A new study finds a wide range of epigenetic changes — alterations in DNA across the genome that may be related to key environmental exposures — in children with Crohn’s disease (CD), reports Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, official journal of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA). The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.
The study provides “compelling evidence” of alterations of DNA in several regions of the genome in children with CD, according to Professor Jack Satsangi of University of Edinburgh and colleagues. In addition to providing new insights into how genes and the environment interact, the results may have early implications for clinical management of CD.
The researchers performed a “genome-wide” study in children with newly diagnosed CD, before any treatment, to look for possible epigenetic changes that may affect gene behavior. Epigenetic changes reflect the impact of a wide range of environmental factors on genes.
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