Effect of Vedolizumab on Anemia of Chronic Disease in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

Background: Anemia of Chronic Disease (ACD) can negatively influence the clinical course of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Vedolizumab on ACD in IBD. Methods: Clinical data of 75 IBD patients (25 Crohn’s disease (CD) and 50 Ulcerative Colitis (UC)) receiving Vedolizumab in a tertiary referral IBD center were retrospectively evaluated and the effect of the drug on ACD was ascertained at weeks 14 and 24. Results: ACD was diagnosed in 35 (11 CD and 24 UC) out of 75 (47%) IBD patients. At both week 14 and week 24, improvements and resolutions of ACD were achieved by 13/35 (37%) and 11/35 (31%) patients, respectively. Baseline demographic/clinical characteristics did not differ between patients with ACD improvements/resolutions and those with persistent ACD. Clinical response occurred more frequently in patients who achieved ACD resolution (10/11, 91%) than in those without ACD improvement (5/11, 45%, p = 0.022). When analysis was restricted to anemic patients, ACD resolution was documented in 10/22 patients (45%) achieving clinical response and 1/13 of non-responders (8%; p = 0.02). Conclusions: ACD occurs in half of the IBD patients and, in nearly two thirds of them, Vedolizumab treatment associates with ACD resolution/improvement.