Introduction
The exact cause of ulcerative colitis, which leads to inflammation in the colon, is still unknown. It is obvious that several environmental factors play a role and the disease can be influenced by psychological stress. However, genetic factors also play a very important role, as the disease is more common in some families.
Possible causes
As mentioned above, the causes of ulcerative colitis are not fully understood. However, there are various factors that have a proven influence on the disease and for this reason are discussed below. These include:
- General causes
- Mental causes
- Nutritional causes
- Genetic causes
General causes
Interestingly, it has been shown that the number of people affected by ulcerative colitis has increased in western industrialized countries in recent decades. During the last few years, there have been a number of very different theories on the development of ulcerative colitis. Some of these theories have been completely rejected.
At present, many scientists assume that a barrier disorder of the intestinal wall is at the root of ulcerative colitis. This then enables the penetration of bacteria, which live in the colon of every healthy person. These bacteria then cause the inflammation.
What causes the barrier function of the intestinal mucosa to be disturbed, however, has not yet been sufficiently clarified. Studies at the Medical University of Heidelberg suggest that the composition of the mucus covering the intestinal mucosa is different in ulcerative colitis patients. According to the studies, the mucus lining the inner intestinal wall lacks a certain fat, phosphatidylcholine.
As a result, the intestinal mucosa becomes more vulnerable to the bacteria of the colon, whereupon the inflammation of the intestinal wall repeatedly occurs. The lack of phosphatidylcholine in the mucus is said to be due to a disturbed connection between the intestinal cells. It is obvious that this disturbed connection between the intestinal cells is caused by a gene mutation.
The administration of phosphatidylcholine could restore the barrier of the mucosal wall and treat ulcerative colitis. The results so far look promising. However, the final results of these studies are still pending. But perhaps in a few years the real cause of ulcerative colitis will be clarified.
