Table 1.
Characteristics | Ileal and ileocolonic CD | Isolated colonic CD | Ulcerative colitis |
Sex | Slight female predominance (55%) | Female predominance (65%) | Equal or slight male predominance |
Genetics | Crohn’s-associated genotype including NOD2/CARD15 | Genotype midway between CD and UC | UC-associated genotype including HLA-DRB1*01:03 |
Serology | ASCA commonly positive; pANCA usually negative | ASCA less commonly positive than ileal CD; pANCA positive | ASCA usually negative; pANCA commonly positive |
Mucosa-associated microbiota | Marked changes commonly including increased proteobacteria (e.g., E. coli) and fusobacteria | Intermediate changes similar to ileal/ileocolonic CD but less consistent | Modest changes, including slight increase in E. coli |
Response to mesalazine | No efficacy | No efficacy | Good efficacy |
Response to anti-TNF | Good efficacy | Good efficacy, probably better than for ileal/ileocolonic CD | Good efficacy |
Response to exclusive enteral nutrition | Good efficacy | Probably good efficacy | No efficacy |
Surgery rate and type | Required in majority | Required in minority. High failure for pouch-anal reconstruction | Required in minority. Low failure for pouch-anal reconstruction |
CD: Crohn’s disease; ASCA: Anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae; HLA: Human leucocyte antigen; pANCA: Perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies; TNF: Tumor necrosis factor; UC: Ulcerative colitis.