Environment vs Heredity in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Abstract

In a discussion of the etiology of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), environment vs heredity can be included. In terms of Crohn’s disease, one might consider host characteristics, factors that favor the role of an infectious agent, characteristics of the ideal agent if it were to be found, and the role of an intraluminal agent, ie, the fact that something within the lumen seems to be a major factor. Ulcerative colitis could also be discussed in the same general format of host characteristics, the presumed initial inciting agent or factor that might be involved, the mechanisms that might perpetuate this inflammatory process, perhaps involving prostaglandins, the liability of a fulminative course, perhaps including CMV virus or Clostridium difficile toxin in some patients; and the liability to malignant degeneration.