Knowra Inflammatory bowel disease Inflammatory bowel disease Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of chronic disorders marked by ongoing inflammation in the digestive tract. Its two main forms are Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
Intestinal mucosal barrier : The epithelial cells, mucus, and immune defenses that separate intestinal contents from underlying tissue. Barrier disruption can expose immune cells to microbes and dietary material in IBD.
Crohn's disease : A chronic inflammatory bowel disease that can affect any part of the digestive tract, often in discontinuous patches. It is one of IBD’s two main forms and can involve deeper bowel-wall layers.
Colonoscopy : An examination of the colon using a flexible camera, often allowing tissue samples to be collected. It can reveal inflammation, ulcers, and disease distribution and provide biopsies for diagnosis.
Colorectal cancer : Cancer arising in the colon or rectum, often developing from abnormal changes in the intestinal lining. Long-standing colonic inflammation increases risk, making surveillance relevant for some people with IBD.
Precision medicine : An approach that uses individual biological and clinical differences to guide prevention, diagnosis, or treatment. IBD research aims to match therapies to each person’s disease biology and likely response.
Gut microbiota : The community of microorganisms living in the digestive tract. Changes in microbial communities can interact with host immunity during intestinal inflammation.
Ulcerative colitis : A chronic inflammatory bowel disease limited to the colon, typically affecting its lining continuously from the rectum. It is IBD’s other main form and has a more restricted distribution than Crohn’s disease.
Fecal calprotectin : A stool protein measurement used as a marker of intestinal inflammation. It helps distinguish active intestinal inflammation from noninflammatory symptoms and monitor disease activity.
Anemia : A condition in which blood has insufficient functional red blood cells or hemoglobin to carry oxygen adequately. Blood loss, inflammation, and nutrient deficiencies can cause anemia in IBD.
Treat-to-target : A treatment strategy that adjusts care toward predefined clinical and objective measures of disease control. IBD care increasingly targets endoscopic and biomarker improvement, not symptom relief alone.
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