[HTML][HTML] The fundamental basis of inflammatory bowel disease

W Strober, I Fuss, P Mannon - The Journal of clinical …, 2007 - Am Soc Clin Investig
W Strober, I Fuss, P Mannon
The Journal of clinical investigation, 2007Am Soc Clin Investig
Two broad hypotheses have arisen regarding the fundamental nature of the pathogenesis of
inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs, which include ulcerative colitis and Crohn disease). The
first contends that primary dysregulation of the mucosal immune system leads to excessive
immunologic responses to normal microflora. The second suggests that changes in the
composition of gut microflora and/or deranged epithelial barrier function elicits pathologic
responses from the normal mucosal immune system. Here we examine these hypotheses …
Two broad hypotheses have arisen regarding the fundamental nature of the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs, which include ulcerative colitis and Crohn disease). The first contends that primary dysregulation of the mucosal immune system leads to excessive immunologic responses to normal microflora. The second suggests that changes in the composition of gut microflora and/or deranged epithelial barrier function elicits pathologic responses from the normal mucosal immune system. Here we examine these hypotheses and conclude that IBD is indeed characterized by an abnormal mucosal immune response but that microbial factors and epithelial cell abnormalities can facilitate this response.
The inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), represented mainly by ulcerative colitis and Crohn disease but also including noninfectious inflammations of the bowel, have posed an enigma to gastroenterologists and immunologists alike since their first modern descriptions some 75–100 years ago. Powerful new investigative techniques, however, are gradually leading to an increased understanding of the major pathophysiologic processes underlying these diseases, enabling in turn the development of powerful new therapies.
The Journal of Clinical Investigation