What Causes Microscopic Colitis, and Who Gets It?
What’s responsible for the damaged lining of the colon in microscopic colitis? As with ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, the exact cause has yet to be identified. But bacteria, bacterial toxins, and viruses are among the usual suspects that have been implicated. Some experts have suggested that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as aspirin or ibuprofen, might be the actual culprits. It is also possible that these medications might simply aggravate symptoms in individuals who are already prone to the syndrome. Another theory is that collagenous colitis and lymphocytic colitis are caused by an autoimmune response, which means that the body launches an attack upon itself — mistaking various cells in the colon for foreign intruders. The final answer may well turn out to be some combination of these theories. There does seem to be a particular link between microscopic colitis and autoimmune diseases, as in celiac sprue, also known as celiac disease. Caused by an immu
