Between the 1950s and 1980s, Europe and North America saw an increase in the incidence of Crohn's disease in adults. The incidence of paediatric Crohn's disease has grown and we are now entering a new era, in which inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), is emerging in the Asia-Pacific nations.

This book presents the first major text where "East meets West" in IBD. The issues in the regions where IBD is a relatively common disease include the role of genetic and environmental factors in pathogenesis and disease expression, the application of diagnostic tools, and the use of biological agents in therapy. In contrast, key issues in the nations where IBD is at present relatively rare include characterising the nature and behaviour of IBD in those populations, developing ways of differentiating IBD from infective bowel conditions, eg. tuberculosis, how to apply standard treatment regimens, and the role of traditional therapies, such as Traditional Chinese Medicine, in the management of IBD.

Interdisciplinary symposium bringing together basic science and clinical applications Up-to-date research findings at the highest scientific level

Inhalt
Asia the new frontier for inflammatory bowel disease.- Inflammatory bowel disease: incidence and prevalence across Asia.- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Asia: a comparison of phenotype and genotype with Western IBD.- Inflammatory bowel disease in Asia: response to therapy.- State-of-the-Art Lecture: Pathogenesis why is inflammatory bowel disease increasing in Asia?.- Diagnostic challenges in Asia.- Gastrointestinal tuberculosis versus Crohn's disease.- Diagnostic challenges in Asia: intestinal Behçet's disease.- Serodiagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease.- State-of-the-Art Lecture: Anti-MAP therapy for Crohn's disease saviour or non-event?.- Key issues in the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease.- The search for an infectious cause of Crohn's disease.- Disturbances in microbiota cause or effect?.- The role of defensins.- Emerging issues in Crohn's disease: the central role of the macrophage.- Connective tissue responses.- State-of-the-Art Lecture: Genetics of Crohn's disease: lessons from an impaired barrier.- Investigation of the gastrointestinal tract expanding the horizons.- Faecal testing in inflammatory bowel disease.- Magnetic resonance imaging in inflammatory bowel disease.- The small bowel capsule endoscopy in inflammatory bowel disease.- The basics on how-to-treat inflammatory bowel disease.- Mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis.- Management of moderate to severe ulcerative colitis.- Medical therapy of small bowel Crohn's disease.- The basics how to treat perianal Crohn's disease.- Therapeutic challenges in Asia.- Application and evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine in inflammatory bowel disease.- Immunosuppression in an endemically infected environment: tuberculosis.- Therapeutic challenges in Asia:hepatitis B and C.- Can Asia afford new and emerging therapies in inflammatory bowel disease?.- State-of-the-Art Lecture: Inflammatory bowel disease can the East learn from mistakes of the West.- Making sense of emerging therapeutic options.- Are biological drugs effective enough?.- Are biologicals safe enough?.- Step-up or step-down therapy in Crohn's disease.- New therapy for inflammatory bowel disease in pregnancy.- State-of-the Art Lecture: Irritable bowel syndrome: the new inflammatory bowel disease?.- New therapeutic approaches for inflammatory bowel disease will they make a difference?.- Probiotics and inflammatory bowel disease.- Enhacing barrier function in inflammatory bowel disease.- Depleting phagocytes.- Laparoscopic surgery for colitis.