Gene Discovery Gives Clues to Crohn's Disease, Colitis
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 4 (HealthDay News) -- People with painful, chronic bowel conditions such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis could see a glimmer of hope from new research.
Scientists say they've spotted a genetic flaw that could drive a rare childhood form of colitis, and the finding might have implications for the broader range of illnesses collectively known as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Genetic analysis of nine children with a severe form of early-onset colitis found mutations of two genes producing cell receptors for interleukin-10, a protein that controls the body's inflammatory response, according to a report published online Nov. 4 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
In one case, a bone marrow transplant eliminated a child's disease, the report said.
About one million Americans have been diagnosed with IBD, which includes ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. These conditions involve a persistent inflammation of the intestinal tract that can cause bouts of diarrhea, rectal bleeding and other symptoms.
The study is not the first to link interleukin-10 with IBD, noted study researcher Alejandro A. Schaffer, a staff scientist at the U.S. National Center for Biotechnology Information.
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