Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Comment
  • Published:

Opportunities of twin research in gastroenterology

According to a meta-analysis of twin research studies, only a minority addressed gastrointestinal diseases, and mainly IBD and IBS. Here, we discuss similarities and differences between twin research in IBD and IBS, using these diseases as an example of the potential benefits that twin studies can offer gastroenterology.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Relevant articles

Open Access articles citing this article.

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Polderman, T. J. et al. Meta-analysis of the heritability of human traits based on fifty years of twin studies. Nat. Genet. 47, 702–709 (2015).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. van Dongen, J. et al. The continuing value of twin studies in the omics era. Nat. Rev. Genet. 13, 640–653 (2012).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Halme, L. et al. Family and twin studies in inflammatory bowel disease. World J. Gastroenterol. 12, 3668–3672 (2006).

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  4. Enck, P. et al. Irritable bowel syndrome. Nat. Rev. Dis. Primers 2, 16014 (2016).

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  5. Ek, W. E., D’Amato, M. & Halfvarson, J. The history of genetics in inflammatory bowel disease. Ann. Gastroenterol 27, 294–303 (2014).

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  6. Ellinghaus, D. et al. The genetics of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis — status quo and beyond. Scand. J. Gastroenterol. 50, 13–23 (2015).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Halfvarson, J. et al. Environmental factors in inflammatory bowel disease: a co-twin control study of a Swedish-Danish twin population. Inflamm. Bowel Dis. 12, 925–933 (2006).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Halfvarson, J. Genetics in twins with Crohn’s disease: less pronounced than previously believed? Inflamm. Bowel Dis. 17, 6–12 (2011).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Svedberg, P. et al. No evidence of sex differences in heritability of irritable bowel syndrome in Swedish twins. Twin Res. Hum. Genet. 11, 197–203 (2008).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Mohammed, I. et al. Genetic influences in irritable bowel syndrome: a twin study. Am. J. Gastroenterol. 100, 1340–1344 (2005).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Paul Enck.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

M.G.-S. has served as an adviser and speaker for Heel, as a speaker for Schwabe and as an adviser for Yakult. P.E. received an unrestricted grant from SymbioPharm, served as adviser for Allergan, Almirall, AstraZeneca, Boehringer, Biocodex, Ferring, GA, Heel, SymbioPharm, TEVA, and UCB and as speaker for Almirall, Bayer/Steigerwald, Biogene, Boehringer, Chiesi, Heel and Sanofi. G.H. received unrestricted grants from Bayer, Commonwealth Laboratories, Falk Foundation and Takeda and served as speaker for Schwabe.

Additional information

Related links

MaTCH Meta-Analysis of Twin Correlations and Heritability: http://match.ctglab.nl/#/home

Supplementary Information

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Goebel-Stengel, M., Holtmann, G. & Enck, P. Opportunities of twin research in gastroenterology. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 15, 325–326 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41575-018-0002-0

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41575-018-0002-0

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing