01.03.10
Genetic variants identified for increased risk of coeliac disease
London – British geneticists have identified 13 genetic variants that increase the risk of developing celiac disease (Nature Genetics), an inherited autoimmune condition in which the lining of the small intestine is damaged by dietary gluten contained in wheat, barley and rye. Until now, the only effective treatment for 1% of the global population that develops the gluten allergy, is following a gluten-free diet. The findings of David van Heel and colleagues from Queen Mary University in London now open up new ways to look into the allergy mechanisms. The researchers scanned the genomes of 9,451 patients with coeliac disease and report 13 genetic regions that are associated with increased risk of the disease. Most of the associated genetic regions contain genes with known functions in the immune system such as BACH2, CCR4, CD80, CIITA-SOCS1-CLEC16A, ICOSLG and ZMIZ1 or in in thymic T-cell selection such as ETS1, RUNX3 and THEMIS. Eighteen of the 27 known genetic risk variants for coeliac disease are also associated with other immune-related diseases, including type 1 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.