Study seeking cause of Crohn’s disease hopes to develop predictive test

With three brothers affected by either Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, Kathleen Crispi knows she is at high risk of developing one of the literally gutwrenching conditions known to run in families. So about a year ago, she volunteered to take part in the largestever study of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) - research that hopes to unlock the underlying cause of Crohn’s, with the ultimate goal of finding cures for both major forms of the condition. The Canadian-led, international Genetic, Environmental, Microbial (GEM) project has just reached its target enrolment of 5,000 participants around the world, all unaffected children or siblings of people with either Crohn’s or colitis. As its name suggests, the study is taking a multipronged approach to discovering what triggers underlie the development of the disease in the hopes of designing a predictive test and ultimately treatments to prevent its occurrence. “Even getting to a stage of having biological markers or being able to identify people who are likely to develop the disease ... would be a really big win out of this study,” said Crispi of Guelph, Ont., who has two brothers with ulcerative colitis and one with Crohn’s. An aunt on her mother’s side of the family also has colitis. “Obviously, we know it runs in families,” said Crispi, 32. “I have two young children and I have two nephews and a niece, as well, so for us anything that would lead to earlier detection would be fantastic. “But, of course, a cure would be amazing.” Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis are autoimmune diseases which cause inflammation of the lining of the gastrointestinal tract, disrupting the body’s ability to digest food, absorb nutrition and properly eliminate waste. Symptoms include abdominal pain, cramping, gas, bloating, fatigue and diarrhea. With Crohn’s, inflammation can occur anywhere in the GI tract but is usually present in the lower part of the small intestine and the colon, or large bowel. Ulcerative colitis affects only the colon, including the rectum and anus. About 250,000 Canadians have IBD, which affects an estimated 10 million people worldwide.