Incidence, Prevalence, and Clinical Epidemiology of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in the Arab World: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objectives: Despite the recent findings of the rising incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Arab countries, there are limited data on the characteristics of IBD patients and the disease course in the Arab world. This systematic review aimed to investigate the incidence and epidemiology of IBD in the Arab world. Material and Methods: We conducted a systematic literature review that utilized a comprehensive search of PubMed, Cochrane Central, SCOPUS, Google Scholar, and Web of Science from their inception till August 2020. We included cross-sectional, prospective, and retrospective studies that examined the prevalence and/or epidemiological characteristics of IBD in Arab countries. Results: A total of 16 studies that examined IBD in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Lebanon, and Oman were included. Generally, the included studies covered the period from the early 1990s to the late 2010s. A total of 1,627 ulcerative colitis (UC) patients and 1,588 Crohn’s disease (CD) patients were included in this systematic review. The mean age at diagnosis ranged from 24.13 to 43.6 years in adult cases and from 4.5 to 16 years in pediatric cases. In most of the included studies, the majority of patients were male. The quantitative analysis revealed a pooled incidence rate of 2.33 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2–3.4) per 100,000 persons per year for UC in the Arab world. Likewise, the pooled incidence rate for CD in the Arab world was 1.46 (95% CI 1.03–1.89) per 100,000 persons per year. Conclusion: There is a growing incidence of IBD in the Arab world, while IBD patients from Arab countries may present with some different characteristics, compared to their counterparts in Europe.

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Worldwide Incidence of Colorectal Cancer, Leukemia, and Lymphoma in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Gastroenterology Research and Practice ◽

10.1155/2016/1632439 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 2016 ◽

pp. 1-18 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Chelle L. Wheat ◽

Kindra Clark-Snustad ◽

Beth Devine ◽

David Grembowski ◽

Timothy A. Thornton ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Colorectal Cancer ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Inflammatory Bowel Disease ◽

Incidence Rate ◽

Bowel Disease ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Inflammatory Bowel ◽

Substantial Heterogeneity

Background/Aims. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). In addition, there may be an association between leukemia and lymphoma and IBD. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the IBD literature to estimate the incidence of CRC, leukemia, and lymphoma in adult IBD patients.Methods. Studies were identified by a literature search of PubMed, Cochrane Library, Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, EMBASE, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. Pooled incidence rates (per 100,000 person-years [py]) were calculated through use of a random effects model, unless substantial heterogeneity prevented pooling of estimates. Several stratified analyses and metaregression were performed to explore potential study heterogeneity and bias.Results. Thirty-six articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria. For CRC, the pooled incidence rate in CD was 53.3/100,000 py (95% CI 46.3–60.3/100,000). The incidence of leukemia was 1.5/100,000 py (95% CI −0.06–3.0/100,000) in IBD, 0.3/100,000 py (95% CI −1.0–1.6/100,000) in CD, and 13.0/100,000 py (95% CI 5.8–20.3/100,000) in UC. For lymphoma, the pooled incidence rate in CD was 0.8/100,000 py (95% CI −0.4–2.1/100,000). Substantial heterogeneity prevented the pooling of other incidence estimates.Conclusion. The incidence of CRC, leukemia, and lymphoma in IBD is low.

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