Largest genetic study of lichen sclerosus identifies 14 risk regions

Largest genetic study of lichen sclerosus identifies 14 risk regions

Researchers at King’s College London, led by Dr Tziotzios, have carried out the largest genetic study to date of lichen sclerosus, a chronic inflammatory skin condition that affects around 2% of people.

The team analysed genetic data from 6,681 women and 970 men with lichen sclerosus, and compared them with people without the condition, using national biobanks in the UK, Norway and Finland.

The study identified 14 regions of the genome linked to the risk of lichen sclerosus. The strongest association was with HLA-DRB1, a gene that controls how the immune system responds to infection. Another region involved ALDH2, a gene that breaks down alcohol and protects against oxidative damage.

Together, the findings show that lichen sclerosus is driven by changes in the immune system, particularly in T-cell responses and the way the immune system presents targets to T cells, together with pathways involved in tissue scarring. Identifying these pathways opens the way to predicting who is at risk, developing better treatments and, in the longer term, preventing the condition.

The study was published in the British Journal of Dermatology and funded by the British Skin Foundation and the Medical Research Council. Read the paper · Original King’s College London news story