Environmental risk factors for inflammatory bowel diseases: Evidence based literature review.

Ayokunle T Abegunde, Bashir H Muhammad, Owais Bhatti, Tauseef Ali

Journal: World journal of gastroenterology 2017;22(27):6296-317

PMID: 27468219

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Abstract

AIM

Advances in genetics and immunology have contributed to the current understanding of the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD).

METHODS

The current opinion on the pathogenesis of IBD suggests that genetically susceptible individuals develop intolerance to dysregulated gut microflora (dysbiosis) and chronic inflammation develops as a result of environmental insults. Environmental exposures are innumerable with varying effects during the life course of individuals with IBD. Studying the relationship between environmental factors and IBD may provide the missing link to increasing our understanding of the etiology and increased incidence of IBD in recent years with implications for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Environmental factors are heterogeneous and genetic predisposition, immune dysregulation, or dysbiosis do not lead to the development of IBD in isolation.

RESULTS

Current challenges in the study of environmental factors and IBD are how to effectively translate promising results from experimental studies to humans in order to develop models that incorporate the complex interactions between the environment, genetics, immunology, and gut microbiota, and limited high quality interventional studies assessing the effect of modifying environmental factors on the natural history and patient outcomes in IBD.

CONCLUSION

This article critically reviews the current evidence on environmental risk factors for IBD and proposes directions for future research.

Address: Ayokunle T Abegunde, Tauseef Ali, Section of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, United States.

DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v22.i27.6296

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MeSH Terms: Air Pollution, Anti-Bacterial Agents, Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal, Appendectomy, Breast Feeding, Contraceptives, Oral, Dietary Fats, Dietary Fiber, Dysbiosis, Environmental Exposure, Evidence-Based Medicine, Food Additives, Gastrointestinal Microbiome, Humans, Hygiene, Hygiene Hypothesis, Industrial Development, Infections, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, Meat, Risk Factors, Sanitation, Sleep, Smoking, Social Class, Stress, Psychological, Vaccines, Vitamin D Deficiency, Water Pollution