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

Increased dietary ratios of ω6/ω3 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 ω6/ω3, 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 ω6/ω3 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.