Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40888749›Full record

ArticleJournal of Crohn's & colitis2025

Submucosal hyper-echogenicity on intestinal ultrasound is associated with fat deposition and predicts treatment non-response in patients with ulcerative colitis.

Maarten J Pruijt, E Andra Neefjes-Borst, Floris A E De Voogd, Marilyne M Lange, Christoph Teichert, Reimer J Janssen, Geert R D'Haens, Krisztina B Gecse

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of Crohn's & colitis, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
  3. Review
  4. Observational
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Maarten J PruijtDepartment of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-7457-8353
E Andra Neefjes-BorstDepartment of Pathology, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Floris A E De VoogdDepartment of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-4058-252X
Marilyne M LangeDepartment of Pathology, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Christoph TeichertDepartment of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID 0009-0006-3080-9806
Reimer J JanssenDepartment of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Geert R D'HaensDepartment of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Krisztina B GecseDepartment of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

aimsThe submucosa is the most responsive bowel wall layer on intestinal ultrasound (IUS) when assessing treatment response in ulcerative colitis (UC). Submucosal thickening with hyper-echogenicity is observed. This study aimed to quantify echogenicity and understand transmural changes in UC.

methodsIn total, 118 patients were studied in two cohorts. Cohort 1 included colectomy patients: 19 UC patients and 52 controls without inflammatory bowel disease. Cohort 2 included 47 UC patients in a prospective cohort starting anti-inflammatory treatment. In Cohort 1, submucosal inflammation, and fat and collagen deposition were scored by two pathologists using a semi-quantitative scale (0-3). For UC patients in Cohort 1, histopathology and IUS of the sigmoid were location matched. Relative submucosal echogenicity (RSE) was assessed, quantified in grayscale values. In Cohort 2, baseline sigmoid RSE was compared between endoscopic responders (≥1 point decrease in endoscopic Mayo score after 8-26 weeks) and non-responders.

resultsIn all colectomized UC patients with preserved wall layer stratification (n = 12, 63%), submucosal fat (score ≥1) was present; in those with loss of stratification (n = 7, 37%), fat was absent (score = 0). RSE was higher when fat was present [95.5 (IQR 86.5-116.9) vs 8.1 (IQR 5.8-23.0) grayscale values, P < .001], with no significant differences for inflammation and collagen. In Cohort 2, RSE was higher in non-responders (n = 17) compared to responders (137.1 ± 50.9 vs 88.3 ± 49.6 grayscale values, P = .003). An RSE of >108 grayscale values predicted non-response [OR: 0.07 (95% CI: 0.01-0.44), P = .004].

conclusionSubmucosal hyper-echogenicity on IUS indicates fat deposition and predicts non-response in UC.

Indexed as

Adipose TissueColitis, UlcerativeIntestinal MucosaAdultCase-Control StudiesColectomyFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesUltrasonographyintestinal ultrasoundsubmucosal hyper-echogenicityulcerative colitis

Identifiers

PMID40888749
PMCPMC12596728

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.