Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Introduction

There are two forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD): ulcerative colitis (UC), a mucosal inflammatory condition confined to the rectum and colon, and Crohn disease, a transmural inflammation of gastrointestinal (GI) mucosa that may occur in any part of the GI tract. The etiologies of both conditions are unknown, but they may have a common pathogenetic mechanism.

• Factors involved in cause of IBD include infectious agents, genetics, the environment, and the immune system.
• The microflora of the GI tract may provide an environmental trigger to activate inflammation and are highly implicated in the development of IBD.
• Several genetic markers and loci have been identified that occur more frequently in patients with IBD. The inflammatory response with IBD may indicate abnormal regulation of the normal immune response or an autoimmune reaction to self-antigens.