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©2007 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Nov 14, 2007; 13(42): 5594-5597
Published online Nov 14, 2007. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v13.i42.5594
Published online Nov 14, 2007. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v13.i42.5594
Genetic factors associated with the development of inflammatory bowel disease
Jesus K Yamamoto-Furusho, Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinic, Department of Gastroenterology, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición, Vasco de Quiroga 15, Colonia Sección XVI, Tlalpan, C.P. 14000, México, D.F., México
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Jesús K Yamamoto-Furusho, MD, PhD, MSc, Head of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinic, Department of Gastroenterology, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Vasco de Quiroga 15, Col. Sección XVI, Tlalpan, México, D.F., Mexico. kazuofurusho@hotmail.com
Telephone: +52-55-55733418 Fax: +52-55-56550942
Received: April 19, 2007
Revised: July 28, 2007
Accepted: August 8, 2007
Published online: November 14, 2007
Revised: July 28, 2007
Accepted: August 8, 2007
Published online: November 14, 2007
Abstract
Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are complex polygenic disorders, characterized by several genes together with environmental factors contributing to the development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Recent advances in research on genetic susceptibility have allowed the identification of diverse genes at different levels: (1) Innate immunity; (2) Antigen presentation molecules; (3) Epithelial integrity; (4) Drug transporter; (5) Cell adhesion. The application of genetic testing into clinical practice is close and all genetic markers may have several clinical implications: prediction of disease phenotype, molecular classification, prevention of complications, and prognosis.