumin level
At diagnosis in g/dL	186	3.9 (3.7-4.3)	3.8 (3.4-4.2)	3.9 (3.4-4.3)	0.5796
At worst flare in g/dL	179	3.9 (3.8-4.3)	3.9 (3.4-4.1)	3.9 (3.6-4.3)	0.0611
Parameter of inflammation
CRP at diagnosis in mg/L	208	13.8 (0.8-40.0)	13.0 (2.1-29.6)	12.0 (3.4-24.9)	0.8818
CRP at worst flare in mg/L	185	18.3 (1.7-31.5)	14.0 (3.3-38.5)	13.6 (3.2-26.8)	0.7672
Disease activity scales
PCDAI at diagnosis	190	25 (20-35)	35 (25-50)	30 (25-43)	0.0282
PCDAI at worst flare	170	35 (23-50)	45 (30-53)	38 (30-53)	0.1898
Disease localisation and behaviour
L1 at diagnosis	53/213	9 (25.7)	35 (26.1)	8 (19.5)	0.6852
L2 at diagnosis	40/213	9 (25.7)	19 (14.2)	11 (26.8)	0.0935
L3 at diagnosis	99/213	13 (37.1)	67 (50.0)	16 (39.0)	0.2507
L4a at diagnosis	23/213	4 (11.4)	14 (10.4)	4 (9.8)	0.9721
L4b at diagnosis	8/213	1 (2.9)	7 (5.2)	0 (0.0)	0.2950
B1 at diagnosis	146/213	24 (68.6)	89 (66.4)	33 (80.5)	0.2287
B2 at diagnosis	15/213	3 (8.6)	11 (8.2)	1 (2.4)	0.4263
B3 at diagnosis	19/213	3 (8.6)	15 (11.2)	1 (2.4)	0.2304
B2B3 at diagnosis	4/213	1 (2.9)	3 (2.2)	0 (0.0)	0.5927
G0 at diagnosis	145/213	24 (68.6)	92 (68.7)	29 (70.7)	0.9667
G1 at diagnosis	33/213	3 (8.6)	24 (17.9)	6 (14.6)	0.3921
P at diagnosis	19/213	0 (0.0)	16 (11.9)	3 (7.3)	0.0824
L1 at worst flare	40/213	5 (14.3)	26 (19.4)	9 (22.0)	0.6873
L2 at worst flare	27/213	7 (20.0)	14 (10.4)	6 (14.6)	0.3007
L3 at worst flare	92/213	10 (28.6)	66 (49.3)	16 (39.0)	0.0708
L4a at worst flare	18/213	3 (8.6)	12 (9.0)	3 (7.3)	0.9477
L4b at worst flare	9/213	1 (2.9)	5 (3.7)	3 (7.3)	0.5507
B1 at worst flare	114/213	17 (48.6)	74 (55.2)	23 (56.1)	0.7549
B2 at worst flare	19/213	2 (5.7)	12 (9.0)	5 (12.2)	0.6165
B3 at worst flare	21/213	1 (2.9)	16 (11.9)	4 (9.8)	0.2798
B2B3 at worst flare	5/213	1 (2.9)	4 (9.8)	0 (0.0)	0.5367
G0 at worst flare	121/213	18 (51.4)	79 (59.0)	24 (58.5)	0.7184
G1 at worst flare	34/213	2 (5.7)	24 (17.9)	8 (19.5)	0.1776
P at worst flare	20/213	0 (0.0)	17 (12.7)	3 (7.3)	0.0649
Treatment
Systemic steroids1	214	19 (34.3)	73 (54.1)	21 (51.2)	0.9455
Number of courses of steroid treatment	212	1 (0-2)	1 (0-2)	1 (0-1)	0.5535
Immunosuppressive treatment2	214	25 (71.4)	110 (81.5)	31 (75.6)	0.3756
Number of immunosuppressants	214	1 (0-1)	1 (1-1)	1 (1-1)	0.2632
Time-to-first dose of immunosuppressive treatment in mo	166	1.3 (0.0-13.0)	2.0 (0.0-7.0)	1.0 (0.0-9.6)	0.8866
Age at first intake of immunosuppressive treatment in yr	166	12.9 (10.3-13.9)	13.0 (10.7-14.9)	12.7 (9.6-14.3)	0.6668
Biological therapy3	214	15 (42.9)	73 (54.1)	18 (43.9)	0.3303
Total number of biologics	214	0 (0-1)	1 (0-1)	0 (0-1)	0.2243
Time-to-first dose of biological treatment in mo	102	17.8 (6.3-44.0)	12.6 (5.6-25.9)	13.3 (6.1-26.7)	0.6313
Age at first biological treatment	102	13.8 (12.7-14.8)	13.6 (11.3-15.3)	14.0 (10.7-15.6)	0.8880
Operative treatment4	214	2 (5.7)	19 (14.1)	8 (19.5)	0.2158
Age at first surgery in yr	30	11.3 (9.4-13.1)	14.5 (12.5-16.5)	14.9 (14.0-15.7)	0.1698
Time-to-first surgery in mo	26	12.0	19.4 (0.0-41.1)	25.1 (7.9-43.5)	0.7807
Hospitalisations, if duration ≥ 1 yr
Hospitalisations for relapse, per 1 yr of the disease	133	0.4 (0.2-0.7)	0.5 (0.3-0.8)	0.4 (0.2-1.3)	0.6615
Days of hospitalisation for relapse, per 1 yr of the disease	132	2.7 (0.7-5.6)	4.7 (1.6-7.5)	4.0 (1.1-7.6)	0.4001
Relapses from diagnosis, per 1 yr of the disease	132	0.4 (0.2-0.9)	0.5 (0.2-0.9)	0.4 (0.2-1.4)	0.8664
Severe relapses from diagnosis, per 1 yr of the disease	129	0.0 (0.0-0.3)	0.2 (0.0-0.5)	0.2 (0.0-0.5)	0.1996
Concomitant diseases5	214	16 (45.7)	40 (29.6)	8 (19.5)	0.0446
Extraintestinal manifestations	214	7 (20.0)	34 (25.2)	11 (26.8)	0.7660

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; IQR: Interquartile range; PCDAI: Pediatric Crohn’s Disease Activity Index.