title: Influence of exclusive enteral nutrition therapy on visceral fat in patients with Crohn's disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mesenteric fat plays an important role in the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease (CD), and a higher ratio of visceral fat area (VFA) to subcutaneous fat area (SFA) is related to complicated disease status. Exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) is an effective treatment option for patients with CD, and the aims of this study were to assess the effects of EEN on abdominal fat in patients with CD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patient data were obtained from a prospectively maintained database. The SFA and VFA were measured in 38 patients with CD before and after 8-week EEN therapy, and the mesenteric fat index (MFI), defined as the ratio of VFA to SFA, was calculated. The correlations between MFI and CD activity index and C-reactive protein level were also evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median age of the patients in our study was 29 years, and the median duration of disease was 3.05 years. Both VFA (P = 0.029) and MFI (P = 0.021) were significantly decreased in patients after EEN, but no significant change was observed in SFA (P = 0.335). MFI was significantly correlated with CD activity index (r = 0.523, P = 0.001) and C-reactive protein (r = 0.634, P < 0.0001) in patients with active CD before EEN, although no positive correlations were observed in patients after EEN treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EEN induction therapy was associated with a significant decrease in VFA in patients with CD, and MFI was significantly correlated with CD activity index and C-reactive protein in active CD. Thus, our data reveal additional beneficial therapeutic mechanisms of enteral nutrition treatment in CD.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Weiming
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Jianfeng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Lugen
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zuo
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Lili
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jieshou
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis*; D050218:Body Fat Distribution; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000628:therapy*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D004750:Enteral Nutrition / Q000379:methods*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005526:Food, Formulated; D006801:Humans; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012074:Remission Induction; D050507:Subcutaneous Fat, Abdominal; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D016207:Cytokines