Therefore, the gain of function observed with rs3197999 in MST1 might provide a cellular mechanism for the consistent association of this polymorphism with an increased risk for IBD and PSC.
Importantly, we discovered that serum protein levels of MST1 (Macrophage Stimulating 1) were regulated by SNP rs3197999 (p = 5.96E-10, FDR<5%), an accepted GWAS locus for IBD.