Epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease: Insights from the past two years

ABSTRACT: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, is a chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract with unknown etiology. The cause of IBD is widely considered multifactorial, with prevailing hypotheses suggesting that the microbiome and various environmental factors contribute to inappropriate activation of the mucosal immune system in genetically susceptible individuals. Although the incidence of IBD has stabilized in Western countries, it is rapidly increasing in newly industrialized countries, particularly China, making IBD a global disease. Significant changes in multiple biomarkers before IBD diagnosis during the preclinical phase provide opportunities…