Inflammatory bowel disease–live transmission. Hecht GA. I N Engl J Med. 2008 Jan 31;358(5):528-30.
Inflammatory bowel disease results from a dysregulated immunologic response to commensal microbial flora residing in the intestinal lumen. Although this response is probably due at least in part to a genetic predisposition, patients with inflammatory bowel disease have also been reported to house an abnormal intestinal microbiota.1 Whether this altered flora is the cause or result of the associated chronic inflammation remains unclear. Also unclear is the exent to which inflammatory bowel disease may be transmissible. A recent study by Garrett et al.2 sheds new light on this issue and on whether specific microbes contribute to the development of this Leggi l’articolo