Allergic and Immunologic Perspectives of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

AbstractInflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic immune-mediated inflammatory condition primarily involving the gastrointestinal tract. It includes Crohn ’s disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC), and a less common phenotype—indeterminate colitis. It is thought to result from a complex interplay of environmental, microbial, and host factors including genetic factors, although the exact mechanism is not known. Dietary factors have been shown to pla y a role in the pathogenesis of IBD and can potentially alter the intestinal microbiota as well as disrupt the immune function in the gut. CD is characterized by transmural inflammation, sometimes associated with granulomatous lesions, and involves the entire gastrointestinal tract but often spares the rectum. UC is characterized by mucosal inflammation typically confined to the colon and rectum. Although IBD is mostly seen in western world, recent data suggests that the incidence and prevalence are increasing worldwide. Enteral nutrition has been shown to be effective in inducing remission in pediatric population with CD; however, there is mixed data in adult population. Nutritional deficiencies such as vitamin D and zinc deficiency are often noted in IBD patients. Several extraintestinal manifestations are noted in patients with IBD. Some of them parallel with the disease activity and others are independent of the disease course. Assessment of IBD disease activity clinically, radiologically, if indicated, biochemically and...
Source: Clinical Reviews in Allergy and Immunology - Category: Allergy & Immunology Source Type: research