Crohn's Disease

Apparently my Gamzu/Gamson family line has individuals who are suffering from Crohn’s disease. We are searching for distant (and close too) cousins who have (or previous generation who had) Crohn’s disease.

I know there are over 20 Gamzu family lines which we are trying to connect from Plunkyan. If any of your ancestors or current relatives has Crohn’s disease, please let me know. It is a genetic disease, and is especially found in people of Eastern European Jewish descent.

Crohn's disease is an autoimmune disorder and its exact cause is unknown. People with Crohn's disease have chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. There are different types of Crohn's disease. The disease type depends on which part of the body is affected.
Crohn's disease usually occurs in people between ages 15 – 35 but may occur at any age. Your genes and environmental factors play a role in Crohn’s disease, as well as those whose body over-reacts to normal bacteria in the intestines.

People who are more likely to get this disease are those who:

      Have a family history of Crohn's disease (at least 10 times that of the general population)

      Jewish

      Smoke

Symptoms depend on what part of the gastrointestinal tract is affected. Symptoms range from mild to severe, and can come and go with periods of flare-ups. The main symptoms of Crohn's disease are:

      Crampy abdominal pain

      Fatigue

      Fever

      Loss of appetite

      Weight Loss

      Pain with passing stool

      Persistent, watery diarrhea

Other symptoms may include:

      Constipation

      Eye inflammation

      Fistulas (usually around the rectal area, may cause draining of pus, mucus, or stools)

      Joint pain and swelling

      Mouth ulcers

      Rectal bleeding and bloody stools

      Skin lumps or sores (ulcers)

      Swollen gums

Other Ashkenazi Jewish Genetic Diseases are:

      Tay-Sachs Disease

      Gaucher Disease – Type 1

      Cystic Fibrosis

      Canavan Disease

      Familial Dysautonomia

      Niemann-Pick Disease – Type A

      Fanconi anemia – Type C

      Bloom Syndrome

      Mucolipidosis IV

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (4 to 5 times more likely to develop IBD than the general population)