Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

A distinctive profile of family genetic risk scores in a Swedish national sample of cases of fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and chronic fatigue syndrome compared to rheumatoid arthritis and major depression

Kendler, Kenneth S. ; Rosmalen, Judith G.M. ; Ohlsson, Henrik LU ; Sundquist, Jan LU and Sundquist, Kristina LU (2023) In Psychological Medicine 53(9). p.3879-3886
Abstract

Background Functional somatic disorders (FSD) feature medical symptoms of unclear etiology. Attempts to clarify their origin have been hampered by a lack of rigorous research designs. We sought to clarify the etiology of the FSD by examining the genetic risk patterns for FSD and other related disorders. Methods This study was performed in 5 829 186 individuals from Swedish national registers. We quantified familial genetic risk for FSD, internalizing disorders, and somatic disorders in cases of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), using a novel method based on aggregate risk in first to fifth degree relatives, adjusting for cohabitation. We compared these profiles with those of a... (More)

Background Functional somatic disorders (FSD) feature medical symptoms of unclear etiology. Attempts to clarify their origin have been hampered by a lack of rigorous research designs. We sought to clarify the etiology of the FSD by examining the genetic risk patterns for FSD and other related disorders. Methods This study was performed in 5 829 186 individuals from Swedish national registers. We quantified familial genetic risk for FSD, internalizing disorders, and somatic disorders in cases of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), using a novel method based on aggregate risk in first to fifth degree relatives, adjusting for cohabitation. We compared these profiles with those of a prototypic internalizing psychiatric - major depression (MD) - and a somatic/autoimmune disorder: rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Results Patients with FM carry substantial genetic risks not only for FM, but also for pain syndromes and internalizing, autoimmune and sleep disorders. The genetic risk profiles for IBS and CFS are also widely distributed although with lower average risks. By contrast, genetic risk profiles of MD and RA are much more restricted to related conditions. Conclusion Patients with FM have a relatively unique family genetic risk score profile with elevated genetic risk across a range of disorders that differs markedly from the profiles of a classic autoimmune disorder (RA) and internalizing disorder (MD). A similar less marked pattern of genetic risks was seen for IBS and CFS. FSD arise from a distinctive pattern of genetic liability for a diversity of psychiatric, autoimmune, pain, sleep, and functional somatic disorders.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, major depression, rheumatoid arthritis
in
Psychological Medicine
volume
53
issue
9
pages
3879 - 3886
publisher
Cambridge University Press
external identifiers
  • scopus:85128263809
  • pmid:35354508
ISSN
0033-2917
DOI
10.1017/S0033291722000526
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
ac1017a2-3bf7-4642-af7a-456a927b419a
date added to LUP
2022-07-01 15:56:08
date last changed
2024-06-14 20:41:27
@article{ac1017a2-3bf7-4642-af7a-456a927b419a,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background Functional somatic disorders (FSD) feature medical symptoms of unclear etiology. Attempts to clarify their origin have been hampered by a lack of rigorous research designs. We sought to clarify the etiology of the FSD by examining the genetic risk patterns for FSD and other related disorders. Methods This study was performed in 5 829 186 individuals from Swedish national registers. We quantified familial genetic risk for FSD, internalizing disorders, and somatic disorders in cases of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), using a novel method based on aggregate risk in first to fifth degree relatives, adjusting for cohabitation. We compared these profiles with those of a prototypic internalizing psychiatric - major depression (MD) - and a somatic/autoimmune disorder: rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Results Patients with FM carry substantial genetic risks not only for FM, but also for pain syndromes and internalizing, autoimmune and sleep disorders. The genetic risk profiles for IBS and CFS are also widely distributed although with lower average risks. By contrast, genetic risk profiles of MD and RA are much more restricted to related conditions. Conclusion Patients with FM have a relatively unique family genetic risk score profile with elevated genetic risk across a range of disorders that differs markedly from the profiles of a classic autoimmune disorder (RA) and internalizing disorder (MD). A similar less marked pattern of genetic risks was seen for IBS and CFS. FSD arise from a distinctive pattern of genetic liability for a diversity of psychiatric, autoimmune, pain, sleep, and functional somatic disorders. </p>}},
  author       = {{Kendler, Kenneth S. and Rosmalen, Judith G.M. and Ohlsson, Henrik and Sundquist, Jan and Sundquist, Kristina}},
  issn         = {{0033-2917}},
  keywords     = {{Chronic fatigue syndrome; fibromyalgia; irritable bowel syndrome; major depression; rheumatoid arthritis}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{9}},
  pages        = {{3879--3886}},
  publisher    = {{Cambridge University Press}},
  series       = {{Psychological Medicine}},
  title        = {{A distinctive profile of family genetic risk scores in a Swedish national sample of cases of fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and chronic fatigue syndrome compared to rheumatoid arthritis and major depression}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0033291722000526}},
  doi          = {{10.1017/S0033291722000526}},
  volume       = {{53}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}