Bücher von E. -F. Stange

The aetiology of the chronic inflammatory bowel diseases - Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis - is still enigmatic. The therapeutic approach has therefore traditionally focused on anti-inflammatory principles, including corticosteroids and aminosalicylates. Since a significant proportion of patients is steroid-dependent or refractory and because of the problematic side-effects of long-term systemic steroids, active immunosuppression has gained acceptance in the field. The classical immunosuppressants azathioprine and 6-mercaptopurine have long been evidence-based in IBD, but underused. Recently, methotrexate and cyclosporine have also been proven to be effective in certain situations. Newer drugs like tacrolimus, mycophenolate and others may be similarly useful but their potential is still unclear. Finally, the immune modifiers including IL-10 and TNF-antibodies have been successfully subjected to controlled trials. Other experimental drugs discussed in this book are on the horizon. This volume is the Proceedings of Falk Symposium 119 held in Freiburg-im-Breisgau, Germany, October 3-4, 2000, and covers systematically the field of immunosuppression in inflammatory bowel diseases. It is hoped that it will further the prudent use of these drugs in the proper clinical situations by increasing our understanding of both the mechanisms of action and the clinical benefit to the patient.

Chronic inflammatory bowel diseases represent an important medical problem, since they have a devastating impact on the quality of life and require longstanding medical care. Many medical disciplines are involved in tackling the immensely complex studies on pathogenesis, clinical expression and treatment possibilities. This book, the proceedings of the Falk Symposium 105 on `Innovative Concepts in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases', held in Rostock, Germany, on April 30 - May 2, 1998, brought together experts from different fields of science to allow a unified view on clinical and basic research. The main themes of the meeting were genetics, animal models, immunology, epithelial cells, endotoxin, diagnostic procedures, malignancy, medical therapies, and surgery. In each section of the book experts present state-of-the-art reviews with the very latest developments in the respective research areas followed by chapters on different aspects of inflammatory bowel diseases. They provide suggestions concerning future research and clinical management of patients with inflammatory bowel diseases.