title: [Inflammatory bowel disease--do microorganisms play a role?].
abstract: This review focuses on the potential pathogenic role of microorganisms in relation to inflammatory bowel diseases, i.e. Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Pathogenic microorganism such as Mycobacterium paratuberculosis, measles and mumps viruses, Epstein-Barr virus, and Listeria monocytogenes are discussed, as well as involvement of the normal intestinal flora. Furthermore, the influence of microorganisms in experimental animal colitis models is discussed. The available results are inconclusive, but there seems to be basis for proposing the hypothesis that the inflammation in inflammatory bowel disease reflects an immune imbalance with loss of tolerance for normally harmless antigens in the mucosal microflora.
authors.affiliation: Medicinsk-gastroenterologisk afdeling C, patologisk-anatomisk institut, Amtssygehuset i Herlev. sara@mdb.ku.dk
authors.forename: Sara Elsøe
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: Ole Haagen
authors.initials: OH
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: Ben
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vainer
authors.forename: Mogens H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Claesson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000821:virology; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000821:virology; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity; D008088:Listeriosis / Q000150:complications; D008457:Measles / Q000150:complications; D009107:Mumps / Q000150:complications; D016927:Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity; D010283:Paratuberculosis / Q000150:complications