Genome-wide association study of primary sclerosing cholangitis identifies new risk loci and quantifies the genetic relationship with inflammatory bowel disease
- PMID: 27992413
- PMCID: PMC5540332
- DOI: 10.1038/ng.3745
Genome-wide association study of primary sclerosing cholangitis identifies new risk loci and quantifies the genetic relationship with inflammatory bowel disease
Abstract
Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a rare progressive disorder leading to bile duct destruction; ∼75% of patients have comorbid inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We undertook the largest genome-wide association study of PSC (4,796 cases and 19,955 population controls) and identified four new genome-wide significant loci. The most associated SNP at one locus affects splicing and expression of UBASH3A, with the protective allele (C) predicted to cause nonstop-mediated mRNA decay and lower expression of UBASH3A. Further analyses based on common variants suggested that the genome-wide genetic correlation (rG) between PSC and ulcerative colitis (UC) (rG = 0.29) was significantly greater than that between PSC and Crohn's disease (CD) (rG = 0.04) (P = 2.55 × 10-15). UC and CD were genetically more similar to each other (rG = 0.56) than either was to PSC (P < 1.0 × 10-15). Our study represents a substantial advance in understanding of the genetics of PSC.
Conflict of interest statement
The authors declare no competing financial interests.
Figures


Similar articles
-
Genome-wide association analysis in primary sclerosing cholangitis and ulcerative colitis identifies risk loci at GPR35 and TCF4.Hepatology. 2013 Sep;58(3):1074-83. doi: 10.1002/hep.25977. Epub 2013 Jan 17. Hepatology. 2013. PMID: 22821403
-
Investigating the shared genetic architecture between primary sclerosing cholangitis and inflammatory bowel diseases: a Mendelian randomization study.BMC Gastroenterol. 2024 Feb 19;24(1):77. doi: 10.1186/s12876-024-03162-6. BMC Gastroenterol. 2024. PMID: 38373892 Free PMC article.
-
The causal impact of genetically predicted inflammatory bowel disease on extraintestinal manifestations: a mendelian randomization study.BMC Gastroenterol. 2025 Mar 4;25(1):135. doi: 10.1186/s12876-024-03566-4. BMC Gastroenterol. 2025. PMID: 40038580 Free PMC article.
-
PSC associated inflammatory bowel disease: a distinct entity.Expert Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2022 Feb;16(2):129-139. doi: 10.1080/17474124.2022.2031979. Epub 2022 Feb 2. Expert Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2022. PMID: 35078376 Review.
-
Primary sclerosing cholangitis, autoimmune hepatitis and overlap syndromes in inflammatory bowel disease.World J Gastroenterol. 2008 Jan 21;14(3):331-7. doi: 10.3748/wjg.14.331. World J Gastroenterol. 2008. PMID: 18200656 Free PMC article. Review.
Cited by
-
Shared genetic architecture and causal relationship between liver and heart disease.iScience. 2024 Mar 6;27(4):109431. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109431. eCollection 2024 Apr 19. iScience. 2024. PMID: 38523778 Free PMC article.
-
Patient Age, Sex, and Inflammatory Bowel Disease Phenotype Associate With Course of Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis.Gastroenterology. 2017 Jun;152(8):1975-1984.e8. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2017.02.038. Epub 2017 Mar 6. Gastroenterology. 2017. PMID: 28274849 Free PMC article.
-
Genetics of primary sclerosing cholangitis and pathophysiological implications.Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2017 May;14(5):279-295. doi: 10.1038/nrgastro.2016.154. Epub 2017 Mar 15. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2017. PMID: 28293027 Review.
-
Exome sequencing in patient-parent trios suggests new candidate genes for early-onset primary sclerosing cholangitis.Liver Int. 2021 May;41(5):1044-1057. doi: 10.1111/liv.14831. Epub 2021 Mar 11. Liver Int. 2021. PMID: 33590606 Free PMC article.
-
Liver GPBAR1 Associates With Immune Dysfunction in Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis and Its Activation Attenuates Cholestasis in Abcb4-/- Mice.Liver Int. 2025 Feb;45(2):e16235. doi: 10.1111/liv.16235. Liver Int. 2025. PMID: 39804015 Free PMC article.
References
-
- Boonstra K, et al. Primary sclerosing cholangitis is associated with a distinct phenotype of inflammatory bowel disease. Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. 2012;18:2270–2276. - PubMed
-
- Tischendorf JJW, Hecker H, Kruger M, Manns MP, Meier PN. Characterization, outcome, and prognosis in 273 patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis: A single center study. American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2007;102:107–114. - PubMed
-
- Karlsen TH, Kaser A. Deciphering the Genetic Predisposition to Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis. Seminars in Liver Disease. 2011;31:188–207. - PubMed
-
- Karlsen TH, Schrumpf E, Boberg KM. Update on primary sclerosing cholangitis. Digestive and Liver Disease. 2010;42:390–400. - PubMed
-
- Bergquist A, et al. Increased risk of primary sclerosing cholangitis and ulcerative colitis in first-degree relatives of patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis. Clinical gastroenterology and hepatology. 2008;6:939–943. - PubMed
Methods-only References
MeSH terms
Substances
Grants and funding
- RC4 AG039029/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States
- U01 AG009740/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States
- MR/L003120/1/MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom
- MC_PC_15018/MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom
- RP-PG-0310-1004/DH_/Department of Health/United Kingdom
- RG/09/012/28096/BHF_/British Heart Foundation/United Kingdom
- G0800270/MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom
- RP-PG-0310-1002/DH_/Department of Health/United Kingdom
- R01 DK084960/DK/NIDDK NIH HHS/United States
- RG/08/014/24067/BHF_/British Heart Foundation/United Kingdom
- RC2 AG036495/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States
- WT_/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom