Ocular Manifestations in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Are Associated with Other Extra-intestinal Manifestations, Gender, and Genes Implicated in Other Immune-related Traits.

Background: There has been considerable progress in identifying inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] susceptibility genes but little progress in examining the role of genetic variation in the development of the extra-intestinal manifestations [EIMs] of IBD. This study identified clinical, serological, and genetic factors associated with ocular EIMs [O-EIMs] in IBD.

Methods: We performed a retrospective case-control study of IBD patients, comparing those with and without O-EIMs using the Cedars-Sinai IBD Research Repository and the NIDDK IBD Genetics Consortium Repository. Genotyping was performed using Illumina whole genome platforms.

Results: In all, 124 cases and 3328 controls with available clinical data were identified; 103 cases and 2808 controls had genetic data available. Erythema nodosum and peripheral arthritis particularly were common in patients with O-EIMs [p = 2.77 x 10(-13) and p = 2.58 x 10(-13), respectively] with increasing odds ratios for O-EIMs with each additional non-ocular-EIM [for ≥ 2 EIMs, odds ratio 14.72]. Nominal association with O-EIMs was observed at several known IBD susceptibility single nuclear polymorphisms. One locus, containing RBM19, achieved genome-wide level of significance for association with O-EIMs.

Conclusions: In IBD, O-EIMs co-occur with musculoskeletal and skin manifestations and, in this study, are nominally associated with known IBD loci. Additional cohorts are needed to verify these results and identify additional genes.