home   genetic news   bioinformatics   biotechnology   literature   journals   ethics   positions   events   sitemap
 
  HUM-MOLGEN -> Genetic News | search  
 

Genetic Risk Factor For Gallstone Disease

 
  July, 25 2007 17:12
your information resource in human molecular genetics
 
     
A variant in a gene encoding a cholesterol transporter of the liver more than doubles the risk of gallstone disease, reports a paper online in Nature Genetics. With a prevalence of 10-20%, gallstones are one of the more common health problems in industrialized countries, causing potentially serious organ damage or infection.

Susceptibility to gallstone disease is known to be influenced by genetic factors, but little progress has been made in identifying them. Jochen Hampe and colleagues carried out a genome-wide association study of gallstone disease in two groups of Germans, as well as follow-up studies of affected individuals in Germany and Chile. They found a single variant that alters the sequence of ABCG8 -- a liver cholesterol transporter -- to be associated with the disease.

Gallstones occur when components of bile, such as cholesterol or bilirubin, are present in elevated levels and harden into stones. The association reported by the authors was strongest in individuals with cholesterol gallstones, suggesting that the ABCG8 risk variant may promote more efficient cholesterol transport into the bile. Bile is produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder until it is needed to digest fat, and removal of the gallbladder is the most common treatment for gallstone disease.

Author contact:

Jochen Hampe (University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany)
E-mail: jhampe@1med.uni-kiel.de

Abstract available online.

(C) Nature Genetics press release.


Message posted by: Trevor M. D'Souza

print this article mail this article
Latest News
Variants Associated with Pediatric Allergic Disorder

Mutations in PHF6 Found in T-Cell Leukemia

Genetic Risk Variant for Urinary Bladder Cancer

Antibody Has Therapeutic Effect on Mice with ALS

Regulating P53 Activity in Cancer Cells

Anti-RNA Therapy Counters Breast Cancer Spread

Mitochondrial DNA Diversity

The Power of RNA Sequencing

‘Pro-Ageing' Therapy for Cancer?

Niche Genetics Influence Leukaemia

Molecular Biology: Clinical Promise for RNA Interference

Chemoprevention Cocktail for Colon Cancer

more news ...

Generated by News Editor 2.0 by Kai Garlipp
WWW: Kai Garlipp, Frank S. Zollmann.
7.0 © 1995-2023 HUM-MOLGEN. All rights reserved. Liability, Copyright and Imprint.