Year: 2026
Type: book-chapter
Abstract: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), including ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD), are chronic immune inflammatory conditions that arise from a complex interplay between genetic predisposition, immune dysfunction, and environmental factors. Growing evidence points to the key role of infectious agents in the development and modulation of the immune response in IBD. Among these, particular attention is paid to herpesviruses (Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus) and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The impact of these infectious agents is multifaceted: from influencing the clinical course of inflammatory bowel diseases to complicating diagnosis and treatment. Patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn diseases and concomitant herpesvirus lesions of the intestinal mucosa often become “non-responders” to standard therapy. Tuberculosis also plays a significant role in this regard. The problem of both active and latent tuberculosis in this group of IBD patients remains a cornerstone of diagnostic and differential diagnostics difficulties, as well as infection and reactivation during immunosuppressive and biological therapy. All of the above requires clinicians to have extensive and in-depth knowledge of these aspects to ensure an adequate and personalized approach to the treatment and monitoring of patients with inflammatory bowel diseases. This chapter analyzes the mechanisms of these pathogens’ involvement in the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of IBD, as well as the results of our own research on the identification of herpesviruses and tuberculosis and their impact on the course of IBD and its conservative treatment.
Source: IntechOpen eBooks
Language: English
Topic: Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Subfield: Gastroenterology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7204472389