Incidence of IBD is equally distributed among children of all racial and ethnic group

[Mazen]

http://crohn.ie/incidence-of-ibd-is...of-all-racial-and-ethnic-groups-in-wisconsin/


The researchers conclude their summary with this statement:

“This study provides novel, prospective, and comprehensive information on pediatric IBD incidence within the United States. The surprisingly high incidence of pediatric IBD, the predominance of Crohn’s disease over ulcerative colitis, the low frequency of patients with a family history, the equal distribution of IBD among all racial and ethnic groups, and the lack of a modulatory effect of urbanization on IBD incidence collectively suggest that the clinical spectrum of IBD is still evolving and point to environmental factors contributing to the pathogenesis.”

The conclusion that “environmental factors contribute to the pathogenesis” is an important one.

 

[imisspopcorn]

Thanks Mazen,

I'm sure that puts many parent's minds at ease. I think it's interesting how there's now Crohn's clusters in certain communities. I heard of one somewhere in Ohio and another in Nova Scotia.

 

[DustyKat]

Bump.

 

[Dexky]

It's interesting!! Good find Dusty!! I looked around in there some and found this:

Is M. avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) the cause of multiple “autoimmune” and “inflammatory” diseases in man? Inferences from the anti-MAP activity of methotrexate, 6-MP, 5-ASA and thalidomide, on MAP in culture.
December 16th, 2007alankNo comments
Another piece of research which establishes the anti-paratuberculosis antibiotic activity of molecules which are currently thought to have an immuno-suppressant effect in Crohn’s Disease.

http://www.paratuberculosis.org/pubs/proc9/abst185f_o4.htm

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BACKGROUND:

We have shown that the “immuno-modulators” methotrexate and 6-MP and the “anti-inflammatory” 5-ASA inhibit MAP growth (www.PLoSONE.org) and concluded that their most plausible mechanism of action in several idiopathic diseases is as antiMAP antibiotics. Thalidomide is an “immunomodulator” used in multiple “auto-immune” and “inflammatory” diseases and the mycobacterial diseases leprosy and tuberculosis. We now test the hypothesis that thalidomide inhibits MAP growth.

METHODS

Thalidomide (+-) and (+) and (-) and its two components, phthalimide and 1-hydroxy 2,6 piperidine dione (HPD) were evaluated in culture of two strains each of MAP (ATCC 19698 [bovine] & Dominic [human]) and M. avium subspecies avium (ATCC 25291 & 101.) We used a radiometric (14CO2 Bactec(R)) detection system. Inhibition is indicated by “percent decrease in cumulative Growth Index” (%-DcGI) from control.

RESULTS:

Phthalimide has no dose dependent inhibition on any strain. There was no dose dependent inhibition on either M. avium strain with thalidomide or its components. With the two MAP strains, there is dose dependent inhibition with thalidomide (+1); Dominic (31%-DcGI) and ATCC 19698 (26%-DcGI) at 64microg/ml. Thalidomide (+) is more inhibitory than (-). HPD is, on a weight for weight basis, the most inhibitory agent evaluated; Dominic (46%-DcGI) and ATCC 19698 (44%-DcGI at 64microg/ml)

CONCLUSIONS:

We show in vitro heretofore-undescribed inhibition of MAP growth by racaemic thalidomide. Thalidomide (+) is more potent than (-). Of thalidomide’s two moieties, phthalimide has no antiMAP activity and HPD is the active component in inhibiting MAP growth. We suggest that since 1942, initially with 5-ASA, the medical profession has unknowingly been treating MAP infections. These data are compatible with our concern that MAP is zoonotic. We conclude that all idiopathic “autoimmune” and “inflammatory” diseases, empirically treated with medications that we show are active against MAP, should now be evaluated for MAP as the etiological agent.

Categories: Antibiotics, Mycobacteriosis, TreatmentsTags: 4-ASA, 5-ASA, 6-MP, 6MP, anti-TNF, Antibiotics, autoimmune, azathioprine, crohn, immuno-modulators, imuran, infliximab, leprae, leprosy, MAP, mercapturine, methotrexate, Mycobacteriosis, paratb, paratuberculosis, purinethol, remicade, sulfapyridine, sulfasalazine, thalidomide, thiopurine, TNF, Treatments, Tumor Necrosis Factor

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I suspect MAP has been discussed before but the mass marketing of milk and it's products in the last century certainly makes me wonder about a possible correlation.