Review
Copyright ©2009 The WJG Press and Baishideng.
World J Gastroenterol. Jan 21, 2009; 15(3): 270-279
Published online Jan 21, 2009. doi: 10.3748/wjg.15.270
Table 1 Clinical and epidemiological features of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis
CDUC
Region of involvementAny portion of gastrointestinal tractRectum and colon
Typical region of involvementIleum and colonRectum and extending proximally
Nature of inflammatory processSegmental, transmuralContinuous, limited to mucosa
Extraintestinal manifestationsOral aphthous ulcers, peripheral arthritis, erythema nodosum, digital clubbing, episcleritis, renal stones, and gallstonesPyoderma gangrenosum, sclerosing cholangitis, chronic active hepatitis, and ankylosing spondylitis
Age at presentationBimodal; 1st peak in late teens; 2nd peak in late adulthoodBimodal; 1st peak in late teens; 2nd peak in late adulthood
Gender differenceWomen are slightly more likely than men to develop CDMen are slightly more likely than women to develop UC
Table 2 Incidence of Crohn’s disease
Annual incidence per 100000Time periodGeographic regionData collectionAge group studiedReferences
0.731958-1960Nottingham, EnglandRetrospectiveAdults[70]
3.631970-1972[70]
6.11971-1980Orebro, SwedenRetrospectiveChildren ≤ 16 years old[71]
13.39 (white males)1977-1979Baltimore SMSARetrospectiveAll[10]
13.54 (white females)[10]
11.29 (non-white males)[10]
14.08 (non-white females)[10]
0.661968ScotlandRetrospectiveChildren ≤ 16 years old[72]
2.29b1983[72]
0.001920-1929Rochester, NYRetrospectiveAll[73]
5.031970-1979[73]
3.901980-1989[73]
< 1.01962-1969CopenhagenProspectiveAll[74]
4.11979-1987[74]
1.301983-1988South Glamorgan, WalesRetrospectiveChildren < 16 years old[75]
3.111989-1993[75]
21.01940-1943Olmsted County, MNRetrospectiveAll[76]
27.81964-1973[76]
26.91984-1993[76]
14.61989-1994Manitoba, CanadaRetrospectiveAll[77]
21.911981-1983ScotlandRetrospectiveChildren < 19 years old[78]
22.911990-1992[78]
5.51990-1994IcelandProspectiveAll[79]
1.21984-1986SwedenProspectiveChildren < 16 years old[80]
1.31993-1995[80]
25.21988-1990Northern FranceProspectiveAll[81]
25.81991-1993[81]
25.91994-1996[81]
26.41997-1999[81]
2.001990-1994Southeastern NorwayProspectiveChildren < 16 years old[82]
4.562000-2001WisconsinProspectiveChildren < 18 years old[83]
Table 3 Incidence of ulcerative colitis
Annual incidence per 100000Time periodGeographic regionData collectionAge group studiedReferences
12.92 (white males)1977-1979Baltimore SMSARetrospectiveAll[10]
11.79 (white females)[10]
11.29 (non-white males)[10]
12.90 (non-white females)[10]
1.911968ScotlandRetrospectiveChildren ≤ 16 years old[72]
31.561983[72]
0.061920-1929Rochester, NYRetrospectiveAll[73]
3.511970-1979[73]
2.321980-1989[73]
6.91962-1969CopenhagenProspectiveAll[84]
9.21980-1987[84]
0.711983-1993South Glamorgan, WalesRetrospectiveChildren < 16 years old[75]
14.31989-1994Manitoba, CanadaRetrospectiveAll[77]
16.51990-1994IcelandProspectiveAll[79]
1.41984-1986SwedenProspectiveChildren < 16 years old[80]
3.2a1993-1995[80]
24.21988-1990Northern FranceProspectiveAll[81]
24.31991-1993[81]
23.91994-1996[81]
23.51997-1999[81]
2.141990-1994Southeastern NorwayProspectiveChildren < 16 years old[77]
2.142000-2001WisconsinProspectiveChildren < 18 years old[83]
