Clinical Course of Crohn's Disease: a Prospective Multicenter Long-term Follow-up Study in Korea

In the past decade, the incidence and prevalence of CD (Crohn's disease) has continued to increase in Korea. Previous studies have indicated that Asian IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) patients differ from those of Western patients with regard to the genetic susceptibility and some clinical features. However, the available published data from retrospective studies in Korea were largely incomplete. The investigators aim of the study is a set-up of Korean cohort for CD, and thereby to assess the clinical course of Korean CD patients through a prospective multicenter long-term follow-up study. Secondary aims of this study are as follows: (1) to evaluate the efficacy, tolerability, and predictors to response to anti-TNF therapy for CD, (2) to identify the risk factors for postoperative recurrence on the basis of information obtained at initial diagnosis, and (3) to evaluate genotype-phenotype correlation.