title: Association between inflammatory bowel disease and sarcoidosis. Report of two cases and review of the literature.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Common etiopathogenic factors may explain the association of systemic sarcoidosis with inflammatory bowel disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report two cases of such an association: one of sarcoidosis that developed 2 years after proctocolectomy for ulcerative colitis and one of sarcoidosis and Crohn's colitis. Factors like increased cellular immunity or circulating immunocomplexes or autoantibodies may have a role. Exogenous agents or familiarity may also be involved.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is postulated that the association between sarcoidosis and inflammatory bowel disease (both ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease) does not occur by chance alone and that the two conditions may share some genetic or immunologic alterations. The two diseases, however, follow an independent clinical course.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, University of Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fries
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Grassi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Leone
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Giacomin
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Galeazzi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Naccarato
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D017565:Sarcoidosis, Pulmonary / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology