A disease-associated SNP from GWAS for primary biliary cholangitis, inflammatory bowel disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, and multiple sclerosis was in strong LD to a reQTL that regulated expression of IRF8. Irf8, a key factor for dendritic cell, monocyte, and macrophage maturation, was described to influence the genetic risk for susceptibility to several chronic inflammatory diseases43–45. This evidence concerns the gene IRF8 and inflammatory bowel disease.