Role of the Chemical Environment in the Pathogenesis of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are multifactorial diseases leading to chronic inflammation of intestinal mucosa. Their etiology is still unknown. Recently, major advances in the understanding of their pathophysiology have allowed to define them as heterogenic polygenic diseases, occurring in genetically susceptible patients. However, the whole genetic susceptibility does not explain the development of IBD and several data argue in favor of the involvement of environmental factors, which remain to be identified. The aims of this clinical trial are: 1. As main objective: To determine the effects of environmental pollutants on intestinal homeostasis and particularly on inflammatory process and endoplasmic reticulum stress. 2. As secondary objective, to assess in human the genetic susceptibility of intestinal mucosa to environmental chemical compounds (I.e. xenobiotics), its interindividual variability, and its potential involvement in the pathogenesis of IBD.