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Genetic Adult Lactase Persistence Is Associated With Risk Of Crohn's Disease In A New Zealand Population, Deborah Nolan, Dug Yeo Han, Wen Jiun Lam, Angharad R. Morgan, Alan G. Fraser, Linda C. Tapsell, Lynnette R. Ferguson

L. C. Tapsell

Background Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) is an infective agent found in ruminants and milk products, which has been suggested to increase the risk of gastrointestinal inflammation in genetically susceptible hosts. It is hypothesized that lactase persistence facilitates exposure to such milk products increasing the likelihood of adverse outcomes. Individuals either homozygous or heterozygous for the T allele of DNA variant, rs4988235, located 14kb upstream from the LCT locus, are associated with having lactase persistence. The aim of this study was to determine whether lactase persistence as evident by the T allele of rs4988235 is associated with Crohn’s Disease (CD) …