Fibrogénesis y enfermedad inflamatoria intestinal

A substantial proportion of patients with Crohn's disease develops intestinal stenosis due to anomalous fiber deposits. These patients frequently require resection of the affected segment. Despite its evident clinical significance, intestinal fibrogenesis has received little attention in comparison with research into hepatic, pulmonary, renal or cutaneous fibrosis. There seems to be a certain genetic predisposition to developing intestinal fibrosis. A meta-analysis has demonstrated that the three main variants of the NOD2/CARD15 gene are associated with this complication. In Crohn's disease, a series of alterations in collagen synthesis, expression of various pro- and anti-fibrogenic factors and intestinal fibroblast function have been described in the last few years. More recently, the development of intestinal fibrosis has been attenuated in several experimental models. Nevertheless, further studies are required to improve our understanding of intestinal fibrogenesis and to develop effective strategies for its prevention and treatment.