The Role of Cytokines in the Fibrotic Responses in Crohn’s Disease

CURCIARELLO, RENATA; DOCENA, GUILLERMO H.; MACDONALD, THOMAS T.

Frontiers in Medicine

Frontiers

Año: 2017 vol. 4

Crohn?s disease is an idiopathic disorder of the gut thought to be caused by a combinationof environmental and genetic factors in susceptible individuals. It is characterized bychronic transmural inflammation of the terminal ileum and colon, with typical transmurallesions. Complications, including fibrosis, mean that between 40 and 70% of patientsrequire surgery in the first 10 years after diagnosis. Presently, there is no evidence thatthe current therapies which dampen inflammation modulate or reverse intestinal fibrosis.In this review, we focus on cytokines that may lead to fibrosis and stenosis and thecontribution of experimental models for understanding and treatment of gut fibrosis.