What causes Crohns disease?
There are many theories about what causes Crohns disease, but none has been proven. Studies indicate that the inflammation in IBD involves a complex interaction of factors: • the genes the patient has inherited, • the immune system, • and something in the environment. The latest 2009 study by Dr. Marcel Behr, of the Research Institute of the MUHC and McGill University, has provided new insight into the curious mutation of NOD2 gene, a mutation that is found in 25% of Crohn’s disease patients. It is not precisely known how this mutation influences the disease. Foreign substances (antigens) in the environment can be the direct cause of the inflammation in Crohns Disease. Alternatively, these antigens can stimulate the body’s defenses to produce an inflammatory response that appears to be permanent. Researchers think that once the IBD sufferer’s immune system is “turned on,” it does not know how to properly “turn off” at the right time. This results in inflammation damage to the digestive
