Title:The Risk of Opportunistic Infections in Patients with Inflammatory
Bowel Disease
Volume: 1
Author(s): Maede Ghanaeipour, Nima Behnaminia, Erfan Khadem and Amirhossein Nafari*
Affiliation:
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
Keywords:
Inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, opportunistic infections, therapeutic strategy, intestinal microbiota.
Abstract:
Objective: Immunity-related issues are the main concerns of patients undergoing inflammatory
bowel disease (IBD) treatment. The treatment of IBD during the last decade has
evolved due to the ever-increasing utilization of immunomodulators, which has caused the potential
of contracting opportunistic infections to become the main immunity concern for patients
affected by IBD.
Methods: Studies on opportunistic infections in patients with IBD identified in databases such as
Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus were reviewed and included.
Results: IBD patients are a high-risk population for opportunistic infections, with age being a
significant factor. The primary therapy for IBD patients includes the suppression of the immunity
system, together with immunodeficiency and biological treatments, which, first of all, must be
standardized. Since treatment with suppressive medicine, which is the original method for curing
IBD, causes viral infections and the growth of various bacteria, factors suppressing the body's
immunity system must be temporarily suspended, or the consumption dosage of sensitive antibiotics
should be reduced. Biological treatment and anti-integrin antibodies will lead to the danger
of being affected by opportunistic infections in patients with IBD.
Conclusion:Worldwide research society must conduct further research into a therapeutic strategy
for IBD patients to reduce susceptibility and the risk of opportunistic infection. Information about
how these individuals and the medicines they were given reacted to different infections and more
detailed clinical observations are required.