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Review
. 2020 Jan 30;4(1):1-13.
doi: 10.23922/jarc.2019-003. eCollection 2020.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Japan-Is It Similar to or Different from Westerns?

Shinji Okabayashi  1 , Taku Kobayashi  1 , Toshifumi Hibi  1
Affiliations
Review

Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Japan-Is It Similar to or Different from Westerns?

Shinji Okabayashi et al. J Anus Rectum Colon. .

Abstract

Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, the most common types of inflammatory bowel disease, are idiopathic, intractable disease characterized by chronic inflammation in the intestine. In recent years, studies elucidating the clinical characteristics of these diseases and basic researches have suggested that the diseases are induced by the immunological abnormalities through the involvement of environmental factors with their predisposition. In Japan, significant progress of basic and epidemiological researches has been developed for these diseases and the clinical guidelines have been established. However, no fundamental treatment for these diseases has been established yet. The current number of patients in Japan continues to increase, with at least 180,000 patients suffering from ulcerative colitis and 40,000 suffering from Crohn's disease. Thus, further studies are required to understand these diseases and improve medical treatments.

Keywords: Crohn's disease; inflammatory bowel disease; ulcerative colitis.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest Toshifumi Hibi received lecture fees from Mitsubishi-Tanabe Pharma, Kyorin Pharmaceutical, Abbvie GK, Janssen, Mochida Pharmaceutical, JIMRO, Takeda Pharmaceutical, Gilead Sciences, Kissei Pharmaceutical, Zeria Pharmaceutical, Ferring Pharmaceutical and Nippon Kayaku, advisory/consultancy fees from Mitsubishi-Tanabe Pharma, Takeda Pharmaceutical, EA Pharma, Janssen, Eli Lilly, Pfizer and Zeria Pharmaceutical and research grant from Abbvie GK, JIMRO and Zeria Pharmaceutical.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Accumulative Numbers of Registered Patients with IBD in Japan [42, 43]. The numbers of patients with both ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are increased year by year. Quoted and modified from the materials by Japan Intractable Diseases Information Center. [Ulcerative colitis (designated intractable disease No. 97)] [Internet]. Available from: http://www.nanbyou.or.jp/entry/62. Japanese [42] and Japan Intractable Diseases Information Center. [Crohn’s disease (designated intractable disease No. 96)] [Internet]. Available from: http://www.nanbyou.or.jp/entry/81. Japanese [43]
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Age Distribution at Onset in UC and CD (2012) [44, 45]. The ratio of male to female in ulcerative colitis is 1:1, but that in Crohn’s disease is 2:1. Quoted and modified from the materials by Research Group on Intractable Inflammatory Bowel Disorders (Suzuki Group). [For ulcerative colitis. Basic knowledge necessary for treatment we want to know] [Internet]. Available from: http://www.ibdjapan.org/patient/pdf/01.pdf. Japanese [44] and Research Group on Intractable Inflammatory Bowel Disorders (Suzuki Group). [For Crohn’s disease. Basic knowledge necessary for treatment we want to know] [Internet]. Available from: http://www.ibdjapan.org/patient/pdf/02.pdf. Japanese [45]
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Effectiveness of concomitant enteral nutrition therapy and Infliximab for maintenance treatment of Crohn’s disease in Adults [40]. Hirai et al. conducted a multicenter, retrospective, cohort study to determine whether enteral nutrition (EN) added to the IFX therapy regimen is effective for maintaining remission in adult CD patients. The cumulative remission rate was significantly higher in the EN group than in the non-EN group. The results demonstrated that EN combined with IFX was clinically useful for maintaining remission. Quoted and modified from the materials by Hirai F, Ishihara H, Yada S, et al. Effectiveness of concomitant enteral nutrition therapy and Infliximab for maintenance treatment of Crohn’s disease in adults. Dig Dis Sci. 2013 May; 58 (5): 1329-34 [40]
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