New research from the Annals of Gastroenterology found dysregulated methylation of DNA appears to be associated with a higher risk of developing Crohn’s disease, and the risk the disease will progress in those already diagnosed with Crohn’s.
The researchers analyzed whole blood samples from 164 children newly diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, as well as the blood from 74 control patients.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Fifty-four of the Crohn’s patients showed disease progression within 36 months of their diagnosis.
2. The researchers identified 1,043 CpGs that significantly correlated with susceptibility to Crohn’s disease.
3. Of the CpGs the researchers identified, 142 also correlated to Crohn’s disease progression.
4. “Recent advances in our understanding of IBD-associated DNA methylation underlie many promising clinical applications such as molecular biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis of the disease as well as prediction of treatment outcomes,” the researchers concluded. “Even if the results from different studies are encouraging, limitations have thus far prevented widespread clinical application.”