A new genetic link has been discovered for Crohn’s disease, a painful inflammatory disorder that causes the intestine to swell and bleed easily.
Scientists have identified seven genes or areas associated with an increased risk of contracting Crohn’s disease.
The scientists conducting a genome-wide assessment, found three of the seven genes were previously known but four are newly associated with the disease.
Crohn’s disease is a bowel disorder that usually is diagnosed in people between 20 and 30 years of age. It results in bowel inflamation that can lead too; abdominal pain, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, weight loss and arthritis. The disease can affect any area from the mouth to the anus. It often affects the lower part of the small intestine called the ileum.
The researchers scanned more than 300,000 parts of about 22,000 genes from both healthy people and those with Crohn’s disease.
The scientists found one gene, ATG16L1 that might have a role in the degradation and processing of bacteria by the body’s inflammatory response. That is consistent with other evidence that suggests an inappropriate response to bacteria in a person’s gut is important in the initiation of Crohn’s disease.
Crohn’s disease is one of the most common inflamatory bowel diseases, affecting 100 people per 100,000 individuals with European ancestry.
The scientists believe that a further research on the newly identified genetic variations may help identify new targets for the development of medicines to prevent Crohn’s disease.
The study is reported online in the journal Nature Genetics.
Via : MSNBC.com