Multiple immunologic pathogeneses for inflammatory diseases of the colon

There has been no clear indication, although there have been many indirect suggestions, that inflammatory diseases of the colon are due to immune activation against antigens of the colon. It is possible that inflammatory diseases of the colon have different etiologies and pathogeneses. Such etiologic differences may require different therapeutic approaches. The following paper will give experimental evidence which indicates that there are at least three different immunologic etiologies which can produce inflammatory colonic disease. This must be taken as a minimum number of etiologies and does not preclude the possibility that non-immunologic mechanisms may also produce these diseases.