LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Colitis: Intestines
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Ischemic colitis is an entity that usually affects persons over the age of 50 who have vascular disease (problems with the heart or blood vessels). The blood supply to the colon is compromised and the lining of the colon may bleed and slough off. Seldom are persons under the age of 40 affected except for an occasional person who engages in such vigorous exercise, such as marathon running, that blood is shunted away from the intestines for a prolonged period of time.
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The most obvious sign of colitis is the production of small amounts of soft faeces. The cat may strain on the litter tray for some time and passing faeces can be very painful, so cats may cry out. There is often blood and mucous in the faeces. Usually the faeces are reasonably formed, but they can be quite liquid and if there is ... a problem in the small intestine, the diarrhoea may be watery.
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Although many theories exist regarding the cause of ulcerative colitis, none has been proven. The cause of ulcerative colitis is unknown, and currently there is no cure, except through surgical removal of the colon. One theory suggests that some agent, possibly a virus or an atypical bacterium, interacts with the body's immune system to trigger an inflammatory reaction in the intestinal wall.
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Immunologic evidence suggests that in the intestines of those with ulcerative colitis, some of this tolerance is lost. The TH1 cells, responsible for turning on the immunologic reaction against invading organisms, do their job; but the TH2 cells, responsible for turning the immunologic response off, fail to do their job. This causes an inappropriate inflammatory response.
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The term “ colitis” is non-specific and refers to any inflammation of the colon. The colon... known as the large bowel or the large intestine, is a hollow tube that connects the small intestine to the anus. The purpose of the colon is to reabsorb water and expel fecal wastes.
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Some sources list ulcerative colitis as an autoimmune disease, a disease in which the immune system malfunctions, attacking some part of the body. As discussed above, ulcerative colitis is a systemic disease that affects many areas of the body outside the digestive system. Surgical removal of the large intestine often cures the disease, including the manifestations outside the digestive system.[7] This suggests that the cause of the disease is in the colon itself, and not in the immune system or some other part of the body.
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