IBD Flashcards
Types of IBD
Ulcerative Colitis (UC)
Crohn’s Disease (CD)
Distinction incomplete in ~10% patients (Indeterminate Colitis)
Where is IBD most common
Western europe more than eastern
Are there genetic risk factors for IBD?
Genetic predisposition
201 loci identified
People of White European origin most susceptible
Cell types and molecular mechanisms
Treg IL10: T‐cell immunodeficiencies with bowel inflammation and Defects in Tregs or IL10 signaling.
Phagocytes: Congenital defects of phagocyte number or function.
Complement: Complement deficiencies.
Bacterial recognition: Defects in host‐microbiota interactions, bacterial sensing.
Epithelial barrier: Epithelial barrier defects.
B cells and antibodies: Predominantly antibody deficiencies with IBD.
Innate immune cells: Systemic autoinflammatory diseases and IBD.
PRR: pattern‐recognition receptor
What are the main environmental risk factors for IBD
Smoking
Diet
MICROBIOME
How many gut bacteria
10 x more gut bacteria than host cells
Outline the autoimmune basis of IBD
Complex interplay between host and microbes
Disrupted innate immunity and impaired clearance
Pro-inflammatory compensatory responses
Physical damage and chronic inflammation
What occurs in each of the following layers in IBD:
Intestinal lumen
Mucus layer
Epithelial barrier
Lamina propria
lumen:
Increased pathogen number. Diet/antibiotics/stress. Dysbiosis
mucus:
Reduces mucus in IBD. Reduced anti-inflammatory bacteria in the mucus
Epithelial layer:
Tight junctions inpaired so pathogens can permeate the epithelial barrier
Lamina propria:
Normally there would be physiological inflammation with upregulated Th17/Th1/barrier function and also increased Tregs and IL-10 (anti-inflammatory)
In IBD, TH17 and TH1 greatly increased, reduced Treg, IL10 though
Differentiate Crohns and UC
AI disease: Chrohn’s is Th1 (TNF-a), UC is Th2 (IL-13). Chrohn’s is T cell expansion, defective T cell apoptosis. In UC, limited clonal expansion and normal T cell apoptosis.
Gut layers: Chrohn’s- all layers, UC: mucosa/submucosa
Regions: Crohn’s any part of GI, UC rectum spreading proximally
Inflamed areas patchy in chrohn’s but continuous in UC
Abcesses and fissures and fistulae are common in Crohn’s but not in UC
Surgery is curative in UC but not crohn;s
What are the systemic and GI effects of IBD
SYSTEMIC
Skin rashes, night sweats, fevers, arthritis, weight loss
GI:
Pain
Diarrhoea
Mouth ulcers
Types of therapy for IBD
Supportive,
Symptomatic:
Active disease
Symptomatic:
prevention of remission
Potentially curative
What are supportive therapies
Acutely unwell
- Fluid/electrolyte replacement
- Blood transfusion/ oral iron
- Nutritional support (malnutrition common)
What are the
Symptomatic:
Active disease
therapy
Aminosalicylates eg
Mesalazine
Glucocorticoids eg Prednisolone
Immunosuppressives eg Azathioprine
Give examples of aminosalicylates
Mesalazine or 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA)
Olsalazine (2 linked 5-ASA molecules)
Anti-inflammatory
What is the difference between mesalazine and olsalazine in terms of where they are absorbed and their metabolism
Olsalazine must be metabolised to active form in the colon by COLONIC FLORA
Mesalizine absorbed throughout small bowel and colon
Olsalazine only absorbed in the colon
Mechanism of action of aminosalicylates, including the receptor they act on
PPAR receptor activation by 5-ASA.
- Downregulate NFkB/MAPK and thus TNFa, IL1 and IL6
- Downregulate COX2 and thus PGE2 and PGF2
- Also scavenge oxidants
What is the effectiveness of aminosalicylates in UC
Effective at induction and maintenance of remission
Combined oral and rectal administration probably more effective than either alone for generalised disease across colon
Rectal delivery better for localised disease
Probably better than glucortocoids
What is the effectiveness of aminosalicylates in CD
Unclear
Ineffective in inducing remission
Glucorticoids probably better
May be effective in a subgroup of patients
Examples of glucocorticoids
Prednisolone, Fluticasone, budesonide