The pathophysiology of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is incompletely understood. Current concepts imply that environmental factors (EFs) trigger disease onset as well as flares in genetically susceptible individuals.
The objective of this study is to analyze the association between IBD and various EFs, which may influence the pathogenesis of the disease.
2,294 patients from the Swiss IBD Cohort Study (SIBDCS) received a questionnaire regarding EF including mode of delivery, breastfeeding, animals in household, and place of residence. The control group comprised patients' childhood friends, who grew up in a similar environment ("friends cohort").
A total of 1,111 questionnaires were returned from SIBDCS patients (response rate: 48.4%). Breastfeeding for <6 months was associated with a decreased risk for ulcerative colitis/indeterminate colitis (UC/IC) (OR: 0.473, p = 0.006). IBD patients reported less pet animals in the household than the control group (p = 0.004). The presence of cats or dogs (OR: 0.688, p = 0.015) and pet rodents (OR: 0.598, p = 0.001) in the household before the age of 20 was inversely associated with the risk for UC/IC.
The present study underlines the importance of EFs in the pathogenesis of IBD. Overall, the development of UC/IC seems to be more affected from environmental influences than from Crohn's disease. Our results imply a protective effect of possessing pet animals in household and short breastfeeding regarding the onset of UC/IC.