Adherent-invasive Escherichia coli in the etiopathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)include ulcerative colitis and crohn′s disease, The etiology of CD is complex and involves both host gene susceptibility factors and environmental factors, including microorganism.Adherent-invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC), have recently emerged as an exciting potential etiological agent of CD.In this article, we review the role of AIEC as a pathobiont in the pathology of CD, concerning AIEC host-microbe interactions and pathogenicity.We also describe the emerging link between AIEC and autophagy. Key words: Inflammatory bowel disease; Adherent-invasive Escherichia coli; Autophagy; Intestinal barrier; Intracellular replication