A major genetic study has identified a marker linked to more severe inflammatory bowel disease, a finding that could help doctors spot higher-risk patients earlier and potentially adjust treatment sooner.
Researchers from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, the Francis Crick Institute and the NIHR IBD BioResource analysed genetic samples from more than 43,000 patients across over 100 hospitals. The team said it was the largest genetic study of inflammatory bowel disease traits to date, and found that a combination of variants within the HLA-DRB1 gene — known collectively as HLA-DRB1*01:03 — was associated with more severe ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Source
Potential to guide earlier treatment decisions
The results, published on 15 June in The Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology, suggest genetic testing could help identify patients at risk of severe disease, allowing closer monitoring and earlier access to advanced therapies. The study found the marker in around one in 20 people with IBD and linked it to outcomes including colon removal surgery in Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, as well as increased need for advanced therapies.
IBD, which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, affects more than half a million people in the UK, according to the report. The conditions are described as painful, debilitating and lifelong, with symptoms that can range from diarrhoea, cramps and fatigue to frequent flare-ups and significant impairment in quality of life.
A step toward more personalised care
Researchers said the finding may help explain why the course of IBD varies so widely between patients. They added that genetic testing could, in future, support treatment decisions by identifying people who may benefit from more intensive management while also helping distinguish those who may do well on standard therapy.
For clinicians, the study adds to growing interest in using genetics to support personalised medicine in chronic disease. For patients, it raises the possibility that severe IBD could be recognised earlier, before complications worsen and more invasive treatment becomes necessary.
The findings mark an important development in the understanding of IBD risk, but the researchers’ message is cautious: the work points toward future clinical use, rather than an immediate change in routine care.
