Risk factors, prevention and rational pharmacotherapy of intestinal damage

Abstract:

The intestinal epithelium is a large mucosal surface in the human body, where the immune system has an initial contact with external factors. A large number of innate defense cells, that are located within the mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract, make the first contact with antigens and direct the immunological responses. Damage and diseases of the intestinal tract, which manifest themselves through a wide range of clinical pictures and diseases, are a significant public health problem today. Family doctors, as well as experts of different specialties, are involved in the recognition, treatment and prevention. The characteristic of a healthy intestinal mucosa is a peaceful coexistence with digestive contents, however, in conditions of a disturbed equilibrium in a wide range of diseases; from infectious, inflammatory, vascular, allergic, toxic, and various others, immune cells are activated and promote inflammation. Knowing the risk factors for the occurence of inflammation and damage of the intestinal mucosa as well as the pathological mechanisms by which they occur can greatly contribute to incidence reduction and the prevention of these conditions. Intestinal inflammation often carries a risk of extraintestinal comorbidities, possibly sharing common etiopathogenetic features with pharmacologic implications for treating these comorbid conditions. 

Key words:
drug therapy; intestinal inflammation; pathophysiological mechanisms; risk factors