Postcovid syndrome in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases

Aim: to assess the presence and course of postcovid syndrome in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), as well as to study the IBD course in the postcovid period. Patients and Methods: 125 patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) in the postcovid period were sequentially included in the study. Assessment of the postcovid syndrome was conducted 3, 6, 9 or 12 months after acute period of COVID-19. A questionnaire included in an in-depth medical check-up for citizens who have experienced COVID-19 was used to identify the clinical symptoms of postcovid syndrome. The article presents the results of the following scales: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) — to identify and evaluate the severity of depression and anxiety, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) — to evaluate depression, Asthenic State Scale (ASS) — to diagnose asthenic condition, Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) — to study the severity of cognitive disorder. The nature of the IBD course and the change in therapy were also evaluated. Results: 81 (64.8%) patients were diagnosed with CD, and 44 (35.2%) — with UC. The mean age of patients was 41.8±14.5 years, of which 68 (54.4%) were male, 57 (45.6%) — female. When filling up the questionnaire of the in-depth medical check-up 3 months after COVID-19, 47.8% of patients most commonly noted fatigue, and/or muscle pain, and/or headaches, and/or dysautonomia, and/or cognitive disorder, while 34.7% of patients — dyspnea, reduced exercise tolerance and/or chronic cough, and joint pain. Thus, postcovid manifestations occurred in approx. 47.8% of patients with IBD. An increase of complaints frequency, characteristic of postcovid syndrome, was noted by the 6th month after COVID-19. By the 9th and 12th month, the frequency of complaints decreased. When analyzing complaints related to asthenia, cognitive disorder, anxiety and depression, there was a tendency to the maximum number of disorders 6 months after COVID-19. Studying the activity in patients with IBD before, during and after COVID-19 (after 3, 6, 9 or 12 months), it was noted that the largest number of patients with acute IBD was 6 months after COVID-19. Conclusions: 47% of patients with IBD had complaints characteristic of postcovid syndrome, which persisted up to 12 months after COVID-19. Asthenia was the most common. Several complaints were increasing by the 6th month. IBD exacerbation rate reached its maximum value also by the 6th month after COVID-19. KEYWORDS: inflammatory bowel diseases, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, new coronavirus infection, COVID-19, postcovid syndrome, anxiety, depression, cognitive disorder, asthenia. FOR CITATION: Kupkenova L.M., Shamsutdinova N.G., Odintsova A.Kh. et al. Postcovid syndrome in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases. Russian Medical Inquiry. 2022;6(5):227–231 (in Russ.). DOI: 10.32364/2587-6821-2022-6-5-227-231.