Shared Genetic Factors Involved in Celiac Disease, Type 2 Diabetes and Anorexia Nervosa Suggest Common Molecular Pathways for Chronic Diseases

PLoS One. 2016 Aug 2;11(8):e0159593. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0159593. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

Background and objectives: Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified several genetic regions involved in immune-regulatory mechanisms to be associated with celiac disease. Previous GWAS also revealed an over-representation of genes involved in type 2 diabetes and anorexia nervosa associated with celiac disease, suggesting involvement of common metabolic pathways for development of these chronic diseases. The aim of this study was to extend these previous analyses to study the gene expression in the gut from children with active celiac disease.

Material and methods: Thirty six target genes involved in type 2 diabetes and four genes associated with anorexia nervosa were investigated for gene expression in small intestinal biopsies from 144 children with celiac disease at median (range) age of 7.4 years (1.6-17.8) and from 154 disease controls at a median (range) age 11.4.years (1.4-18.3).

Results: A total of eleven of genes were differently expressed in celiac patients compared with disease controls of which CD36, CD38, FOXP1, SELL, PPARA, PPARG, AGT previously associated with type 2 diabetes and AKAP6, NTNG1 with anorexia nervosa remained significant after correction for multiple testing.

Conclusion: Shared genetic factors involved in celiac disease, type 2 diabetes and anorexia nervosa suggest common underlying molecular pathways for these diseases.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Anorexia Nervosa / genetics*
  • Celiac Disease / genetics*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Chronic Disease
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / genetics*
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease
  • Genome-Wide Association Study
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Transcriptome

Grants and funding

Bengt Ihre foundation ÅTN http://www.sls.se/Forskning--utbildning/Forskningsdelegationen--Prioriteringskommitten-/Bengt-Ihres-fond-/, Swedish Society of Medicine ÅTN http://www.sls.se/, Professor Nanna Svartz foundation ÅTN http://www.stiftelseansokan.se/Pages/Svartz.aspx, Ruth and Richard Julin foundation ÅTN https://internwebben.ki.se/en/ruth-and-richard-julin-foundation, Clas Groschinskys foundation ÅTN http://www.groschinsky.org/, Tore Nilson's foundation ÅTN http://www.torenilsonsstiftelse.nu/, Nilsson-Ehle's foundation ÅTN http://www.fysiografen.se/sv/stipendier/, and Åke Wiberg's foundation ÅTN http://ake-wiberg.se/. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.