Measles virus and Crohn's disease: research from the Royal Free Hospital in London.

This paper provides a summary of a 6-year program of research by the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Study Group at the Royal Free Hospital and School of Medicine, London. Research has demonstrated: 1. That Crohn's disease is associated with profound damage to the mesenteric vascular blood supply, even in areas where tissue or bowel appear macroscopically normal; 2. That Crohn's disease is a granulomatous vasculitis; 3. That aphthous ulceration is due to damage to underlying blood vessels; 4. That Crohn's disease is associated with a hypercoagulable state, and that patients with hemophilia rarely develop Crohn's disease; 5. That measles virus genome is localized to foci of granulomatous vasculitis and lymphoid follicles in the bowel of patients with Crohn's disease. In conclusion, we have not proved that measles virus is the cause of Crohn's disease. Proof may be difficult until there is a specific anti-viral drug that is able to eradicate this RNA virus.