Do you have gallstones?
2002-06-27 11:11
New York - About one third of painful gallstones may be caused by genes, researchers report.
How genetic factors influence gallstones is probably very complex, according to lead author Dr Attila Nakeeb of the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee and his co-authors.
A gallstone can develop when bile, cholesterol, certain salts and other substances come together to form a mass in the gallbladder, the organ that stores bile. Gallstones often exist without causing symptoms, but surgery is sometimes necessary when the stones cause severe pain.
Previous research has suggested that people with a family history of gallstones may be more likely than others to develop the condition themselves, but researchers understand relatively little about the link between gallstones and genetics, Nakeeb's team writes in the June issue of the Annals of Surgery.
The authors set out to investigate the role of genetics in gallstones by conducting surveys of 904 healthy, unrelated adults. Most of the study participants were female and white, and their average age was 53 years. In addition, 1 038 people from 358 families, all white, received questionnaires about their family history of gallstones, and submitted blood samples to allow researchers to analyse their DNA.
The investigators found that being female, obese, or having a close relative who had undergone surgery to remove gallstones were all risk factors for developing gallstones. In addition, the report indicates that an estimated 30% of cases of gallstone disease are likely caused by genetic factors.
However, teasing out the effects of genes from other gallstone risk factors is decidedly difficult, the authors note, and some outside influences may have affected the results. For example, they did not take into account any environmental factors - such as diet - that family members may have shared.
Furthermore, genetic factors could influence the development of gallstones only indirectly--by increasing the risk of obesity, for example, which then leads to gallstones, the researchers add.
"It is likely that some of the genetic factors responsible for obesity may also play a significant role in gallbladder disease," Nakeeb and his colleagues conclude.
- Reuters