Written By: Nirmalya Dutta | Published : August 19, 2013 11:13 AM IST
A team of eminent doctors at from the Asian Institute of Gastroenterology (AIG) and scientists from the Centre for the Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) along with international researchers have discovered the genetic causes for chronic pancreatitis in Indian populations. Their findings will published in the journal Natural Genetic reports the Times of India.
CCMB director CH Mohan Rao said the study showed genetic mutations observed in Western populations weren't necessarily found in Indian ones. Pancreatitis refers to the inflammation of the pancreas, an organ that is vital for digestion and helps in the removal of toxins in the body. Along with that it produces digestive enzymes in addition to producing insulin for sugar metabolism in the body.
The decade-long research by involved the genetic analysis of 300 patients from Europe and Asia who were suffering from Tropical Calcific Pancreatitis, a type of the disease found in a largely in populations in South India. The research team identified the mutation in an essential enzyme producing carboxypeptidase A1 gene in the Indian patients which caused function loss of the enzyme.Dr Chandak said, 'The study has found a novel mutation in CPA 1 gene that was not found in non-Indian patients. This condition has an early onset in the patients that is many of them were young people.
The study could pave the way for improved diagnosis in India populations later.' The team also identified two other genes corroborating the fact that pancreatitis has strong genetic factors and not just caused due to environmental or nutritional ones.
What causes pancreatitis?
There are a number of causes of acute pancreatitis the most common reasons being gallbladder disease and alcoholism. Along with them other things that can cause pancreatitis are drugs, infections, structural issues with the pancreatic duct, injury to the abdomen, abnormally high levels of fat in the bloodstream, malfunctioning of the parathyroid glands and high blood levels of calcium and of course a genetic predisposition to the disease.
