IBD literature leaderboards — 167 landmark papers
IBDology ranks the inflammatory bowel disease literature two ways: the 100 most-cited IBD papers of all time (OpenAlex) and the 100 most-disruptive (the CD₅ disruption index over the NIH iCite citation graph). Each paper below has its own bibliographic record; follow a title to its page, or open the full leaderboards.
Most-cited IBD papers
Worldwide incidence and prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease in the 21st century: a systematic review of population-based studiesCited 5,933× · The LancetAssociation of NOD2 leucine-rich repeat variants with susceptibility to Crohn's diseaseCited 5,586× · NatureA frameshift mutation in NOD2 associated with susceptibility to Crohn's diseaseCited 5,016× · NatureHost–microbe interactions have shaped the genetic architecture of inflammatory bowel diseaseCited 4,859× · NatureIncreasing Incidence and Prevalence of the Inflammatory Bowel Diseases With Time, Based on Systematic ReviewCited 4,819× · GastroenterologyNuclear Factor-κB — A Pivotal Transcription Factor in Chronic Inflammatory DiseasesCited 4,689× · New England Journal of MedicineMolecular-phylogenetic characterization of microbial community imbalances in human inflammatory bowel diseasesCited 4,583× · Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesUnravelling the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseaseCited 4,335× · NatureFaecalibacterium prausnitzii is an anti-inflammatory commensal bacterium identified by gut microbiota analysis of Crohn disease patientsCited 4,326× · Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesMaintenance infliximab for Crohn's disease: the ACCENT I randomised trialCited 4,164× · The LancetInfliximab for Induction and Maintenance Therapy for Ulcerative ColitisCited 3,884× · New England Journal of MedicineShort Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs)-Mediated Gut Epithelial and Immune Regulation and Its Relevance for Inflammatory Bowel DiseasesCited 3,716× · Frontiers in ImmunologyUlcerative colitisCited 3,443× · The LancetToward an Integrated Clinical, Molecular and Serological Classification of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Report of a Working Party of the 2005 Montreal World Congress of GastroenterologyCited 3,392× · Canadian Journal of GastroenterologyThe Treatment-Naive Microbiome in New-Onset Crohn’s DiseaseCited 3,298× · Cell Host & MicrobeDevelopment of a Crohn's disease activity index. National Cooperative Crohn's Disease Study.Cited 3,177× · PubMedMulti-omics of the gut microbial ecosystem in inflammatory bowel diseasesCited 3,166× · NatureInflammatory Bowel DiseaseCited 3,162× · New England Journal of MedicineA Short-Term Study of Chimeric Monoclonal Antibody cA2 to Tumor Necrosis Factor α for Crohn's DiseaseCited 3,160× · New England Journal of MedicineThe Montreal classification of inflammatory bowel disease: controversies, consensus, and implicationsCited 3,156× · GutClinical epidemiology of inflammatory bowel disease: incidence, prevalence, and environmental influencesCited 3,118× · GastroenterologyInfliximab, Azathioprine, or Combination Therapy for Crohn's DiseaseCited 3,108× · New England Journal of MedicineCoated Oral 5-Aminosalicylic Acid Therapy for Mildly to Moderately Active Ulcerative ColitisCited 3,027× · New England Journal of MedicineA Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies IL23R as an Inflammatory Bowel Disease GeneCited 2,995× · ScienceA SIMPLE INDEX OF CROHN'S-DISEASE ACTIVITYCited 2,954× · The LancetThe risk of colorectal cancer in ulcerative colitis: a meta-analysisCited 2,948× · GutVedolizumab as Induction and Maintenance Therapy for Ulcerative ColitisCited 2,853× · New England Journal of MedicineCortisone in Ulcerative ColitisCited 2,786× · BMJThe gut flora as a forgotten organCited 2,782× · EMBO ReportsDysfunction of the intestinal microbiome in inflammatory bowel disease and treatmentCited 2,766× · Genome biologyAssociation analyses identify 38 susceptibility loci for inflammatory bowel disease and highlight shared genetic risk across populationsCited 2,750× · Nature GeneticsInfliximab for the Treatment of Fistulas in Patients with Crohn's DiseaseCited 2,747× · New England Journal of MedicineVedolizumab as Induction and Maintenance Therapy for Crohn's DiseaseCited 2,687× · New England Journal of MedicineSTRIDE-II: An Update on the Selecting Therapeutic Targets in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (STRIDE) Initiative of the International Organization for the Study of IBD (IOIBD): Determining Therapeutic Goals for Treat-to-Target strategies in IBDCited 2,667× · GastroenterologyInflammatory Bowel DiseaseCited 2,646× · New England Journal of MedicineCytokines in inflammatory bowel diseaseCited 2,630× · Nature reviews. ImmunologyGenome-wide association defines more than 30 distinct susceptibility loci for Crohn's diseaseCited 2,628× · Nature GeneticsCrohn's diseaseCited 2,620× · The LancetInfluence of diet on the gut microbiome and implications for human healthCited 2,599× · Journal of Translational MedicineGenetics and pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseaseCited 2,584× · NatureGenome-wide meta-analysis increases to 71 the number of confirmed Crohn's disease susceptibility lociCited 2,582× · Nature GeneticsOxidative Stress: An Essential Factor in the Pathogenesis of Gastrointestinal Mucosal DiseasesCited 2,439× · Physiological ReviewsA novel method in the induction of reliable experimental acute and chronic ulcerative colitis in miceCited 2,413× · GastroenterologyA microbial symbiosis factor prevents intestinal inflammatory diseaseCited 2,338× · NatureBritish Society of Gastroenterology consensus guidelines on the management of inflammatory bowel disease in adultsCited 2,320× · GutThe European Spondylarthropathy Study Group Preliminary Criteria for the Classification of SpondylarthropathyCited 2,296× · Arthritis & RheumatismThe global, regional, and national burden of inflammatory bowel disease in 195 countries and territories, 1990–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017Cited 2,266× · The Lancet. Gastroenterology & hepatologyAdalimumab for Maintenance of Clinical Response and Remission in Patients With Crohn’s Disease: The CHARM TrialCited 2,250× · GastroenterologyInfliximab Maintenance Therapy for Fistulizing Crohn's DiseaseCited 2,221× · New England Journal of MedicineEpidemiology and Natural History of Inflammatory Bowel DiseasesCited 2,182× · GastroenterologyInflammatory bowel disease: cause and immunobiologyCited 2,142× · The LancetIL-6 and Stat3 Are Required for Survival of Intestinal Epithelial Cells and Development of Colitis-Associated CancerCited 2,117× · Cancer CellCrohn's diseaseCited 2,113× · The LancetDextran Sulfate Sodium (DSS)‐Induced Colitis in MiceCited 2,098× · Current Protocols in ImmunologyInflammatory bowel disease: Etiology and pathogenesisCited 2,078× · GastroenterologyExpansion of intestinal Prevotella copri correlates with enhanced susceptibility to arthritisCited 2,071× · eLife3rd European Evidence-based Consensus on the Diagnosis and Management of Crohn’s Disease 2016: Part 1: Diagnosis and Medical ManagementCited 2,071× · Journal of Crohn s and ColitisUlcerative colitisCited 2,063× · The LancetTNF‐mediated inflammatory diseaseCited 2,045× · The Journal of PathologyClassification of Inflammatory Bowel DiseaseCited 2,043× · Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology
Bibliographic listing only — abstracts and full text are not reproduced here. Citation counts via OpenAlex; disruption (CD₅) via the NIH iCite citation graph. Curated by the IBDology project (Stefan D. Holubar, MD, MS). Generated 2026-07-02.