- U.S. Births Declined in 2023, Marking End to Post-Pandemic Rise
- FDA Approves New Antibiotic Against UTIs
- New School Lunch Rules Target Added Sugars, Salt
- Dairy Cows Moved Across State Lines Must Now Be Tested for Bird Flu
- TikTok Riddled With Misleading Info on Health: Study
- Emulsifier Chemicals Are Everywhere in Foods. Could They Raise Diabetes Risk?
- Opioids During Pregnancy May Not Raise Psychiatric Risks for Offspring
- Could Heartburn Meds Raise Your Migraine Risk?
- Drug, Alcohol Abuse Goes Untreated in Many Ex-Prisoners
- Watchdog Group Says U.S. Food Recalls Rose Again Last Year
Researchers Pinpoint More Genes Linked to Vitiligo
Researchers say they’ve identified more genes linked to the autoimmune disease vitiligo, which causes patches of white skin and hair.
An international team of scientists pinpointed 23 new locations on the genome associated with susceptibility to vitiligo. That doubles the number of known genes connected with vitiligo, the researchers said.
Vitiligo may be related to several other autoimmune diseases, including thyroid disease, pernicious anemia, rheumatoid arthritis, adult-onset type 1 diabetes, Addison’s disease and lupus, the scientists said.
Learning more about the causes of vitiligo could lead to treatment breakthroughs for the other conditions, the researchers said.
They found links between genes involved in vitiligo and some of the other conditions. While it’s unclear whether this indicates shared causes, the findings suggest promising areas for future study, the researchers said.
The leader of the study was Dr. Richard Spritz, director of the Human Medical Genetics and Genomics Program at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
The findings were published Oct. 10 in the journal Nature Genetics.
More information
The U.S. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases has more on vitiligo.
Source: HealthDay
Copyright © 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.