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Causes

By Mayo Clinic staff

Digestive Health

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Like Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis causes inflammation and ulcers in your intestine. But unlike Crohn's, which can affect the colon in various, separate sections, ulcerative colitis usually affects one continuous section of the inner lining of the colon beginning with the rectum.

No one is quite sure what triggers ulcerative colitis, but there's a consensus as to what doesn't. Researchers no longer believe that stress is the main cause, although stress can often aggravate symptoms. Instead, current thinking focuses on the following possibilities:

  • Immune system. Some scientists think a virus or bacterium may trigger ulcerative colitis. The digestive tract becomes inflamed when your immune system tries to fight off the invading microorganism (pathogen). It's also possible that inflammation may stem from an autoimmune reaction in which your body mounts an immune response even though no pathogen is present.
  • Heredity. Because you're more likely to develop ulcerative colitis if you have a parent or sibling with the disease, scientists suspect that genetic makeup may play a contributing role. However, most people who have ulcerative colitis don't have a family history of this disorder.
Risk factors Symptoms
References
  1. Ulcerative colitis. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/colitis/. Accessed July 1, 2011.
  2. About ulcerative colitis and proctitis. The Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America. http://www.ccfa.org/frameviewer/?url=/media/pdf/livingwithuc52010.pdf. Accessed July 1, 2011.
  3. Ulcerative colitis. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/print/sec02/ch018/ch018c.html. Accessed July 1, 2011.
  4. Shale M, et al. Isotretinoin and intestinal inflammation: What gastroenterologists need to know. Gut. 2009;58:737.
  5. Burakoff R, et al. Inflammatory bowel disease. In: Greenberger NJ, et al. Current Diagnosis & Treatment: Gastroenterology, Hepatology, & Endoscopy. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw Hill Medical Companies; 2009. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=6200149. Accessed June 20, 2011.
  6. Peppercorn MA, et al. Medical management of ulcerative colitis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 30, 2011.
  7. Ulcerative colitis practice guidelines in adults. Bethesda, Md.: American College of Gastroenterology. http://www.acg.gi.org/physicians/guidelines/UlcerativeColitis.pdf. Accessed June 20, 2011.
  8. Rutgeerts P, et al. Biological therapies for inflammatory bowel diseases. Gastroenterology. 2009;136:1182.
  9. IBD and pregnancy: What you need to know. Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America. http://www.ccfa.org/about/news/pregnancy. Accessed July 2, 2011.
  10. Enck P. Acupuncture treatment in gastrointestinal diseases: A systematic review. World Journal of Gastroenterology. 2007;13:3417.
  11. Fact sheet: Complementary and alternative medicine. Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America. http://www.ccfa.org/frameviewer/?url=/media/pdf/FactSheets/CAM.pdf. Accessed July 1, 2011.
  12. Taylor RA, et al. Curcumin for inflammatory bowel disease: A review of human studies. Alternative Medicine Review. 2011;16:152.
  13. Picco MF (expert review). Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Fla. July 11, 2011.
  14. Colorectal cancer screening guidelines. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/colorectal/basic_info/screening/guidelines.htm. Accessed July 12, 2011.
  15. Reddy D, et al. Possible association between isotretinoin and inflammatory bowel disease. American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2006;101:1569.
  16. Crockett SD, et al. A causal association between isotretinoin and inflammatory bowel disease has yet to be established. American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2009;104:2387.
  17. Crockett SD, et al. Isotretinoin use and the risk of inflammatory bowel disease: A case-control study. American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2010;105:1986.
  18. Bernstein CN, et al. Isotretinoin is not associated with inflammatory bowel disease: A population-based case-control study. American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2009;104:2744.
  19. Margolis DJ, et al. Potential association between the oral tetracycline class of antimicrobials used to treat acne and inflammatory bowel disease. American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2010;105:2610.
  20. Loftus EV (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Sept. 21, 2011.
DS00598 Oct. 10, 2012

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