Genetic variants in some patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are associated with a significantly increased risk for developing thromboembolic disease (TED), according to a study published in Gastroenterology. Researchers used whole-exome sequencing and genome-wide genotyping to determine the proportion of 792 IBD patients genetically at risk for TED and investigate the effect of the genetic risk for TED in IBD. The researchers found that 122 of 792 IBD patients (15.4%) were genetically at high risk for TED. Among the 715 patients with documented TED status, 8.8% had TED events. There was a significant association between genetic TED risk and increased TED events (odds ratio [OR], 2.5). The investigators also observed an additive effect of monogenic and polygenic risk on TED. There was more frequent thrombosis at multiple sites seen among patients with high TED genetic risk (78% vs 42%; OR, 3.96). “Our results suggest that genetic traits identify approximately one in seven IBD patients who will experience 2.5-fold or greater risk for TED,” the study authors write.
