Genes Yield Clues to Ulcerative Colitis

March 19, 2010 -- Fifteen newly identified genes may offer a better
understanding of the cause of ulcerative colitis and its ties to Crohn’s
disease.
Two new studies involving more than 23,000 people bring the total number of
genes associated with the painful disorder to nearly 30 and show at least half
of these genes are also linked to Crohn’s disease.
“It is clear from these and other data that ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s
disease share some mechanistic pathways and susceptibility genes, but that some
pathways and genes are particular to each condition,�? researcher Dermot P.B.
McGovern, MD, PhD, of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and colleagues write in
Nature Genetics.
Researchers say the discovery of these additional genes may help explain why
the symptoms and severity of ulcerative colitis vary so dramatically from
person to person. Understanding these individual differences may eventually
lead to more effective and personalized treatments.
Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are the most common forms of
inflammatory bowel disease. Ulcerative colitis usually affects only the colon
and rectum; Crohn’s disease may affect any part of the digestive tract.
Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease can cause symptoms such as abdominal
pain, bloody diarrhea, and bleeding from the rectum.
Researchers say Crohn’s disease is more likely than ulcerative colitis to
run in families.





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