Variants at IRF5-TNPO3, 17q12-21 and MMEL1 are associated with primary biliary cirrhosis

Abstract

We genotyped individuals with primary biliary cirrhosis and unaffected controls for suggestive risk loci (genome-wide association P < 1 × 10-4) identified in a previous genome-wide association study. Combined analysis of the genome-wide association and replication datasets identified IRF5-TNPO3 (combined P = 8.66 × 10-13), 17q12-21 (combined P = 3.50 × 10-13) and MMEL1 (combined P = 3.15 × 10-8) as new primary biliary cirrhosis susceptibility loci. Fine-mapping studies showed that a single variant accounts for the IRF5-TNPO3 association. As these loci are implicated in other autoimmune conditions, these findings confirm genetic overlap among such diseases. © 2010 Nature America, Inc. All rights reserved.