Crohn's Disease
· Symptoms
of Crohn’s Disease
· Treatment
· Continued
Research
· Participation
in Research
· Incidence
in People of Jewish Descent
· Resources
and More
Crohn's disease is a serious inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal (GI)
tract. It predominates in the intestine (ileum) and the large intestine (colon),
but may occur in any section of the GI tract.
Symptoms Crohn’s Disease
· Abdominal pain, often in the lower
right area
· Diarrhea
· Rectal bleeding, which may be serious
and persistent, leading to anemia
· Weight loss
· Fever may occur
· A greater risk of developing colorectal
cancer
· Children with Crohn's may suffer
delayed development and stunted growth
Treatment
· There is no cure for IBD, thus
the focus is on controlling the inflammation.
· Medication – inflammation is controlled
through powerful drugs such as corticosteroids.
· Surgery – to remove inflamed or
damaged portions of the intestines
Nutrition Supplementation - The doctor may recommend nutritional supplements,
especially for children
· whose growth has been slowed. Special
high-calorie liquid formulas are sometimes used for this purpose. A small number
of patients may need periods of feeding by vein. This can help patients who
need extra nutrition temporarily, those whose intestines need to rest, or those
whose intestines cannot absorb enough nutrition from food.
Continued
Research
Researchers continue to look for more effective treatments. Examples of investigational
treatments include
· Anti-TNF - Research has
shown that cells affected by Crohn's disease contain a cytokine, a protein produced
by the immune system, called Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF). TNF may be responsible
for the inflammation of Crohn's disease. Anti-TNF is a substance that finds
TNF in the bloodstream, binds to it, and removes it before it can reach the
intestines and cause inflammation. In studies, anti-TNF seems particularly helpful
in closing fistulas.
· Interleukin 10 - Interleukin
10 (IL-10) is a cytokine that suppresses inflammation. Researchers are now studying
the effectiveness of synthetic IL-10 in treating Crohn's disease.
· Antibiotics - Antibiotics
are now used to treat the bacterial infections that often accompany Crohn's
disease, but some research suggests that they might also be useful as a primary
treatment for active Crohn's disease.
· Budesonide - Researchers
recently identified a new corticosteroid called budesonide that appears to be
as effective as other corticosteroids but causes fewer side effects.
· Methotrexate and cyclosporine
- These are immunosuppressive drugs that may be useful in treating Crohn's disease.
One potential benefit of methotrexate and cyclosporine is that they appear to
work faster than traditional immunosuppressive drugs.
· Zinc - Free radicals--molecules
produced during fat metabolism, stress, and infection, among other things--may
contribute to inflammation in Crohn's disease. Free radicals sometimes cause
cell damage when they interact with other molecules in the body. The mineral
zinc removes free radicals from the bloodstream. Studies are under way to determine
whether zinc supplementation might reduce inflammation.
Participation
in Research
If you would like to participate in research done on families who suffer from
Crohn’s Disease, please contact the groups listed below:
The University of Chicago
Drs. Judy Cho, Steven Hanauer & Barbara Kirschner
Chicago, Illinois
Telephone: 773-702-2282
Johns Hopkins University and Hospital
Baltimore, Maryland
Drs. Steven Brant & Theodore M. Bayless
Toll Free: 888-279-4194
In addition to multiple affected families, Dr. Brant (Johns Hopkins) is particularly
interested in Jewish families and in Jewish patients whose parents both are
willing to participate.
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Dr. Richard Duerr
Toll Free: 800-457-2015
North Shore University Hospital, New York
Drs. Jack Silver & Seymour Katz
Manhasset, New York
Telephone: 516-562-1113
Cedar-Sinai Hospital
Drs. Yang & Jerome Rotter
Los Angeles, California
Telephone310-855-6453
Incidence
in People of Jewish Descent
Although environmental factors clearly contribute, these is strong evidence
from studies of twins and affected families that Inflammatory Bowel Disease
(IBD), especially Crohn's disease, has a genetic basis. Research has shown evidence
of a genetic predisposition to a chronic Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IDB) among
Jewish individuals of Eastern European descent.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is two-to-eight times more common in Ashkenazi
Jews. Genetic factors inherited from the mother may play an important role in
predisposing these individuals to Crohn's disease. Crohn's disease occurs in
all ethnic groups and races. However, its incidence is highest in Caucasians
and Jewish people of Eastern European (Ashkenazi Jews.) The Crohn's & Colitis
Foundation of America estimates that over 2 million Americans suffer from some
form of inflammatory equal incidence of IBD in males and females.
Crohn’s Disease is more common in the pediatric practice than Ulcerative colitis.
It peaks in the second or third decade of life. Cases of Crohn's in infants
and young children occur less frequently. Approximately 25% of all new cases
in the population are less than 20 years of age. There is an increased prevalence
of Crohn's disease among first-degree relatives, however, no specific habitability
pattern has been recognized.
Resources
and More
Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America, Inc.
National Headquarters
386 Park Avenue South, 17th Floor
New York, NY 10016-8804
Telephone: 212-685-3440
Toll Free: 800-932-2423
Fax: 212-779-4098
Email:info@ccfa.org
Pediatric Crohn's & Colitis Association, Inc.
P.O. Box 188
Newton, MA 02468
Telephone: (617) 489-5854
Website:http://pcca.hypermart.net
Email:questions@pcca.hypermart.net
Reach Out for Youth with Ileitis and Colitis, Inc.
15 Chemung Place
Jericho, NY 11753
Telephone: 516-822-8010
United Ostomy Association, Inc.
19772 MacArthur Blvd., #200
Irvine, CA 92612-2405
Telephone: 949-660-8624
Toll Free: 800-826-0826
Fax: 949-660-9262
Website:http://www.uoa.org
Email:uoa@deltanet.com
The Israel Foundation for Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative
Colitis
P.O. Box 5231
Herzlia
Israel
Fax: 09-9567628