ArticleBMC infectious diseases2025
Prevalence of opportunistic infections in Syrian inflammatory bowel disease patients on biologic therapy: a multi-center retrospective cross-sectional study.
Article in BMC infectious diseases, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Hepatitis B Virus Reactivation Risk With IL-17, IL-23/IL-12, or JAK Inhibitors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Liver international : official journal of the International Association for the Study of the Liver · 2026Pooled it
- Article
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundHepatitis B, hepatitis C, cytomegalovirus (CMV), and tuberculosis (TB) pose significant risks to patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) receiving biological therapy. However, data on the prevalence of these infections in Syria are scarce.
methodsWe conducted a retrospective chart review of IBD patients receiving biologic therapy at Damascus Hospital and Ibn Al-Nafees Hospital, two major public institutions in Syria, between January 2021 and November 2024. A minimum sample size of 130 was estimated; however, all available records were reviewed.
resultsAmong 185 IBD patients (104 from Damascus and 81 from Ibn Al-Nafees), 51.4% had ulcerative colitis and 47.6% had Crohn's disease. The smoking prevalence was 9.2%, which was higher in Crohn's disease (5.9%) than in ulcerative colitis (3.2%). TST performed in 61.1% of patients, with 4.3% positivity, and interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) in 8.7% (1.1% positive). Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and anti-HBc antibodies were found in 2.7% and 5.4% of the patients, respectively, while hepatitis C seroprevalence was low (0.5%). CMV seropositivity was high in Damascus (50.8%), with two cases (1.1%) of CMV colitis. Biologic therapies included infliximab (42.7%), ustekinumab (24.3%), golimumab (10.8%), and adalimumab (6.5%). Data gaps, particularly in viral serology and TB screening, are notable.
conclusionThis study identifies deficiencies in TB/hepatitis B screening (notably anti-HBs Ab) and elevated CMV seroprevalence among Syrian IBD patients receiving biologics, extending to immunosuppressed cohorts (rheumatology, dermatology, oncology). Insufficient screening heightens occult infection/reactivation risks, necessitating standardized pretreatment protocols to reduce morbidity in high-risk populations. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.
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