Crohn's disease in one mixed-race population in Brazil.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the classification and severity of Crohn's disease in different racial groups.


METHODS
Patients with Crohn's disease from the outpatient clinic of the University Hospital Prof. Edgard Santos were enrolled in the study. This hospital is a reference centre for inflammatory bowel disease. Race was determined using self-identification. The Vienna's classification was applied for all subjects. The severity of Crohn's disease was determined according to the number of surgical procedures, hospital admissions in the last year and treatment with steroids and immunosuppressors. Statistical analysis was calculated using t test for means, chi2 or F for proportions. A P value < 0.05 was considered to be significant.


RESULTS
Sixty-five patients were enrolled. Non-white patients were more frequently diagnosed with Crohn's disease in the age less than 40 years than white patients. The behaviour of disease was similar in both groups with a high frequency of the penetrating form. There was a tendency for non-white patients to have a greater frequency of hospital admissions in the last year compared to white subjects. Non-whites also had a higher rate of colonic and upper gastrointestinal involvement, and were also more frequently on treatment with immunossupressors than white patients although this difference was not statistically significant.


CONCLUSIONS
Non-white patients with Crohn's disease had an earlier diagnosis and appeared to have had a more severe disease presentation than white patients.
Santana
Genoile Oliveira
GO
Gastrohepatology Unit, Federal University of Bahia, Brazil. genoile@uol.com.br
Lyra
Luiz Guilherme Costa
LG
Santana
Tamara Celi Almeida
TC
Dos Reis
Lidiane Bianca
LB
Guedes
Jorge Carvalho
JC
Toralles
Maria Betania
MB
Lyra
André Castro
AC
D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D044382:Population Groups