Chinese research into severe ulcerative colitis has increased in quantity and complexity

Luo, Cheng-Xin; Wen, Zhong-Hui; Zhen, Yu; Wang, Zhu-Jun; Mu, Jing-Xi; Zhu, Min; Ouyang, Qin; Zhang, Hu

China and other Asian countries are experiencing an increasing incidence and prevalence of UC [13] . A longterm follow-up study from Hong Kong reported a sixfold increase in the incidence of UC (from 0.3 per 100000 in 1986-1988 to 1.8 per 100000 in 2004-2006) [14] . Wang et al [15] analyzed 3100 UC patients hospitalized in 23 hospitals in mainland China from 1990-2003, and noted a steady increase in the number of cases. 21.7% of these patients (654/3100) were identified as severe. Bibliometric analyses and literature reviews of scholarly publications in Chinese periodical databases provide more epidemiological information. For example, a comprehensive search of the Chinese Biomedical Literature database retrieved 3384 articles relating to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) published in Chinese medical journals between 1989 and 2013, in which 140114 cases of UC were reported with the number of reported cases steadily increasing annually [16] . According to Jiang et al [17] , there were 1560 Chinese papers regarding UC published from 1981 to 2000 where 10218 patients with UC were reported. Given this dramatic increase in UC, further database surveys and publication analyses are required to collate the available information about the recent epidemiology and treatment efficacy of UC and SUC in China.