Genes for Bulimia Nervosa Located on Chromosome 10p

A recent study on the genetics of the eating disorder bulimia nervosa (BN) provided evidence for the presence of a susceptibility locus for BN on chromosome 10p. The study was published December 12, 2002, in the online edition of the American Journal of Human Genetics.

Investigators from the Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond, USA) and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (PA, USA) extended prior research that had demonstrated the inheritable nature of BN in twins. They initially screened 316 families with BN and then focused on a subset of 133 families with at least two members displaying a symptom pattern that included self-induced vomiting. Linkage analysis showed that the genes related to BN were located on chromosome 10p.

"Studies such as this one should help us understand how differences in the genes of some individuals contribute to this illness,” said senior author Dr. Walter H. Kaye, professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic. "Identifying this region on 10p is an important step in what may be a long search for more effective treatments and preventative therapies for bulimia.”





Related Links:
Virginia Commonwealth University
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center