The quality of life is low in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) as they suffer from chronic inflammation of the gut leading to gastrointestinal motility alterations with symptoms such as abdominal pain, cramps and diarrhea.
The lack of exposure to worm infections, as a result of improved living standards and medical conditions, might have contributed to the increased incidence of IBD in the Western world. Epidemiological, experimental and clinical data support the idea that worm infection provides protection against IBD. However, treatment of patients with living worms may have serious drawbacks such as infection and/or invasion of the parasite to other tissues. Therefore, therapy with worm-derived proteins might provide a more acceptable form of treatment.
Crohn’s Disease
Crohn’s disease or regional enteritis is an inflammatory bowel disease that involves the small intestine and causes abdominal pain, diarrhea and bleeding.
Crohn’s disease or regional enteritis is an inflammatory bowel disease that involves the small intestine and causes abdominal pain, diarrhea and bleeding.
The induction of colitis in mice causes severe gastrointestinal motility alterations such as increased intestinal transit time and abrogation of colonic peristaltic activity, as seen in IBD patients. This paper describes that treatment with worm proteins causes normalization of intestinal transit time and amelioration of colonic peristaltic activity in mice with colitis. Treatment of control animals with worm proteins did not influence gastrointestinal motility. Furthermore, attenuation of inflammation and amelioration of motility disturbances after treatment with worm proteins both appear at the same time. This raises the question whether the beneficial effect of worm proteins on gastrointestinal motility is directly or indirectly related to amelioration of inflammation.
In addition, the paper also reports a shift in the balance between different T lymphocyte subsets (Th1, Th2, Th17 and Treg) after the induction of colitis and treatment with worm proteins. The therapeutic effect of worm proteins appears to be mediated by an immunological pathway involving Th1, Th17 and Treg cells. Unraveling the interaction between the immune system and the nervous system will expand our knowledge on how worm proteins affect gastrointestinal motility. More research on this topic is eagerly awaited.
Ulcerative Colitis
Ulcerative colitis is characterized by bouts of diarrhea, bleeding per rectum and pain, which remits and relapses. Fulminant colitis is a possibility, which may require colectomy.
Ulcerative colitis is characterized by bouts of diarrhea, bleeding per rectum and pain, which remits and relapses. Fulminant colitis is a possibility, which may require colectomy.
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An Explanation for Crohn's Disease - Maybe
A mutation in the NOD2 gene is present in 25% of patients with Crohn's disease, but it is not precisely known how this mutation influences the disease.
A mutation in the NOD2 gene is present in 25% of patients with Crohn's disease, but it is not precisely known how this mutation influences the disease.
RAS
Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis Have Distinct Demographic Profiles
The prevalence of severe IBD is not clear, although inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is thought to affect about 150 000 people in the United Kingdom
The prevalence of severe IBD is not clear, although inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is thought to affect about 150 000 people in the United Kingdom
