Although the first description of patients with what we now call Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis was published well before 1900, both disorders seem to be diseases of the twentieth century. At the very start of the twenty-first century, it therefore seems appropriate to look back and at the same time look forward and to assess what knowledge has been gained during the last 100 years and in what direction research and thereby clinical practice will go in the future.
This book, the proceedings of Falk Symposium No. 111 held in Freiburg, Germany, on June 19-20 1999, contains contributions from experienced senior scientists on the state of the art in pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment, together with unpublished and new findings from young researchers. Basic scientists and clinicians are thereby involved in an exchange of information which will lead to new directions for future research and clinical management of inflammatory bowel diseases.

Inhalt

List of Principal Authors. Section I: Aetiopathogenesis. 1. Susceptibility Genes for IBD; D. van Heel, et al. 2. Interleukin-1 Beta Gene Polymorphisms as Genetic Markers in Perforating and Non-Perforating Crohn's Disease; A. Nemetz, et al. 3. Genetic Determination and Susceptibility: Future Aspects; R.H. Duerr. 4. Interactions Between Enteric Bacteria and the Immune System Which Determine Mucosal Homeostasis vs. Chronic Intestinal Inflammation: Lessons from Rodent Models; R.B. Sartor, C. Veltkamp. 5. Gut Flora: Future Implications; R. Duchmann. 6. Response and Non-Response in the Mucosal Immune System; W. Strober, et al. 7. Immunotherapeutic Approaches in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases; M.F. Neurath, et al. 8. Intestinal Epithelial Barrier Dysfunction; S.V. Sitaraman, et al. 9. IL-10 Inhibits NF-kB by Distinct Mechanisms; A.J.G. Schottelius, et al. 10. Future Ways to Study Epithelial Cell Functions; G. Rogler. 11. Regulation of Intestinal Crypt Cell Apoptosis in the Murine Acute Graft-versus-Host Disease; E. Stüber, et al. 12. Apoptosis and Mucosal Lymphocytes: Defective Mucosal Lymphocyte Apoptosis is Associated with Inflammation; M. Boirivant, et al. 13. Regulation of Intestinal Epithelial Wound Healing; M.N. Göke, D.K. Podolsky. 14. Myofibroblasts and Epithelial Repair in the Intestinal Mucosa; M.N. Göke, D.K. Podolsky. 15. Etiopathogenesis 1999 - How to Put it All Together; C.O. Elson, et al. Section II: Clinical Approach and Treatment. 16. The Influence of 20th Century Biomedical Thought on the Origins of IBD Therapy; J.B. Kirsner. 17. Differentiation and Subgrouping of IBD: State of the Art; P. Rugeerts, et al. 18. Differentiation and Subgrouping of Crohn's Disease; G. Rocca, et al. 19. Do Subgroups of Crohn's Disease Matter for Future Patient Care? C. Gasche. 20. Treatment of Active, Severe and Refractory Ulcerative Colitis: State of the Art; S.B. Hanauer. 21. Treatment of active, severe and refractory ulcerative colitis: new therapeutic approaches, unpublished data; H. Herfarth. 22. Cyclosporin for Corticosteroid-Refractory Ulcerative Colitis. Refinement of Current Treatment Modalities; G.C. Actis, et al. 23. Two Decades of Restorative Proctocolectomy: Laudation or Requiem for the Ileoanal Pouch Procedure? C. Herfarth, et al. 24. Risk of Dysplasia in Long-Term Ileal Pouches or Pouches with Chronic Pouchitis; M. Thompson-Fawcett. 25. Improving the Long-Term Outcome of Surgery: The Future; R.S. McLeod. 26. Azathioprine Metabolism in IBD: Correlation with Efficacy and Toxicity; C. Cuffari. 27. Steriod Dependent and Refradctory Disease: State of the Art; D.H. Present. 28. Thalidomide Therapy: History, Pharmacology and Consideration as a Treatment for Crohn's Disease; E.D. Ehrenpreis, et al. 29. Maintenance of Remission in Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease; L.R. Sutherland. 30. Remission Maintenance in UC and CD: Unpublished Data; P. Gionchetti, et al. 31. Experimental Treatments in IBD &endash; Are Too Many and Do We Have the Right Targets? J. Schölmerich. 32. Patient Education in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease; N. Bregenzer, et al. 33. Supportive Care in Inflammatory Bowel Disease; E.J. Irvine. 34. How to Put it All together &endash; Visions for the Second Century; W.J. Sandborn. Index.