PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Carolina Palmela
AU  - Caroline Chevarin
AU  - Zhilu Xu
AU  - Joana Torres
AU  - Gwladys Sevrin
AU  - Robert Hirten
AU  - Nicolas Barnich
AU  - Siew C Ng
AU  - Jean-Frederic Colombel
TI  - Adherent-invasive <em>Escherichia coli</em> in inflammatory bowel disease
AID  - 10.1136/gutjnl-2017-314903
DP  - 2018 Mar 01
TA  - Gut
PG  - 574--587
VI  - 67
IP  - 3
4099  - http://gut.bmj.com/content/67/3/574.short
4100  - http://gut.bmj.com/content/67/3/574.full
SO  - Gut2018 Mar 01; 67
AB  - Intestinal microbiome dysbiosis has been consistently described in patients with IBD. In the last decades, Escherichia coli, and the adherent-invasive E coli (AIEC) pathotype in particular, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of IBD. Since the discovery of AIEC, two decades ago, progress has been made in unravelling these bacteria characteristics and its interaction with the gut immune system. The mechanisms of adhesion of AIEC to intestinal epithelial cells (via FimH and cell adhesion molecule 6) and its ability to escape autophagy when inside macrophages are reviewed here. We also explore the existing data on the prevalence of AIEC in patients with Crohn’s disease and UC, and the association between the presence of AIEC and disease location, activity and postoperative recurrence. Finally, we highlight potential therapeutic strategies targeting AIEC colonisation of gut mucosa, including the use of phage therapy, bacteriocins and antiadhesive molecules. These strategies may open new avenues for the prevention and treatment of IBD in the future.