Network analysis of extraintestinal manifestations and associated autoimmune disorders in Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis

• Published in: npj Digital Medicine
• Main Authors: Daniel C. Baumgart, C. Hing Cheng, Tian X. Du, Michael D. Parkes, Daniel C. Sadowski, Eytan Wine, Frank Hoentjen, Brendan P. Halloran, Aldo Montano-Loza, Sergio Zepeda-Gomez, Karen Wong, Farhad Peerani, Randolph Goebel, J. Ross Mitchell
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-04-01
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-025-01504-6
• ISSN: 2398-6352

Abstract We detect and interactively visualize occurrence, frequency, sequence, and clustering of extraintestinal manifestations (EIM) and associated immune disorders (AID) in 30,334 inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients (Crohn’s disease (CD) n = 15924, ulcerative colitis (UC) n = 11718, IBD unclassified, IBD-U n = 2692, 52% female, median age 40 years (IQR: 25)) with artificial intelligence (AI). 57% (CD > UC 60% vs. 54%, p < 0.00001) had one or more EIM and/or AID. Mental, musculoskeletal and genitourinary disorders were most frequently associated with IBD: 18% (CD vs. UC 19% vs. 16%, p < 0.00001), 17% (CD vs. UC 20% vs. 15%, p < 0.00001) and 11% (CD vs. UC 13% vs. 9%, p < 0.00001), respectively. AI detected 4 vs. 5 vs. 5 distinct EIM/AID communities with 420 vs. 396 vs. 467 nodes and 11,492 vs. 9116 vs. 16,807 edges (links) in CD vs. UC vs. IBD, respectively. Our newly developed interactive free web app shows previously unknown communities, relationships, and temporal patterns—the diseasome and interactome.