Crohn’s disease: Why the ileum?

Figure 1 Potential factors involved in ileal Crohn’s disease. While Crohn’s disease (CD) occurs in any part of the gastrointestinal tract, the ileum is frequently involved. Potential factors involved in ileal CD are genetic susceptibility genes and most of these genes are associated with Paneth cell dysfunction. Environmental factors may also be involved such as diet, gut microbiota and smoking. Diet can modulate the composition of bile acids and gut microbiota, which in turn affect the susceptibility of the ileum to inflammation. Created with BioRender.com. CD: Crohn’s disease.