Author Interviews, Dermatology, Genetic Research, Nature / 13.10.2016
Vitiligo Susceptibility Genes Associated With Immune Regulation Identified
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Richard A. Spritz, M.D.
Professor and Director,
Human Medical Genetics and Genomics Program
University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Aurora, CO 80045 USA
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Vitiligo is an autoimmune disease in which depigmented skin results from destruction of skin melanocytes, with strong epidemiologic association with several other autoimmune diseases that include autoimmune thyroid disease, type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, pernicious anemia, systemic lupus erythematosus, and Addison’s disease.
In previous genetic linkage and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of vitiligo patients of European-derived white ancestry (EUR), we identified 27 vitiligo susceptibility loci. In the present study, we carried out a third GWAS of vitiligo in EUR subjects. The combined analysis, with almost 5,000 vitiligo cases and 40,000 non-vitiligo controls, identified a total 23 new confirmed vitiligo loci, as well as seven with suggestive significance.
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