Walkerton Tragedy: 10 years of research leads to breakthrough
黑料不打烊, McMaster researchers identify genetic risk markers for Post-Infectious Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Studies of the victims of the Walkerton, Ont. tainted drinking water tragedy have led researchers to discover DNA variations in genes that increase the risk of developing post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome (PI-IBS). The sheer scale of infection and the recording of the health of Walkerton鈥檚 citizens gave a team of researchers a unique opportunity to study the origin of this disorder.
鈥淎lthough the exact cause of PI-IBS remains unknown, we now know for the first time that, in addition to the environmental trigger, genetic factors are also playing a critical role in the development of this disease,鈥� explains 黑料不打烊 PhD Alexandra-Chlo茅 Villani, who led the team under the direction of principal investigators John K. Marshall (McMaster) and Denis Franchimont (formerly of 黑料不打烊). Stephen Collins (McMaster) also collaborated.
Almost 10 years ago, the municipal water supply of Walkerton was contaminated with E. coli and Campylobacter jejuni, leading to a public health disaster. Seven people died and 2,300 suffered symptoms, including bloody diarrhea. Of these 2,300, 36 per cent developed PI-IBS, giving the town the highest incidence of PI-IBS ever reported.
PI-IBS is a functional bowel disorder that has an acute onset after an episode of gastroenteritis. 鈥淭hese patients suffer from chronic abdominal pain, discomfort, bloating and disturbed defecation in the absence of any detectable structural or biochemical abnormalities,鈥� said Marshall, a gastroenterologist. 鈥淎fter the exclusion of known organic disorders, like Crohn鈥檚 disease and ulcerative colitis, such patients are diagnosed with PI-IBS.鈥�
鈥淭he biological implications of the identified genetic risk factors emphasize the important roles of the gut microbial flora, intestinal barrier function and inflammatory pathways in contributing to the onset of PI-IBS,鈥� Villani explained. Though these results will not lead to any new short-term treatments for PI-IBS, Marshall is confident that in the longer term the research will lead to better patient care, including potentially novel therapeutic targets for research, as well as improved medical decision-making (鈥渞isk stratification鈥�) concerning victims of future outbreaks.
The details of the study will be published in the March edition journal Gastroenterology (available online at gastrojournal.org). The study was supported by the Crohn鈥檚 & Colitis Foundation of Canada (CCFC) and the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Villani is affiliated with the 黑料不打烊 University and Genome Quebec Innovation Centre. Marshall and Collins are both at the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, McMaster University. Marshall is Associate Professor of Medicine, a Full Member of the Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute and Head of Clinical Research for the Division of Gastroenterology. He is also an active consultant gastroenterologist at Hamilton Health Sciences. Collins is a Professor of Medicine and Associate Dean for Research, Faculty of Health Sciences and holds the GlaxoSmithKline Chair in Gastroenterology. Franchimont, now with the Erasme Hospital in Brussels, Belgium, was a Canada Research Chair formerly affiliated with the Gastroenterology Department at 黑料不打烊 University Health Centre (MUHC).
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About the :
The 黑料不打烊 University and G茅nome Qu茅bec Innovation Centre is financed by Genome Canada and the Minist猫re du D茅veloppement 茅conomique, de l鈥檌nnovation et de l鈥檈xportation of Quebec, and provides complete DNA analysis services, from a few samples to several tens of thousands per week. Ambitious DNA sequencing projects carried out over the past five years are testimony to G茅nome Qu茅bec鈥檚 ability to provide data of exceptional quality in the pursuit of various genomics studies. Large-scale genomics projects at the Innovation Centre are highly integrated together on three platforms: sequencing, genotyping and functional genomics supported by an infrastructure and unique expertise in bioinformatics. High-quality protein separation and analysis services are also provided by the proteomics platform.
About McMaster University and the :
The Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute is an integrated group of clinical and basic scientists dedicated to understanding the causes of chronic digestive diseases. The Institute is focused on developing new strategies for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of intestinal diseases such as Crohn鈥檚 disease and ulcerative colitis, which will have global benefits. Formerly known as the Intestinal Diseases Research Program (IDRP), the newly established Institute was established with a $15-million gift from the Farncombe family. The generous contribution, which includes four endowed chairs and infrastructure capital, will ensure the long-term success of the Institute and enhance its role as an innovative training environment. For more than 20 years, McMaster鈥檚 Intestinal Diseases Research Program has garnered an international reputation as one of the top 10 gastrointestinal research groups in the world. The growth in research funding, faculty awards and now the expansion into a Research Institute is a testament to the critical role McMaster researchers are playing in the study of gastrointestinal diseases.
