Shared genetic risk found for Crohn’s and coeliac disease

RESEARCHERS have found four common genetic risk loci after a combined meta-analysis of genome-wide data for both Crohn’s disease and coeliac disease.

Both of these diseases are complex genetic traits with multiple genetic and non-genetic risk factors.

Scientists from the Netherlands, the US and Canada found two shared-risk loci that had previously been independently identified for each disease – the PTPN2 and IL18RAP – and a further two, TAGAP and PUS10i.

At least one in 100 people in the Western world develops coeliac disease, Crohn’s disease being far less common.

Previous studies have shown coeliac patients are at a higher risk of developing Crohn’s disease.

PLoS Genetics, online 27 January