Ulcerative Colitis

Ulcerative colitis is a common inflammatory disease of the colon characterized by inflammation and ulceration of the large bowel and rectum. The condition impairs the ability of the large bowel to absorb water which results in diarrhea, the main symptom of the condition.

Ulcerative colitis is a relapsing and remitting condition, meaning symptoms can die down for long periods but then flare-up from time to time. These flare-ups can be sudden and severe. During a period of relapse, symptoms may include bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain and a sudden urge to defecate. Other symptoms include wind, loss of appetite, weight loss, fever and fatigue.

Currently, there is no cure for the condition apart from surgery. However, certain treatments such as corticosteroids or immunosuppressants may be used to ease symptoms by reducing inflammation. Surgery for severe ulcerative colitis that does not respond to treatment involves completely removing the large bowel and re-routing the small bowel so that waste can still be expelled. This procedure is called a colectomy.

In the UK, the incidence of ulcerative colitis is around 1 in 500 and the condition is equally common among males and females. Symptoms can develop at any age, but onset usually occurs between 15 and 30 years of age.

What is Ulcerative Colitis?

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic condition that affects the large intestines, particularly the colon. It is classified as one of the two inflammatory bowel diseases along with Crohn’s disease.

Ulcerative Colitis Causes

Ulcerative Colitis Diagnosis

Ulcerative Colitis Epidemiology

Ulcerative Colitis Treatment

Ulcerative Colitis Research

Latest Ulcerative Colitis News and Research

Newly identified genetic mutation causes rare, early onset inflammatory bowel disease

Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers, in collaboration with national and international researchers, have identified a genetic mutation in a small number of children with a rare type of inflammatory bowel disease.

30 Jul 2021

Increasing your risk of IBD through processed food

In this interview, News-Medical speaks to Dr. Neeraj Narula about ultra-processed food and how this can increase your risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease(IBD).

27 Jul 2021

IgA deficiency results in substantial intestinal inflammation, study reveals

While researchers have known for years that immunoglobulin A (IgA) is important for gut health, it has remained unclear exactly what role it plays in preventing infection and disease. But now, researchers from Japan have found that eliminating IgA disrupts the balance of the intestinal ecosystem, making it susceptible to disease.

20 Jul 2021

Ultra-processed foods increase the risk of inflammatory bowel disease

Ultra-processed foods containing high levels of added sugar, fat, and salt, but lacking in vitamins and fiber, are key contributors to the development of IBD.

16 Jul 2021

Ultra-processed food intake associated with increased risk of IBD

A higher intake of ultra-processed food is associated with higher risk of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), finds a study published by The BMJ today.

14 Jul 2021

Stool transplant may be worth exploring as treatment option for COVID-19

It might be worth exploring stool transplant to treat COVID-19 infection, suggest doctors in a letter published online in the journal Gut, after they used the procedure in two patients to prevent the recurrence of another bacterial infection.

2 Jul 2021

Yeast-derived polysaccharide mixture effectively inhibits the onset, progression of immune disorders

The development of therapeutic drugs for inflammatory bowel disease, an intractable immune disease, and multiple sclerosis - an autoimmune disorder - is gaining traction.

25 Jun 2021

Irritable bowel syndrome is linked to bacterial biofilms in the gut

One in six women and one in twelve men in Austria suffers from some form of IBS - therefore around one million people in all. Using currently available techniques, it is only possible to diagnose IBS by a process of elimination.

21 Jun 2021

Study: COVID-19 vaccines safe for IBD patients

Patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) do not appear to have increased risk of side effects from the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, according to a recent Cedars-Sinai study published online and upcoming in print in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

9 Jun 2021

“Good” bacteria demonstrate clinical potential for treating ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease

A new study published in Nature Communications demonstrates that a consortium of bacteria designed to complement missing or underrepresented functions in the imbalanced microbiome of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients, prevented and treated chronic immune-mediated colitis in humanized mouse models.

29 May 2021

New clinical trial to test possible therapeutics for COVID-19 in hospitalized patients

The Clinical Trials Network of Tennessee (CTN2) at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center has contracted a new clinical trial to test possible therapeutics for COVID-19 in hospitalized patients. This new trial brings the total generated by CTN2 contracts for the university to nearly $7 million.

12 May 2021

Patient support program for painful conditions may also help avoid use of risky opioids

A program that provides ongoing support to patients with painful conditions and complex medication regimens may also help them avoid using potentially risky opioid pain medications, or reduce the amount they use, a new study finds.

6 May 2021

Study describes IgG antibodies in Crohn's disease specific for human bacterial flagellins

Last year, Charles O. Elson, M.D., demonstrated a potential preventive treatment for Crohn's disease, a form of inflammatory bowel disease. He used a mouse model that included immune-reactive T cells from patients with Crohn's disease in a flagellin peptide-specific immunotherapy.

6 May 2021

Artificial super stool may be a game-changer in the treatment of chronic gut infections

The urgent need for human stool donations to treat chronic gut infections could soon be eased with innovative research to develop artificial super stool.

28 Apr 2021

Commonly-prescribed drug for IBD blunts COVID-19 vaccine response

People who take a commonly-prescribed drug for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) should not assume they are protected after a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, after a large-scale study found many had poor antibody responses.

26 Apr 2021

Defects in specific goblet cells may be a factor contributing to ulcerative colitis

There are many variants of "goblet cells" in the intestines and they seem to have different functions, according to a new study from the University of Gothenburg.

19 Apr 2021

Leaky gut and microbial dysbiosis could contribute to cytokine storm in severely ill COVID-19 cases

The gut is a well-established route of infection and target for viral damage by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent for COVID-19. This is supported by the clinical observation that about half of COVID-19 patients exhibit gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms.

8 Apr 2021