The EUCALYPTUS study, recently led by Dr. Julie Huet, dropped a major bombshell on chronic CD treatment. This study demonstrates the value of utilizing a dual testing strategy to deliver lasting benefits to patients in the long run. We performed our research at Inserm, 3iHP, CHU Clermont-Ferrand, and the Service d’Hépato-Gastroentérologie at Université Clermont Auvergne in Clermont-Ferrand, France. It was released electronically April 25, 2025, in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.
The primary objective of the study was to evaluate the agreement between FC and IUS in detecting active CD. One hundred twelve consecutive patients, all older than 18 years of age, participated in the study. Each participant completed a scheduled IUS and provided stool samples within a week. The patients were classified into four categories based on their healing status: transmural healing, IUS healing, biochemical remission, and no healing.
Patient Healing Categories Defined
Transmural healing was considered when FC levels were normal (< 100 μg/g) and IUS findings were normal. In comparison, IUS healing was noted to have high FC levels but IUS was unremarkable. Biochemical remission was defined as normal FC levels with abnormal IUS, representing evidence of active inflammation. Lastly, no repair detectable by elevated values on both FC and IUS assays.
The results were promising. The study found that 44.6% of patients, or 50 patients, compared to the cohort… achieved transmural healing. In parallel, 12.5% (14 patients) exhibited IUS healing. In addition, 16.1% (n = 18) attained biochemical remission and 26.8% (n = 30) had evidence of no healing.
Implications for Bowel Damage Progression
Our data shows a strong association between healing outcomes and increasing risk of bowel damage progression. Transmural healing is crucial in reducing the risk of progressing the damage to the bowel. In fact it has a very large effect over the no healing category, p<.0001.
The lead authors of the study, Eunice Wang and Dongling Wu, highlighted the importance of their findings in terms of the dual testing strategy. They wrote, “Our study reaffirmed the possible complementarity of Fcal [faecal calprotectin] and transmural evaluation. Taken together, this indicates that using both tests can give a more complete picture of what’s happening with a patient’s health.
Advantages of Intestinal Ultrasound
Additionally, the study underscored the importance of patient preferences when it comes to testing methods. The authors concluded, “We indeed corroborated that IUS is better accepted by the patients with CD.” This lesson reinforces the idea that we should always put patients’ comfort first. For instance, it’s critical for the effective management of chronic conditions, such as Crohn’s disease.
The findings from Dr. Huet’s research may pave the way for improved diagnostic and treatment strategies for Crohn’s disease, ultimately enhancing patient outcomes and quality of life.
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