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Tracy Hampton, PhD

JAMA. 2004;292:2708-2713.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Chicago—While inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been studied and treated for decades, it remains mysterious in many ways. Various complex factors keep researchers guessing why some individuals develop Crohn disease or ulcerative colitis (the conditions that fall under the label of IBD), while others are never afflicted.

But science is making headway, and researchers are beginning to paint a picture of IBD that includes genetic susceptibility, an abnormal balance between beneficial and pathogenic bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract, defects in the integrity of the intestinal epithelium, and a disregulated immune response of the host. It is now believed that a combination of these factors is necessary for IBD to develop.

At the Third Annual Advances in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases conference held here in October, experts in the field discussed the pathogenesis of IBD and potential treatment strategies that might be used to manage the disease.

GENES AND SUSCEPTIBILITY

Certain . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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