Gene Expression in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

The causes of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), are unknown and diagnosing them is often difficult. This research is being done to find the genes that may increase the risk of inflammatory bowel disease, and to identify specific protein substances that are related to IBD. The investigators are also looking at cell factors that may predict response to treatment for IBD. In IBD, cells of the gastrointestinal tract (your gut) do not seem to respond to certain substances in a normal way. Scientist have discovered that the immune system, made up of cells and chemicals that defend your body from infections, is working in a way that damages the walls of the gut. You are being asked to join in this study because you are going to have an surgical procedure performed related to your diagnosis of Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis or for other medical reasons (for comparison purposes). If you join this study, the investigators will study the cells in the resected tissue from your gut to find out why some cells do not act in the normal way in people with IBD as compared to people without IBD. The more the investigators understand about how differently these cells are working, the better doctors and scientists will be able to someday help people with IBD.