What causes Crohns Disease and Ulcerative Colitis?
The causes of Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis are unknown. To date, there has been no convincing evidence that these two diseases are caused by infection. Neither disease is contagious. Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis are caused by abnormal activation of the immune system in the intestines. The immune system is composed of immune cells and the proteins that these cells produce. These cells and proteins serve to defend the body against harmful bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other foreign invaders. Activation of the immune system causes inflammation within the tissues where the activation occurs. (Inflammation is, in fact, an important mechanism of defense used by the immune system.) Normally, the immune system is activated only when the body is exposed to harmful invaders. In patients with Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, however, the immune system is abnormally and chronically activated in the absence of any known invader. The continued abnormal activation of the im
