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World J Gastroenterol. Sep 28, 2014; 20(36): 13060-13070
Published online Sep 28, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i36.13060
Published online Sep 28, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i36.13060
Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis in the etiology of Crohn’s disease, cause or epiphenomenon?
Elisa Liverani, Eleonora Scaioli, Carla Cardamone, Andrea Belluzzi, Gastroenterology Division, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Sant’Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, 40138 Bologna, Italy
Paola Dal Monte, Diagnostic and Speciality Medicine, Department of Experimental, Microbiology Unit, Sant’Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, 40138 Bologna, Italy
Author contributions: Liverani E, Scaioli E, Cardamone C and Belluzzi A contributed equally to this work; Liverani E and Belluzzi A conceived and designed the manuscript; Dal Monte P analyzed the data; Scaioli E and Cardamone C wrote the paper.
Correspondence to: Andrea Belluzzi, MD, Gastroenterology Division, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Sant’Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, via Massarenti 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy. andrea.belluzzi@aosp.bo.it
Telephone: +39-051-6363873 Fax: +39-051-6363873
Received: January 20, 2014
Revised: April 30, 2014
Accepted: May 25, 2014
Published online: September 28, 2014
Revised: April 30, 2014
Accepted: May 25, 2014
Published online: September 28, 2014
Core Tip
Core tip: The etiology of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is unknown. Some analogies between Crohn’s disease (CD) and Johne’s disease, a granulomatous chronic enteritis of cattle and sheep caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) have been identified. Several studies have tried to clarify if MAP has a role in the etiology of CD. However, the involvement of MAP in CD is still debatable. The present article provides a literature review of the evidence in favor and against the “MAP-hypothesis”, the methods commonly adopted to detect MAP and the role of antimycobacterial therapy in treating IBD patients. In particular, new mechanistic findings seem to encourage the CD-MAP relationship.