Author/Editor     Urlep Žužej, Darja; Mamula, Paul William; Baldassano, RN
Title     Extraintestinal manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease
Type     članek
Source     Minerva Gastroenterol Dietol Testo Stam
Vol. and No.     Letnik 51, št. 2
Publication year     2005
Volume     str. 147-63
Language     eng
Abstract     Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) predominantly affects the gastrointestinal system but it is associated with a large number of extraintestinal manifestations (EIM). These extraintestinal disorders can significantly contribute to morbidity and impair the overall life quality. EIM may be diagnosed before, concurrently with, or after the diagnosis of IBD is made. The precise etiology of EIM remains unknown. It currently is believed that mucosa from the underlying bowel disease may provide associated immune responses for the inflammatory process in the extraintestinal sites. The involvement of autoimmune mechanisms has been suggested when the shared and unique epitopes in the human colon, eye, joint and biliary epithelium were detected. Recently, the presence of long-lived populations of memory lymphocytes has been discovered which arise as a consequence of bowel inflammation and express homing receptors that direct their migration not onlyto the gut but also to the extraintestinal sites. The most common extraintestinal disorders associated with IBD include dermatologic, ophthalmologic, musculoskeletal and hepatobiliary diseases, although virtually every organ system may be involved. If these disorders can be considered as the real extraintestinal manifestations of IBD or represent just association between different syndromes of autoimmune etiology, is still not clear. It is important to acquire knowledge on these extraintestinal manifestations of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis to start the respective treatment early.
Descriptors     BILIARY TRACT DISEASES
BONE DISEASES, METABOLIC
COLITIS, ULCERATIVE
CROHN DISEASE
EYE DISEASES
HEMATOLOGIC DISEASES
INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASES
MUSCULOSKELETAL DISEASES
SKIN DISEASES