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Hey everyone, I am a biology major and I have to come up with a topic to do research on. Being that I suffered from UC and have a j-pouch I want to do my research on UC. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas about some topics within the UC subject that may have a lot of information. I figured I'd check here to see if there are any good ideas. Thanks
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Joe,

One area of research that is of interest to me has to do with the possible damage incurred by the tight junctions connecting the epithelial cells in the intestines. If something is inhibiting or interfering with the integrity of the tight junctions (especially the claudin proteins), then perhaps the intestines are more permeable to pathogens, which then precipitates an immune response and subsequent inflammatory cascade.

As I mentioned in another post, I've suffered from eczema for many years and have noticed that dairy products exacerbate it. Given that the surface of the skin is lined with epithelial cells, perhaps there is a protein in dairy, such as casein, which is weakening the tight junctions there. I've just applied this same logic to the gut.

What are your thoughts on this?
What genes predispose someone to UC?

Is hookworm (hygiene hypothesis) an effective treatment for UC?

How does the body respond to a J-Pouch? (what are all of the physiological changes that go hand in hand with the surgery?)

Can a c-diff infection trigger UC?

Alternatively, are c-diff infections common for someone admitted to Hospital with UC?

How many UC cases are non-responsive to current treatment options (nothing but surgery saved my life)?
- Genetic link to UC/IBD

- UC vs. Crohns and/or indeterminant colitis: flipsides of the same coin? - what percentage of patients eventually have their diagnosis changed? How often after the initial dx is the 'new' diagnosis confirmed? Also, did the dx actually change, or was the patient initially misdiagnosed? Or, is there really not much difference in UC vs. Crohns other than how the disease originally manifests?

- Is UC really more prominent in northern hemisphere, western nations, or is it just reported/properly diagnosed in these regions more often?
-The role that diet plays in UC and specifically the growing debate over whether reducing consumption of carbs, sugars and processed foods can ameliorate symptoms. This debate may be a hotter button topic in the context of pouchitis (Dr. Bo Shen is a leading expert who advocates reduction of carbs and sugars in pouchitis patients), but it has some interest with UC as well. One of my best friends just learned his 6 year old niece has UC and he and his sister have been getting into fights over the the young girl's diet. My friend takes the position that the girl is consuming too much sugar (lots of candy and soda) and pastas, and she should not be eating these foods. His sister seems to think it doesn't matter. Perhaps your research can assist in resolving this family feud? At stake is the future health of this young 6 year old girl, which of course is unknown at this time.

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