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Recent studies have identified mucosal healing on endoscopy as a key prognostic parameter in the management of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), thus highlighting the role of endoscopy for monitoring of disease activity in IBD.
In fact, mucosal healing has emerged as a key treatment goal in IBD that predicts sustained clinical remission and resection-free survival of patients.
The structural basis of mucosal healing is an intact barrier function of the gut epithelium that prevents translocation of commensal bacteria into the mucosa and submucosa with subsequent immune cell activation.
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| Mucosal healing is an initial event in the suppression of inflammation of deeper layers of the bowel wall |
| Gut |
Thus, mucosal healing should be considered as an initial event in the suppression of inflammation of deeper layers of the bowel wall, rather than as a sign of complete healing of gut inflammation.
Professor Markus Neurath and Dr Simon Travis from Germany systematically reviewed clinical studies on mucosal healing.
The research team examined the effects of anti-inflammatory or immunosuppressive drugs such as 5-aminosalicylates, corticosteroids, azathioprine, ciclosporin and anti-TNF antibodies on mucosal healing.
Professor Neurath and colleague comment, "We highlight the implications of mucosal healing for subsequent clinical management in patients with IBD."
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