Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
Autophagy. 2011 Apr;7(4):355-74. doi: 10.4161/auto.7.2.13074. Epub 2011 Apr 1.
Crohn disease (CD) is a chronic and debilitating inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract. Prevalence in Western populations is 100-150/100,000 and somewhat higher in Ashkenazi Jews. Peak incidence is in early adult life, although any age can be affected and a majority of affected individuals progress to relapsing and chronic disease. Medical treatments rely significantly on empirical corticosteroid therapy and immunosuppression, and intestinal resectional surgery is frequently required. Thus, 80% of patients with CD come to surgery for refractory disease or complications. It is hoped that an improved understanding of pathogenic mechanisms, for example by studying the genetic basis of CD and other forms of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), will lead to improved therapies and possibly preventative strategies in individuals identified as being at risk.
克罗恩病（CD）是一种慢性、使人虚弱的胃肠道炎症性疾病。在西方人群中的患病率为 100-150/100000，在阿什肯纳兹犹太人中略高。发病高峰在成年早期，尽管任何年龄都可能受到影响，大多数受影响的个体都会发展为复发性和慢性疾病。医疗治疗主要依赖于经验性的皮质类固醇治疗和免疫抑制，并且经常需要肠道切除术。因此，80%的 CD 患者因难治性疾病或并发症而接受手术。人们希望通过研究 CD 和其他形式的炎症性肠病（IBD）的遗传基础等方法，更好地了解发病机制，从而为被认为有风险的个体提供更好的治疗方法和可能的预防策略。
