[Hygienic hypothesis in immunopathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease]. / Koncepcja hipotezy higienicznej w immunopatogenezie nieswoistych chorób zapalnych jelit.

ABSTRACT

Over three last decades, it has been noticed that morbidity of immunology-dependent illnesses, like asthma, inflammatory bowel disease or atopic dermatitis, apparently increased. That is the reason to focus on searching and exploring new ideas which could explain etiopathology of those diseases. In etiopathology the role of environmental factors is particularly emphasized. Research indicated the inverse relationship between the frequency of infectious and/ or parasites and autoimmune diseases. It was a leading subject of many studies what allowed to create a hypothesis which explains the phenomenon. The most original and innovative idea, named hygenic hypothesis, was proposed in the late 80s of the last century. Avoiding or limiting the contact with common bacteria and parasites in well-and very well-developed countries probably caused depletion of immune memory which resulted in the hypersensitive response after exposure to general factors. Nowadays, autoimmunological diseases make really serious problem for medical care in the United States of America and Western European countries, ranking just behind cardiovascular diseases, cancer and metabolic sicknesses.