Subclinical inflammatory lesions in the colonic mucosa are common in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

Many people don't realize that the gastrointestinal tract contains the largest immune system in the body. The immune system is the body's natural defense against foreign invaders, and it is somehow altered in people who have these conditions. Some researchers believe that the long-lasting inflammation found in the intestines of people with IBD damages the bowel, which in turn may allow bacteria to enter the damaged bowel wall and circulate through the blood stream. The body's reaction to these bacteria may cause other problems including inflammation in the joints and/or spine, skin sores and inflammation of the eyes. Currently this hypothesis is neither fully understood nor confirmed by rigorous scientific study.

In a study published on the Springerlink.com website, researches looked at 28 people with AS and examined them for lesions in the colon and compared those patients to a control group.

Of the 28 people with AS, 18 were found to mave either macro or microscopic lesions.

To read the study abstract, click here.

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