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Genotypes and phenotypes in Crohn’s disease: do they help in clinical management?

C Gasche, P Grundtner

Medical University Vienna, Department of Medicine 4, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Austria

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Professor C Gasche
Neues AKH, KIM 4, Wahringer Gurtel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria; christoph.gasche@meduniwien.ac.at

Keywords: Crohn’s disease; CARD15; Nod2; phenotype; genotype; Vienna classification

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Rather than a unique disorder, Crohn’s disease is regarded as a common denominator for various immune mediated inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. These various subforms of Crohn’s disease are characterised by T cell mediated tissue destruction in the gut. In contrast with autoimmune diseases where autoantibodies react with self antigens, inflammation in Crohn’s disease is directed against antigens that are mainly derived from the environment.¹ Although it may sound trivial, this adjustment in the understanding of the pathogenetic mechanisms has a vast number of consequences for the search of the disease causing factors and identification of therapeutic targets.

The various subforms of Crohn’s disease have not been recognised until recently. Historically, colonic Crohn’s disease was not distinguished from ulcerative colitis. Approximately 30 years ago, the first studies highlighted the diverse natural history of colonic and ileal Crohn’s disease.² Inherent differences in disease behaviour (obstructing versus perforating) were later recognised . . . [Full text of this article]

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