Interactions Between the Dietary Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Ratio and Genetic Factors Determine Susceptibility to Pediatric Crohn's Disease

Increased dietary ratios of u6/u3 polyunsaturated fatty acids have been implicated in the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease (CD), but epidemiologic data are limited. We investigated whether variants of genes that control polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism (CYP4F3, FADS1, and FADS2), along with the dietary ratio of u6/u3, confers susceptibility to CD. Based on data from 182 children newly diagnosed with CD and 250 controls, we found that children who consumed a higher dietary ratio of u6/u3 were susceptible for CD if they were also carriers of specific variants of CYP4F3 and FADS2 genes. Our findings implicate diet–gene interactions in the pathogenesis of CD.