[Inflammatory bowel disease--do microorganisms play a role?].
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.
Nielsen
Sara Elsøe
SE
Medicinsk-gastroenterologisk afdeling C, patologisk-anatomisk institut, Amtssygehuset i Herlev. sara@mdb.ku.dk
Nielsen
Ole Haagen
OH
Vainer
Ben
B
Claesson
Mogens H
MH
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