Table 4 Factors affecting development of IBD
FactorEffectFindings
Cigarette smokingProtective factor for UCPooled OR for UC = 0.41 (0.34-0.48); χ2 = 11.52 (P < 0.001)[12]
Risk factor for CDPooled OR for CD = 2.0 (1.65-2.47); χ2 = 48.4 (P < 0.001)[12]
Passive cigarette smokeUncertainNo effect[2585]
UC [ψ = 0.50 (0.25-1.00), n = 163][86]
CD [ψ = 5.32 (1.09-25.9), n = 39 age and sex-matched pairs][87]
UC [ψ = 2.19 (0.75-6.41), n = 33 age and sex-matched pairs][87]
Oral contraceptive useRisk factor for UCPooled RR for UC = 1.29 [(0.94-1.77) adjusted for smoking]
Pooled RR for UC = 1.68 [(0.97-2.88) unadjusted for smoking]
Risk factor for CDPooled RR for CD = 1.44 [(1.12-1.86) adjusted for smoking]
Pooled RR for CD = 1.68 [(0.97-2.88) unadjusted for smoking]
DietProtective factor for CD
Vitamin Cψ = 0.48 and ψ = 0.23 for medium and high intake, respectively, vs low intake, Ptrend = 0.02[17]
Risk factors for UC
Sucrose[Sucrose] ψ = 2.05 and ψ = 4.22 for medium and high intake, respectively, vs low intake, Ptrend = 0.02
Animal fat[Animal fat] ψ = 2.02 and ψ = 4.09 for medium and high intake, respectively, vs low intake, Ptrend = 0.02
Cholesterol[Cholesterol] ψ = 2.14 and ψ = 4.57 for medium and high intake, respectively, vs low intake, Ptrend = 0.02
Soft drinks[Soft drinks] ψ = 1.84 and ψ = 3.39 for medium and high intake, respectively, vs low intake, vs Ptrend = 0.02[17]
InfectionsRisk factor for CD/possible risk factor for UCCD patients had a higher rate of gastroenteritis than did controls (6/57 vs 1/114, P = 0.005)[8]
UC patients and controls did not differ (4/51 vs 1/102, P = NS)[8]
GastroenteritisChildren with CD were more likely than unaffected siblings to have had diarrheal illness [RR = 2.7 (95% CI 1.5-5.8) P < 0.02, n = 294] Children with UC were more likely than unaffected siblings to have had diarrheal illness [RR = 3.2 (95% CI 1.15-8.75), P = 0.03, n = 231][20]
Diarrheal illness in infancy
Risk factor for CD and UCRecurrent respiratory infections were significantly more common in CD patients and in UC patients than their controls (102/298 vs 156/601 and 73/194 vs 106/393, respectively, both P < 0.01)[7]
Recurrent respiratory infectionsAdults with CD had an increased frequency of childhood infections compared to neighbor controls [ψ = 4.67, (95% CI 2.65-8.23) n = 322 cases, 262 controls][24]
Childhood infectionsAdults with UC had more frequent childhood infections than neighbor controls [ψ = 2.37 (95% CI 1.19-4.71) (n = 181 cases, 141 controls)][24]
Antibiotic useRisk factor for CDPatients with CD used antibiotics more frequently than controls (P < 0.01)[7]
Adults with CD had more frequent treatment with antibiotics for both otitis [ψ = 2.07 (95% CI 1.03-4.14)] and pharyngitis [ψ = 2.14 (95% CI 1.20-3.84)] than controls[24]
Perinatal factorsRisk factor for UC
Number of older siblingsFor UC, the odds ratios for having one, two, and three or more older siblings were 1.08 (1.03-1.14), 1.09 (1.01-1.16), and 1.12 (1.02-1.23), respectively (n = 15823 cases; 79546 controls)[27]
Protective factor for CD
Number of younger siblingsFor CD, the odds ratios for having one, two, and three or more younger siblings were 0.93 (0.88-0.99), 0.89 (0.82-0.96), and 0.83 (0.75-0.92), respectively (n = 12668 cases; 63035 controls)[27]