When To Perform Genetic Testing In The Setting Of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

HH Uhilg et al. JPGN 2021; 72: 45-473. Free Full Text: Clinical Genomics for the Diagnosis of Monogenic Forms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Position Paper From the Paediatric IBD Porto Group of European Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition

  • This is a very useful article. Table 3 lists many of the features of some monogenic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Table 4 details potential immune workup tests. Table 5 lists 75 genes that should be included when testing for monogenic IBD.
  • Box 2 (see below) provides a list of conditions that should prompt consideration of genetic testing. Figure 1 provides an algorithm for testing.
  • Table 6 provides a summary of statements
    • #3:”Genetic screening for monogenic IBD is recommended in all patients with infantile-onset IBD (<2 years) and should be considered in patients with very early-onset IBD (<6 years), in particular, in those patients with relevant comorbidity, extraintestinal manifestations, and/or family history”
    • #5: “Routine genetic screening for all IBD patients is not recommended since a monogenic cause of IBD in patients with IBD onset over 6 year of age, especially those with adolescent or adult age onset of IBD is exceptional in the absence of relevant comorbidity”
  • There is also some advice on variants of unknown significance: “Databases, such as Clinvar, ClinGen, or The Human Gene Mutation Database can help to assess variant phenotype relations”

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