Psoriasis is a common immune mediated disorder that affects the skin, nails, and joints. To identify psoriasis susceptibility loci, we genotyped 438,670 SNPs in 1,409 European ancestry psoriasis cases and 1,436 controls. Twenty-one promising SNPs were followed-up in 5,048 psoriasis cases and 5,041 controls. Our results provide strong support for the association of at least seven genetic loci and psoriasis (each with p < 5×10−8 overall). Loci with confirmed association encode HLA-C, three genes involved in IL-23 signaling (IL23A, IL23R, IL12B), two genes that act downstream of TNF-α and regulate NF-κB signaling (TNIP1, TNFAIP3), and two genes involved in the modulation of Th2 immune responses (IL4, IL13). Although the proteins encoded in these loci are known to interact biologically, we found no evidence for epistasis between associated SNPs. Our results expand the catalog of genetic loci implicated in psoriasis susceptibility and suggest priority targets for study in other auto-immune disorders.

Summary To gain further insight into the genetic architecture of psoriasis, we conducted a meta-analysis of three genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and two independent datasets genotyped on the Immunochip, involving 10,588 cases and 22,806 controls in total. We identified 15 new disease susceptibility regions, increasing the number of psoriasis-associated loci to 36 for Caucasians. Conditional analyses identified five independent signals within previously known loci. The newly identified shared disease regions encompassed a number of genes whose products regulate T-cell function (e.g. RUNX3, TAGAP and STAT3). The new psoriasis-specific regions were notable for candidate genes whose products are involved in innate host defense, encoding proteins with roles in interferon-mediated antiviral responses (DDX58), macrophage activation (ZC3H12C), and NF-κB signaling (CARD14 and CARM1). These results portend a better understanding of shared and distinctive genetic determinants of immune-mediated inflammatory disorders and emphasize the importance of the skin in innate and acquired host defense.

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We conducted a genome-wide association study in 939 individuals with atopic dermatitis and 975 controls as well as 270 complete nuclear families with two affected siblings. SNPs consistently associated with atopic dermatitis in both discovery sets were then investigated in two additional independent replication sets totalling 2,637 cases and 3,957 controls. Highly significant association was found with allele A of rs7927894 on chromosome 11q13.5, located 38 kb downstream of C11orf30 (P(combined) = 7.6 x 10(-10)). Approximately 13% of individuals of European origin are homozygous for rs7927894[A], and their risk of developing atopic dermatitis is 1.47 times that of noncarriers.

Psoriasis is a common inflammatory and hyperproliferative skin disease with a multifactorial genetic basis. A recent study reported that psoriasis was associated with the IL12B haplotype rs3212227 (3'-untranslated region)-rs6887695 (60 kb, 5') and the IL23R haplotype rs7530511 (L310P)-rs11209026 (Q381R). We examined these four single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for association with psoriasis in two groups of North American and German Caucasians: (1) 1,810 cases and 2,522 controls; and (2) 509 pedigrees. Both IL12B markers showed highly significant association with psoriasis in the case-control (rs3212227, odds ratio (OR)=1.62, P=1.7 x 10(-15); rs6887695, OR=1.49, P=2.7 x 10(-15)) and in the family-based analysis (rs3212227, P=2.2 x 10(-3); rs6887695, P=1.7 x 10(-3)). The IL23R SNPs also showed significant association in the cases and controls (rs7530511, OR=1.22, P=3.9 x 10(-3); rs11209026, OR=1.40, P=3.8 x 10(-4)). For both genes, common risk haplotypes were identified whose statistical significance approached (IL23R) or exceeded (IL12B) genome-wide criteria. We found no statistical evidence for interactions of these haplotypes with HLA-Cw6. Our results confirm associations between IL12B and IL23R and psoriasis in Caucasians, and provide a genetic basis for the clinical association between psoriasis and Crohn's disease.

