摘要：THE INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASES (IBD) CROHN'S DISEASE (CD) AND ULCERATIVE COLITIS(UC) ARE CHRONIC IMMUNOLOGIC DISEASES THAT CAN LEAD TO DECREASED QUALITY OF LIFEAND INVALIDITY; IBD ARE CHARACTERIZED BY ABERRANT IMMUNE RESPONSES TO INTESTINALMICROBIOTA IN GENETICALLY SUSCEPTIBLE HOSTS THAT LEAD TO CHRONIC EXCESSIVEINFLAMMATION AND IN TIME TO PROGRESSIVE GUT WALL DESTRUCTION. IBD HAVE ANEUROPEAN INCIDENCE OF 12 TO 25 PER 100,000 PERSON-YEARS, HIGHER FOR UC THAN CD, WITHA PREVALENCE OF 0.5-1%.ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS LIKE CIGARETTE SMOKING, POLLUTION, CHANGES IN DIET ANDEXCESSIVE USE OF ANTIBIOTICS ARE INCRIMINATED IN IBD PATOGENESIS.THERE IS THOUGHT TO EXIST AN IMBALANCE IN THE INNATE AND ACQUIRED IMMUNERESPONSES TO NORMAL INTESTINAL MICROBIOTA THAT ACTIVATES PRO-INFLAMMATORYCYTOKINES AND LEADS TO A CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY PROCESS AROUND THE GUT BARRIER.THIS IN TIME LEADS TO INTESTINAL BARRIER DESTRUCTION AND EXPOSURE TO EVEN MOREBACTERIAL PARTICLES THAT FURTHER AGGRAVATE THE INFLAMMATORY PROCESS.GENETIC STUDIES HAVE PROVIDED MANY SUSCEPTIBLE LOCI FOR IBD. IT IS KNOWN FROM THELITERATURE THAT GENETIC FACTORS ACCOUNT FOR 13.6% OF CD AND 7.5% FOR UC VARIANCE.IN THIS LITERATURE REVIEW WE HIGHLIGHT SOME ETHIOPATHOGENIC LEADS THAT ARE RECENTTARGETS OF CLINICAL AND FUNDAMENTAL IBD RESEARCH.
