Angiogenesis and inflammatory bowel disease

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has gained immense attention recently due primarily to increasing prevalence. The exact disease mechanism is still unknown. There is considerable evidence of interrelation between the mechanisms of angiogenesis and the chronic inflammation of IBD. This evidence was obtained from animal models of colitis and confirmed in human studies. Serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (b-FGF) have been found to be significantly higher in patients with IBD than in controls. In addition, it was found that these factors correlate well with disease activity and decrease with the use of steroids. Therefore pharmacological inhibition of angiogenesis has the potential to be a therapeutic strategy in IBD