Recent Advances in the Etiology of the Chronic Inflammatory Bowel Disease

In the article recent advances in the etiology of inflammatory bowel disease, which remain unk­nown despite intensive research effort, are presented. The role of the mucosal immune sys­tem in the mechanismus of inflammatory bowel disease, have been proven although the effector mechanism as well as target cells have not been precisely identified. In the past decade, research was directed particularly toward immunology, genetics and infectology. Numerous microbes are mentioned as possible agents, most frequently Myco­bacterium paratuberculosis, measles virus and Listeria monocytogenes. All these studies may have a significant impact on diagnosis and treatment of classical forms of chronic intestinal diseases and their variants.