Short bowel patients treated for two years with glucagon-like peptide 2 (GLP-2): compliance, safety, and effects on quality of life.

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIMS:

Glucagon-like peptide 2 (GLP-2) has been shown to improve intestinal absorption in short bowel syndrome (SBS) patients in a short-term study. This study describes safety, compliance, and changes in quality of life in 11 SBS patients at baseline, week 13, 26, and 52 during two years of subcutaneous GLP-2 treatment, 400 microgram TID, intermitted by an 8-week washout period.

METHODS:

Safety and compliance was evaluated during the admissions. The Sickness Impact Profile (SIP), Short Form 36 (SF 36), and Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (IBDQ) evaluated quality of life.

RESULTS:

The predominant adverse event was transient abdominal discomfort in 5 of 11 patients, but in 2, both suffering from Crohns disease, it progressed to abdominal pain and led to discontinuation of GLP-2 treatment. One had a fibrostenotic lesion electively resected at the jejuno-ascendo-anastomosis. The investigator excluded a patient due to unreliable feedback. Stoma nipple enlargement was seen in all 9 jejunostomy patients. Reported GLP-2 compliance was excellent (>93%). GLP-2 improved the overall quality of life VAS-score (4.1 +/- 2.8 cm versus 6.0 +/- 2.4 cm, P < .01), the overall SIP score (10.3 +/- 8.9% versus 6.2 +/- 9.5%, P < .001), the mental component of the SF-36 (45 +/- 13% versus 53 +/- 11%, P < .05), and the overall IBDQ score (5.1 +/- 0.9 versus 5.4 +/- 0.9, P < .007) in the 8 patients completing the study.

CONCLUSIONS:

Long-term treatment with GLP-2 is feasible in SBS patients, although caution must be exercised in patients with a history of abdominal pain. Although conclusions cannot be made in a noncontrolled trial, the high reported compliance might reflect a high treatment satisfaction, where the clinical benefits of GLP-2 may outweigh the discomforts of injections.

• Authors: P B Jeppesen, P Lund, I B Gottschalck, H B Nielsen, J J Holst, J Mortensen, S S Poulsen, B Quistorff, P B Mortensen
• Journal: Gastroenterology research and practice (Gastroenterol Res Pract) Vol. 2009 Pg. 425759 ( 2009) ISSN: 1687-630X [Electronic] Egypt
• PMID: 19590736 (Publication Type: Journal Article)