The Colonic Microbiome and Mucosal Immunity in Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Ankylosing Spondylitis

Healthy Controls Exclusion criteria: * Pregnancy * Use of antibiotics within the past 14 days† * Current diagnosis of colon cancer * Diagnosis of celiac disease * Diagnosis of any other rheumatologic disease such as RA, SLE, etc. * Chemotherapy or radiation therapy for any malignancy within the past year * Daily use of aspirin or NSAIDs with inability to hold the drug 7 days before and after the procedure * Current use of anticoagulation (LMWH,warfarin,etc.) * A diagnosis of HIV * Clostridium difficile within the past 3 months IBD Inclusion Criteria: * Established IBD (either Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis) * Suspected to have IBD by a gastroenterologist and undergoing diagnostic endoscopy and biopsy. Diagnosis will be confirmed on biopsy and patients who are negative will be considered for controls based on the pathology found. Exclusion Criteria: * Pregnancy * Use of antibiotics within the past 14 days * Current diagnosis of colon cancer * Diagnosis of celiac disease * Diagnosis of any other rheumatologic disease such as RA, SLE, etc. * Chemotherapy or radiation therapy for any malignancy within the past year * Daily use of aspirin or NSAIDs with inability to hold the drug 7 days before and after the procedure * Current use of anticoagulation (LMWH, warfarin,etc.) * A diagnosis of HIV * Clostridium difficile within the past 3 months * Evidence of inflammatory spinal or axial arthritis or disease based on chart review such as inflammation seen on radiographs or a diagnosis of sacroiliitis AS: Inclusion Criteria: * Diagnosed with an axial spondyloarthritis (SpA) by a rheumatologist - * Meet the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society (ASAS) axial spondyloarthritis (SpA) criteria Exclusion criteria: * Pregnancy * Use of antibiotics within the past 14 days * Current diagnosis of colon cancer * Diagnosis of celiac disease * Diagnosis of any other rheumatologic disease such as RA, SLE, etc. * Chemotherapy or radiation therapy for any malignancy within the past year * Daily use of aspirin or NSAIDs with inability to hold the drug 7 days before and after the procedure * Current use of anticoagulation (LMWH,warfarin,etc.) * A diagnosis of HIV * Clostridium difficile within the past 3 months * A known history of idiopathic macroscopic or microscopic colitis