Most interestingly, this polymorphic variant of NOD2 was strongly associated with altered NOD2 gene expression in multiple tissue types, including whole blood and liver (Figure 4), indicating that MST1, JAK2, MUC19 and VDR have synergistic reinforcing action in Crohn's disease development in the Chinese population through interacting with NOD2. Here, VDR is linked to Crohn disease.