Experiments being carried out on mice in the US at the Harvard School of Public Health have identified an immune deficiency as the most likely cause of ulcerative colitis. Ulcerative colitis is a severe inflammatory disease of the colon and is similar to Chrons Disease. For the differences between Chrons Disease and Ulcerative colitis, take a look at my post on Is Chrons disease different to ulcerative colitis?
The research also showed that once mice had the disease, it could then be passed from mother to their offspring and even between adult animals. They also linked ulcerative colitis in mice to a deficiency of a molecule in the immune system, which would normally prevent harmful bacteria in the large intestine from breaking the bowel's protective lining and thus allow the damaging inflammation. A shortage of a protein called T-bet which usually regulates the harmful bacteria. This then allows the bacterial attack on the intestinal wall. This then causes the inflammation we know as ulcerative colitis that's identified by the open sores throughout the colon.
The details of this study is posted online in the journal Cell. www.cell.com
It is hoped that better understanding of Ulcerative Colitis will also lead to a better understanding of Chrons Disease and one day a possible cure.
Wednesday 10 October 2007
Immune deficiency the likely cause of Ulcerative Colitis
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i just wanted to say that i was diagnosed with Ulcerative colitis by a doctor here in LasVegas Nevada back in the year 2000 the doctor gave me some pills they did not work i was on vacation in Mexico my grandmother told me to take some herbs and boil them and drink it like if it was ice tea drink it for everything i drank this tea for about two years it is know 2/13/2009 and i have not had any flare ups or any problem i did stop taking that tea because it was hard for me to find one of those three herbs here in the u.s.a. i had to go to the nearest border which was Tijuana to find these herbs i do not know if they will work for anybody else but i think someone should do some research on these plants because they worked for me if you want to get a hold of me you can at hernandezanf@yahoo.com think you and i hope you get better
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