Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2026, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (22): 5876-5885.doi: 10.12307/2026.255

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Shared genetic basis and causal relationship between nutrition, nutritional status and inflammatory bowel disease

Liao Guibin1, Wu Yixuan2, Tang Jing3, Huang Jinke1, Wang Jun1, Yan Ziqi2, Liu Shujun1, Zhang Haiyan1, 4   

  1. 1The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine (Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine), Guangzhou 510006, Guangdong Province, China; 2The First Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, Guangdong Province, China; 3The Second Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, Guangdong Province, China; 4Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Research on Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome, Guangzhou 510120, Guangdong Province, China
  • Received:2025-09-17 Accepted:2025-11-22 Online:2026-08-08 Published:2025-12-29
  • Contact: Zhang Haiyan, MD, Associate chief physician, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine (Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine), Guangzhou 510006, Guangdong Province, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Research on Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome, Guangzhou 510120, Guangdong Province, China
  • About author:Liao Guibin, MS, Physician, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine (Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine), Guangzhou 510006, Guangdong Province, China
  • Supported by:
    Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Research on Syndromes in Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 2023KT15486 (to ZHY); State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine Project, No. ZDYN-2024-A-079 (to ZHY); National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 82400635 (to WJ)

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Inflammatory bowel disease, encompassing ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, is a chronic condition linked to malnutrition, sarcopenia, and disease severity, with limited research on their genetic associations. 
OBJECTIVE: To systematically explore the common genetic basis and causal relationships between nutrition, nutritional status, and inflammatory bowel disease using advanced statistical genetics.
METHODS: Single nucleotide polymorphism data for nutritional markers (minerals, vitamins, albumin, hemoglobin, and fatty acids) and sarcopenia traits (appendicular lean mass and grip strength) were obtained from the GWAS Catalog database (jointly established by the National Human Genome Research Institute and the European Bioinformatics Institute, which systematically curates published genome-wide association studies). Summary statistics for inflammatory bowel disease and its subtypes were retrieved from the FinnGen R10 release (a large-scale genomics project coordinated by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare). Advanced statistical genetics methods, including linkage disequilibrium score regression, cross-phenotype association analysis, and Mendelian randomization, were applied to infer the associations between nutritional markers, sarcopenia, and inflammatory bowel disease.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: This study revealed notable genetic correlations: vitamin D with inflammatory bowel disease (rg=-0.080, P=0.029) and ulcerative colitis (rg=-0.087, P=0.027), appendicular lean mass with inflammatory bowel disease (rg=-0.100, P=0.000 2), ulcerative colitis (rg=-0.100, P=0.000 2), and small intestine Crohn’s disease (rg=-0.081, P=0.035), grip strength with small intestine Crohn’s disease (rg=-0.125, P=0.035). Furthermore, Mendelian randomization analysis demonstrated a positive causal link between magnesium levels and inflammatory bowel disease (OR=1.41, P=0.036), and small intestine Crohn’s disease (OR=1.78, P=0.035). Cross-phenotype association identified shared single nucleotide polymorphisms, particularly within the human leukocyte antigen region, influencing both nutritional status and inflammatory bowel disease. Our findings advanced the understanding of genetic connections between nutrition, sarcopenia, and inflammatory bowel disease, suggesting that targeted nutritional management may be key in mitigating disease progression. This research paves the way for more personalized treatment approaches, with potential implications for preventive strategies in inflammatory bowel disease care.


Key words: nutrition, sarcopenia, inflammatory bowel disease, genome-wide association study, European Bioinformatics Institute, FinnGen Project, linkage disequilibrium score regression, cross-phenotype association analysis, Mendelian randomization

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