Open AccessMycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis and its relationship with Crohn’s disease
Author(s) -
Juan L. Mendoza,
Raquel Martins Lana,
Manuel DíazRubio
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
world journal of gastroenterology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.427
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 2219-2840
pISSN - 1007-9327
DOI - 10.3748/wjg.15.417
Subject(s) - mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis , paratuberculosis , crohn's disease , disease , antimycobacterial , immunology , immune system , mycobacterium tuberculosis , biology , mycobacterium , polymerase chain reaction , tuberculosis , inflammatory bowel disease , microbiology and biotechnology , virology , medicine , gene , genetics , pathology
The hypothesis postulating that Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (MAP) is the cause of Crohn's disease (CD) has been circulating for many years. Advances in molecular techniques, such as polymerase chain reaction and culture methods, have enabled researchers to demonstrate that there is an association between MAP and CD. Recently, genome-wide association studies have identified novel susceptibility genes for CD, which are critical for generation of an adaptive immune response that is protective against intracellular pathogens, including M. tuberculosis infection. However, the role of MAP as a cause of CD suffered a setback with the report that administration of antimycobacterial therapy failed to lead to a sustained response in CD patients. Accordingly, this review sought neither to confirm nor refute this, but instead to survey recent literature on the role of MAP in CD.