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World J Gastroenterol. May 28, 2009; 15(20): 2456-2462
Published online May 28, 2009. doi: 10.3748/wjg.15.2456
Enteropathic spondyloarthropathy: A common genetic background with inflammatory bowel disease?
Elisabetta Colombo, Anna Latiano, Orazio Palmieri, Fabrizio Bossa, Angelo Andriulli, Vito Annese
Elisabetta Colombo, Fabrizio Bossa, Angelo Andriulli, Unit of Gastroenterology, Department of Medical Sciences, IRCCS-CSS Hospital, 1-71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
Anna Latiano, Orazio Palmieri, Angelo Andriulli, Vito Annese, Laboratory of Genetic Research, Department of Medical Sciences, IRCCS-CSS Hospital, 1-71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
Vito Annese, Unit of Digestive Endoscopy, Department of Medical Sciences, IRCCS-CSS Hospital, 1-71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
Author contributions: Colombo E, Latiano A, Andriulli A and Annese V wrote the paper; Palmieri O and Bossa F collected the literature, designed the tables, and listed the references.
Correspondence to: Vito Annese, MD, Unit of Digestive Endoscopy, Department of Medical Sciences, IRCCS-CSS Hospital, 1-71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy. v.annese@operapadrepio.it
Telephone: +39-882-410784
Fax: +39-882-410784
Received: February 2, 2009
Revised: April 30, 2009
Accepted: May 7, 2009
Published online: May 28, 2009
Abstract

The association between spondyloarthropathy and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is largely established, although prevalence is variable because of different population selection and diagnostic methodologies. Most studies indicate that as many as 10%-15% of cases of IBD are complicated by ankylosing spondylitis (AS) or other forms of spondylarthritis (SpA). Of note, ileal inflammation resembling IBD has been reported in up to two thirds of cases of SpA, and it has been suggested that the presence of ileitis is associated with the chronicity of articular complications. Although this observation is of interest to unravel the pathophysiology of the disease, systematic screening of patients with SpA by ileocolonoscopy is not indicated in the absence of gut symptoms, as only a small proportion of patients with subclinical gut inflammation will develop overt IBD over time. The existence of familial clustering of both IBD and AS, the coexistence of both conditions in a patient, the evidence of an increased risk ratio among first- and second-degree relatives of affected AS or IBD patients and finally, the increased cross-risk ratios between AS and IBD, strongly suggest a shared genetic background. So far, however, IL23R is the only identified susceptibility gene shared by both IBD and AS. Although functional studies are still needed to better understand its pathogenic role, great effort is being spent therapeutically targeting this pathway that may prove effective for both disorders.

Keywords: Inflammatory bowel disease, Ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, Ankylosing spondlitis, Sacroiliitis, Spondyloarthropathy