| Abstract | dc.description.abstract | Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are inflammatory diseases
with a multifactorial component that involve the intestinal tract. The two relevant IBD
syndromes are Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). One factor involved in IBD
development is a genetic predisposition, associated to NOD2/CARD15 and Toll-like receptor 4
(TLR4) polymorphisms that might favor infectious enterocolitis that is possibly associated to the
development of IBD. The identification of specific immunologic alterations in IBD and their
relationship to the etiology of the disease is a relevant research topic. The role of intra and
extracellular molecules, such as transcription factors and cytokines that are involved in the
inflammatory response, needs to be understood. The relevance of immunologic molecules that
might drive the immune response to a T helper (Th) 1, Th 2 or the recently described Th 17
phenotype, has been demonstrated in animal models and clinical studies with IBD patients. CD
and UC predominantly behave with a Th 1 and Th 2 immune phenotype, respectively. Recently,
an association between CD and Th 17 has been reported. The knowledge acquired from
immunologic and molecular research will help to develop accurate diagnostic methods and
efficient therapies | en_US |
