UNDERSTANDING ADAPTIVE IMMUNITY IN CANINE IBD: CYTOKINES AND MUCOSAL PROTECTION

摘要

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in humans and dogs is a chronic inflammatory condition of the gut with a complex pathogenesis. It is now commonly accepted that - on the genetic background of a susceptible individual - the breakdown of "oral tolerance" towards luminal bacteria through both innate and adaptive immune mechanisms is involved in the development and maintenance of these diseases. Even though it is believed that the intestinal microflora plays a crucial role in the initiation of inflammation, the exact sequence of events in disease development and progression remains unknown. Much progress has been made in the last decade to understand possible mechanisms. This knowledge has mostly been derived from rodent animal models of IBD. Unfortunately, little is known about the similarity of pathomechanisms of canine IBD to experimental forms of IBD in mice and we are only now starting to understand some of the characteristics of the canine disease. The picture becomes even more complicated when considering that the two forms of human IBD (Crohn's disease [CD] and ulcerative colitis [UC]) have distinct characteristics on a clinical, histological and also molecular level; whereas canine IBD seems to be much more diverse and can be difficult to distinguish from food-responsive or antibiotic-responsive forms of chronic enteropathy.