STAT3 and multiple sclerosis: STAT3 has been reported in several previous genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to be associated with immune relevant diseases such as Crohn’s disease (Barrett et al. 2008; Franke et al. 2008; Yamazaki et al. 2013), inflammatory bowel disease (Jostins et al. 2012), and multiple sclerosis (Jakkula et al. 2010; Patsopoulos et al. 2011; Sawcer et al. 2011).