I came upon an interesting article today. There seems to be new research out about the connection between Parkinson's and Crohn's disease. This was pretty interesting for me because I just so happen to have both. Below is a link to the original article.
Parkinson's disease is considered a nervous system disorder. It is a progressive disorder where certain nerves in the brain begin to break down. This disease is generally characterized by muscle tremors and rigidity. Pretty different than Crohn's disease, but scientists have discovered a genetic connection.
Gene mutations play a huge role in the development of many diseases. Scientists study these genetic mutations and the effects they have in order to better understand the diseases they cause and how to prevent and control them. Crohn's disease is a complex disorder and the presence of particular gene mutations are believed to play a role in the development of Crohn's. There are also gene mutations that are associated with Parkinson's disease.
The study found that among the Ashkenazi Jewish population, those with Crohn's were much more likely to carry specific LRRK2 gene mutation. There were two distinct mutations of the LRRK2 gene. A 'risk' mutation and a 'protective' mutation. The risk mutation was significantly more common in patients with Crohn's, while the protective mutation was more common in those without Crohn's. What's significant about this, is that having the risk mutation in the LRRK2 gene is a major risk factor for developing Parkinson's disease.
So, people who have Crohn's and Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry are more likely to have the risk mutation that is considered to be a major risk factor in the development of Parkinson's disease. Two diseases that are, on the surface, unrelated were proven to be at least somewhat connected by genetics.
This was pretty interesting for me personally, because I just happen to have both diseases and am of Ashkenazi Jewish descent.
No comments:
Post a Comment