WebMD Medical News Louise Chang, MD April 16, 2007 -- Scientists
have identified five new DNA regions that may make Crohn's
disease more likely. Those five DNA regions include three known
genes (the ATG16L1, PHOX2B, and NCF4 genes), a predicted gene
called FAM92B, and a DNA spot located between The researchers
included John Rioux, PhD, of Canada's University de Montreal and
the Montreal Heart Institute. They had previously reported that
two other genes -- the CARD15 and IL23R genes -- were associated
with Crohn's disease. Crohn's disease is a type of inflammatory
bowel disease. It causes inflammation anywhere along the
digestive tract. The most common symptoms include abdominal pain
and diarrhea, which can be bloody. In their new study, Rioux and
colleagues screened the DNA of about 1,000 people with Crohn's
disease and 1,000 without Crohn's disease. The researchers found
that Crohn's disease was associated with the five newly
discovered gene regions and with the two previously noted genes.
Those genetic asso