The Genetics of Seborrheic Dermatitis: A Candidate Gene Approach and Pilot Genome-Wide Association Study

In the 2018 study involving 4,050 participants, of which 609 had seborrheic dermatitis, researchers used a candidate gene approach and a pilot genome-wide association study to explore the genetic basis of seborrheic dermatitis. They did not find significant genetic variants linked to the condition after correcting for multiple tests, despite some suggestive overlaps with psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. However, the GWAS did identify two genome-wide significant single-nucleotide polymorphisms: rs58331610 in the MAST4 gene and rs16944244 in an intergenic region. Additionally, 68 SNPs in seven loci showed suggestive associations. The study concluded that while there is no strong evidence for a shared genetic background with other dermatological conditions, the significant associations found indicate a genetic susceptibility to seborrheic dermatitis, providing a direction for future genetic research.