For that reason, it’s not accurate to call Crohn’s disease an “autoimmune” condition.
Researchers who study IBD are now shifting to referring to it as an immune-mediated condition or anautoinflammatorycondition.
Crohn’s diseaseis one form ofinflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
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It primarily affects thedigestive system, causing inflammation.
It is a lifelong condition that can’t be cured.
There has been some research that tries to understand how to classify Crohn’s disease.
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What Is an Autoimmune Disease?
Theimmune systemis an important part of the body’s defense system.
It can minimize or prevent infections and diseases due to all sorts of foreign invaders and substances.
However, things can go wrong with the immune system.
There are several theories about how autoimmune conditions develop.
Sometimes it can mistakenly see the body’s own cells as invaders and attack them.
Healthy tissue suddenly becomes the enemy, and this can lead to autoimmune conditions.
These are called autoantibodies.
The autoantibodies play a role in causing the inflammation associated with autoimmune diseases.
This is why some autoimmune conditions are treated with medications thatsuppress parts of the immune system.
Tests can identify specific antibodies, but not everyone who has autoantibodies will develop an autoimmune disease.
However, no antibody has been identified to be associated with Crohn’s disease.
There are more than 80 identified autoimmune diseases.
Many autoimmune disorders are chronic and require treatment throughout a person’s lifetime.
Autoimmune conditions tend to affectwomen more oftenthan men.
What Is an Autoinflammatory Disease?
A second part of the immune system is called the innate immune system.
The innate immune system is something people are born with.
It is controlled by genes inherited from a person’s parents.
It is the body’s first defense against an invasion by a harmful germ or other substance.
These changes can affect how the immune system reacts.
This inflammatory response can become chronic, meaning that it goes on for a long time.
There are, however, trends seen in the microbiome shift in people who live with Crohn’s disease.
Hundreds of genes are connected to the various forms of IBD.
It’s thought that there could be many different triggers that contribute to IBD.
Without that autoantibody piece, Crohn’s disease can’t be placed into the autoimmune disease category.
Crohn’s disease affects the digestive tract, but other body systems are affected as well.
This is another factor that points to it being a systemic innate immune system-related disorder.
It’s thought that some of the related conditions may have a similar inflammatory pathway as Crohn’s disease.
The problem with the immune system that causes IBD may also trigger other immune-mediated conditions.
People who live with an IBD should consult their healthcare providers about how to screen for related conditions.
There is the genetic component, with hundreds of genes known to be associated with the condition.
Categorizing Crohns Disease
Categorizing Crohn’s disease is an evolving conversation.
In the past, it has been referred to as an autoimmune condition.
Crohn’s disease is more accurately described asautoinflammatory.
Some research discusses IBD as being the result of an immune deficiency.
It’s known that the immune system has a role in the development of Crohn’s disease.
However, the understanding of how various factors interact in the development of the disease is far from complete.
It’s also thought that Crohn’s disease may actually encompass many different disorders.
That could mean there are many different types of the disease as well as a spectrum of causes.
This is a broader term that encompasses all the conditions related to the dysregulation of the immune system.
Research is ongoing to understand the causes of Crohn’s disease and how it should be classified.
There is a shift toward calling it an immune-mediated condition or an autoinflammatory condition.
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