Editorial
Copyright ©2013 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastrointest Pathophysiol. Nov 15, 2013; 4(4): 65-73
Published online Nov 15, 2013. doi: 10.4291/wjgp.v4.i4.65
Genetic contribution to motility disorders of the upper gastrointestinal tract
Giovanni Sarnelli, Alessandra D’Alessandro, Marcella Pesce, Ilaria Palumbo, Rosario Cuomo
Giovanni Sarnelli, Alessandra D’Alessandro, Marcella Pesce, Ilaria Palumbo, Rosario Cuomo, Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80131 Naples, Italy
Author contributions: Sarnelli G contributed to the conception, made revisions and helped in writing; D’Alessandro A and Pesce M wrote the paper and contributed to revision of the literature; Palumbo I provided supportive contributions; Cuomo R contributed to revision of the literature.
Correspondence to: Giovanni Sarnelli, MD, PhD, Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via Sergio Pansini, 5, 80131 Naples, Italy. sarnelli@unina.it
Telephone: +39-81-7463488 Fax: +39-81-7462753
Received: June 27, 2013
Revised: August 9, 2013
Accepted: October 17, 2013
Published online: November 15, 2013
Processing time: 140 Days and 13.8 Hours
Core Tip

Core tip: Achalasia, functional dyspepsia and hypertrophic pyloric stenosis represent the main motility disorders of upper gastrointestinal tract. All these diseases have a less known pathophysiology and a presumable genetic predisposition in common. This review outlines the current knowledge on genes involved in the onset of these pathologies in order to promote further association studies which can help to explain this complex picture and find new therapeutic targets.