Abstract:

 The causes of ulcerative colitis are still unknown. Scientists made important  advances in understanding the pathogenesis of this disease in the 21st century.  Complex involvement of an impaired immune response in relation to antigens  of the intestinal microbiota in genetically predisposed individuals under the  influence of certain environmental factors was revealed. The factors that disrupt  the epithelial barrier and alter the composition of the intestinal  microbiota trigger the onset of the disease, thereby stimulating an impaired  immune response. Recent studies have discovered completely new hypotheses  of its origin and development, gradually interpreting the already known pathogenetic mechanisms of the disease. In this review, we focused on the new concepts in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis. We examined genetic, environmental, barrier, and microbial factors. We went into detail on the structure and role of the epithelial barrier, identified specific genes that are  involved in the regulation of the intestinal epithelial barrier function in ulcerative  colitis. We studied the literature containing information on relevant  studies in PubMed and Google Scholar citation systems, using such key words  as ulcerative colitis, colon microbiota, barrier function, genetic predisposition, and predisposing factors. 

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