Environmental factors trigger the onset of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in genetically predisposed individuals. Exposure to seasonal external factors during the maturation of the immune system is suspected to be an inducing factor for IBD. Some studies suggested an association between the month of birth and the later development of IBD. We studied this putative relationship in a large cohort of Belgian patients with Crohn's disease (CD).
Laboratory of Clinical and Epidemiological Virology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rega Institute for Medical Research, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. marc.vanranst@uz.kuleuven.ac.be
