The Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America is a non-profit, volunteer-driven organization dedicated to finding the cure for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. CCFA was founded in 1967 by Irwin M. and Suzanne Rosenthal, William D. and Shelby Modell, and Henry D. Janowitz, M.D.
The CCFA's mission is to cure & prevent these diseases through research, and to improve the quality of life of children & adults affected by these digestive diseases through education & support.
Three decades ago, CCFA created the field of IBD research. Today, the foundation funds cutting-edge studies at major medical institutions, nurtures investigators at the early stages of their careers, and finances underdeveloped areas of research. Educational workshops and symposia, together with our scientific journal, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, enable medical professionals to keep pace with this rapidly growing field. No wonder the National Institutes of Health has commended CCFA for "uniting the research community and strengthening IBD research."
For more information log onto: www.ccfa.org
What is Ulcerative Colitis?
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic disease of the large intestine. The disease is marked by inflammation and ulceration of the innermost lining. Tiny open sores, or ulcers, form on the surface of the lining, where they bleed and produce pus and mucus. Symptoms typically include diarrhea (sometimes bloody) and often crampy abdominal pain.
The inflammation usually begins in the rectum and lower colon, but it may also involve the entire large intesting.
Ulcerative colitis differs from another inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Crohn's disease. Crohn's can affect any area of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, including the small intestine and large intestine. UC, on the other hand, affects only the large intestine.
Both illnesses do have one strong feature in common. They are marked by an abnormal response by the body's immune system. The immune system is composed of various cells and proteins. Normally, these protect the body from infection. In people with IBD, however, the immune system reacts inappropriately. Mistaking food, bacteria, and other materials in the intestine for foreign or invading substances, it launches an attack. In the process, the body sends white blood cells into the lining of the intestines, where they produce chronic inflammation. These cells then generate harmful products that ultimately lead to ulcerations and bowel injury. When this happens, the patient experiences the symptoms of IBD.
Neither ulcerative colitis nor Crohn's disease should be confused with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a disorder that affects the motility (muscle contractions) of the large intestine. IBS is not characterized by intestinal inflammation. It is a much less serious disease than ulcerative colitis. IBS bears no direct relationship to either ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease.
What Causes Ulcerative Colitis?
Although considerable progress has been made in IBD research, investigators do not yet know what causes this disease. Studies indicate that the inflammation in IBD involves a complex interaction of factors: the genes the persone has inherited, the immune system, and something in the environment. Foreign substances (antigens) in the environment may be the direct cause of the inflammation, or they may stimulate the body's defenses to produce an inflammation that continues without control. Researchers believe that once the IBD patient's immune system is "turned on," it does not know how to properly "turn off" at the right time. As a result, inflammation damages the intestine and causes the symptoms of IBD. That is why the main goal of medical therapy is to help patients regulate their immune system better.
CCFA-sponsored research has led to progress in the fields of immunology, the study of the body's immune defense system; microbiology, the study of microscopic organisms with the power to cause disease; and genetics. Many scientists now believe that the interaction of an outside agent (such as a virus or bacterium) with the body's immune system may trigger the disease, or that such an agent may cause damage to the intestinal wall, initiating or accelerating the disease process. Through CCFA's continuing research efforts, much more will be learned and a cure will eventually be found.
It is estimated that as many as one million Americans have IBD, with that number evenly split between Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Males and females appear to be affected equally.
On average, people are diagnosed with UC in their mid-30s (JOSH was only 3!), although the disease can occur at any age. Men are more likely than women to be diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in their 50s and 60s.
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