Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2007 Jan 15;44(2):256-62.
doi: 10.1086/510385. Epub 2006 Dec 12.

The role of microbes in Crohn's disease

Paul B Eckburg  1 , David A Relman
Affiliations
Review

The role of microbes in Crohn's disease

Paul B Eckburg et al. Clin Infect Dis. .

Abstract

Despite decades of research, the etiology of Crohn's disease (CD) remains unknown. Its pathogenesis may involve a complex interplay between host genetics, immune dysfunction, and microbial or environmental factors. Microorganisms, including pathogens and members of the indigenous microbiota, may initiate or propagate the inflammatory process in CD. The pathogenesis of CD has been difficult to study, owing to the broad spectrum of typically nonspecific clinical manifestations, the complexity of environmental and genetic factors, the lack of an accurate model of disease, and the limitations of microbiological methods. A more useful and relevant paradigm for the etiology of CD might be based on the idea of a pathogenic microbial community profile and might emphasize the role of interactive sets of microbes, rather than the role of individual organisms. We review how microbes may participate in the pathogenesis of CD and how they may inappropriately activate the mucosal immune system in genetically predisposed individuals.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

Publication types

MeSH terms