Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
World J Gastrointest Pathophysiol. Jun 22, 2026; 17(2): 122072
Published online Jun 22, 2026. doi: 10.4291/wjgp.v17.i2.122072
Published online Jun 22, 2026. doi: 10.4291/wjgp.v17.i2.122072
Appendix in ulcerative colitis pathogenesis and therapy: An updated narrative review
Omar AbdelGhani, Department of Surgery, Ministry of Health and Population, Cairo, 11737, Egypt
Sherreen Elhariri, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, IMU University, Seremban 70300, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
Payal Bhatnagar, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, School of Pharmacy, IMU University, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia
Htar Htar Aung, Nabil Eid, Department of Human Biology, School of Medicine, IMU University, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia
Mohamed Abdel Wahab, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, IMU University, Clinical Campus, Batu Paha 83000, Johor, Malaysia
Author contributions: AbdelGhani O and Eid N wrote the final draft of the manuscript; Bhatnagar P prepared the figures; Elhariri S wrote and revised the manuscript; Aung HH and Abdel Wahab M revised the manuscript; all authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
AI contribution statement: AI tools (specifically ChatGPT) and GRAMMARLY were used solely for linguistic refinement and formatting assistance. No AI tool was involved in the generation of research data, interpretation of results, or formulation of conclusions. All AI-generated outputs were critically reviewed and revised by the authors. For file “answering-reviewers”, we used AI just for grammar and language check, not for generation of paragraphs.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Corresponding author: Nabil Eid, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Human Biology, School of Medicine, IMU University, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia. nabilsaleheid@imu.edu.my
Received: April 9, 2026
Revised: April 30, 2026
Accepted: May 13, 2026
Published online: June 22, 2026
Processing time: 69 Days and 4.3 Hours
Revised: April 30, 2026
Accepted: May 13, 2026
Published online: June 22, 2026
Processing time: 69 Days and 4.3 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Recent clinical studies indicate the potential of the appendix as an immunological and microbial niche in ulcerative colitis pathogenesis. Induction of immune dysregulation and acceleration of inflammation are associated with autophagy dysfunction in colonic cells, and possibly the appendix. Current evidence suggests the potential of appendectomy as an adjunctive therapeutic strategy, improving remission in selected patients.