Genome-wide association (GWA) studies offer a powerful unbiased method for the identification of multiple susceptibility genes for complex diseases. Here we report the results of a GWA study for Crohn's disease (CD) using family trios from the Quebec Founder Population (QFP). Haplotype-based association analyses identified multiple regions associated with the disease that met the criteria for genome-wide significance, with many containing a gene whose function appears relevant to CD. A proportion of these were replicated in two independent German Caucasian samples, including the established CD loci NOD2 and IBD5. The recently described IL23R locus was also identified and replicated. For this region, multiple individuals with all major haplotypes in the QFP were sequenced and extensive fine mapping performed to identify risk and protective alleles. Several additional loci, including a region on 3p21 containing several plausible candidate genes, a region near JAKMIP1 on 4p16.1, and two larger regions on chromosome 17 were replicated. Together with previously published loci, the spectrum of CD genes identified to date involves biochemical networks that affect epithelial defense mechanisms, innate and adaptive immune response, and the repair or remodeling of tissue.haplotype ͉ complex disease ͉ IL23R C rohn's disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease characterized by transmural inflammatory lesions that can affect the entire gastrointestinal tract (1). The lifetime prevalence is 0.5-1% in Caucasian populations (2) and reflects the combined effects of genetic predisposition and environmental factors (3). Genetic linkage and candidate gene approaches (4-14) have contributed to the elucidation of loci influencing genetic susceptibility to CD. More recently, genome-wide association (GWA) studies (15-21) have provided further insight into the molecular pathogenesis of the disease. The top candidate genes or loci that consistently replicate include NOD2, IL23R, ATG16L1, the IBD5 region on chromosome 5q31, and a region on 5p13.1 near the PTGER4 gene. The nature of these genes suggests that the major genetic risk factors for CD are involved in the innate immune response and destruction of intracellular bacteria.It is now clear that GWA studies provide a powerful and robust new tool for the identification of the multiple susceptibility alleles involved in complex diseases. Importantly, these types of studies have the ability to identify genes that impart only moderate increases in risk (21,22). However, most studies performed to date have identified only a few top signals, and the validation of true association among signals with lower statistical significance remains a challenge. In addition, most of the GWA studies to date have been performed by using general populations, for which very large sample sizes are required for success. They have also largely relied on single-marker analysis, with genome-wide haplotype-based association analyses receiving little attention.In early 2004, we conducted a GWA study for CD...

Our results provide evidence for discernible FLG-related barrier integrity phenotypes in atopic eczema.

Crohn disease (CD), a sub-entity of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), is a complex polygenic disorder. Although recent studies have successfully identified CD-associated genetic variants, these susceptibility loci explain only a fraction of the heritability of the disease. Here, we report on a multi-stage genome-wide scan of 393 German CD cases and 399 controls. Among the 116,161 single-nucleotide polymorphisms tested, an association with the known CD susceptibility gene NOD2, the 5q31 haplotype, and the recently reported CD locus at 5p13.1 was confirmed. In addition, SNP rs1793004 in the gene encoding nel-like 1 precursor (NELL1, chromosome 11p15.1) showed a consistent disease-association in independent German population- and family-based samples (942 cases, 1082 controls, 375 trios). Subsequent fine mapping and replication in an independent sample of 454 French/Canadian CD trios supported the authenticity of the NELL1 association. Further confirmation in a large German ulcerative colitis (UC) sample indicated that NELL1 is a ubiquitous IBD susceptibility locus (combined p<10−6; OR = 1.66, 95% CI: 1.30–2.11). The novel 5p13.1 locus was also replicated in the French/Canadian sample and in an independent UK CD patient panel (453 cases, 521 controls, combined p<10−6 for SNP rs1992660). Several associations were replicated in at least one independent sample, point to an involvement of ITGB6 (upstream), GRM8 (downstream), OR5V1 (downstream), PPP3R2 (downstream), NM_152575 (upstream) and HNF4G (intron).