Editorial
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Apr 14, 2024; 30(14): 1963-1967
Published online Apr 14, 2024. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v30.i14.1963
Bowel function and inflammation: Is motility the other side of the coin?
Alba Panarese
Alba Panarese, Division of Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy, Department of Medical Sciences, Central Hospital - Azienda Ospedaliera, Taranto 74123, Italy
Author contributions: Panarese A wrote and revised the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The author reported no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Alba Panarese, MD, Director, Division of Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy, Department of Medical Sciences, Central Hospital - Azienda Ospedaliera, Francesco Bruno Street, 1, Taranto 74123, Italy. albapanarese@libero.it
Received: December 31, 2023
Peer-review started: December 31, 2023
First decision: January 10, 2024
Revised: January 23, 2024
Accepted: March 21, 2024
Article in press: March 21, 2024
Published online: April 14, 2024
Abstract

Digestion and intestinal absorption allow the body to sustain itself and are the emblematic functions of the bowel. On the flip side, functions also arise from its role as an interface with the environment. Indeed, the gut houses microorganisms, collectively known as the gut microbiota, which interact with the host, and is the site of complex immune activities. Its role in human pathology is complex and scientific evidence is progressively elucidating the functions of the gut, especially regarding the pathogenesis of chronic intestinal diseases and inflammatory conditions affecting various organs and systems. This editorial aims to highlight and relate the factors involved in the pathogenesis of intestinal and systemic inflammation.

Keywords: Motility, Inflammation, Pathogenesis, Vitamin D, Microbiota, Gut, Chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction

Core Tip: The pathophysiology and pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases, functional bowel diseases and inflammatory diseases affecting other organs and systems is being defined. The gut is intended to be the site where inflammatory processes with systemic implications are triggered. A wide-ranging view is required to clarify these pathways with the aim of increasing differential diagnosis, early diagnosis, and treatment to improve prognosis of chronic bowel and systemic inflammation.