CrohnÕs disease and ulcerative colitis are chronic inflammatory diseases of the
gastrointestinal tract, primarily affecting the small intestine and colon. Although many current
hypotheses implicate a combination of environmental, genetic, and immunoregulatory
factors, the cause of these two major subtypes of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) remains
unclear. CrohnÕs disease and ulcerative colitis are not common conditions and generally
are not associated with increased mortality; however, they are associated with increased …