Brief Article
Copyright ©2012 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Sep 14, 2012; 18(34): 4758-4764
Published online Sep 14, 2012. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v18.i34.4758
Association of fucosyltransferase 2 gene variants with ulcerative colitis in Han and Uyghur patients in China
Ayinuer Aheman, He-Sheng Luo, Feng Gao
Ayinuer Aheman, He-Sheng Luo, Department of Gastroenterology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University Medical School, Wuhan 430060, Hubei Province, China
Feng Gao, Department of Gastroenterology, People’s Hospital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Urumqi 830001, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China
Author contributions: Aheman A and Gao F contributed equally to this work, they designed the study, analyzed and interpreted the data, wrote and revised the manuscript; Luo HS acquired fund, conceived, designed and supervised the study, and revised the manuscript critically for important intellectual content; and all authors have read and approved the final version to be published.
Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 30871148 and No. 81160052; and Natural Science Foundation of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China, No. 2009211A26
Correspondence to: He-Sheng Luo, Professor, Chief, Department of Gastroenterology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University Medical School, Wuhan 430060, Hubei Province, China. xhnk@163.com
Telephone: +86-27-88041911 Fax: +86-27-88042292
Received: February 25, 2012
Revised: April 23, 2012
Accepted: May 13, 2012
Published online: September 14, 2012
Abstract

AIM: To investigate the contribution of fucosyltransferase 2 (FUT2) variants to the genetic susceptibility and clinical heterogeneity of ulcerative colitis (UC) between Han and Uyghur patients in Xinjiang, China.

METHODS: A total of 102 UC patients (53 Han patients including 22 men and 31 women, and 49 Uyghur patients including 25 men and 24 women; aged 48 ± 16 years) and 310 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were enrolled from January 2010 to May 2011 in Xinjiang People’s Hospital of China. UC was diagnosed based on the clinical, endoscopic and histological findings following Lennard-Jones criteria. Blood samples were collected and genomic DNA was extracted by the routine laboratory methods. Polymerase chain reaction-sequence-based typing method was used to identify FUT2 variants rs281377, rs1047781, rs601338 and rs602662. Genotypic and allelic frequencies were documented and compared between the UC patients and the healthy controls. Genotypic frequencies were also compared between Han and Uyghur patients. Potential association of genetic variation and UC between Han and Uyghur patients was examined.

RESULTS: rs281377 was found significantly associated with UC in the Han population as compared with the controls (P = 0.011) while rs281377 was not associated with UC in the Uyghur population (P = 0.06). TT homozygous rs281377 frequencies were higher in the UC groups than in the controls (88.7% vs 68.7% and 55.1% vs 50.3%). rs1047781 was specifically associated with UC in the Uyghur population (P = 0.001), but not associated with UC in the Han population (P = 0.13). TT homozygous rs1047781 frequencies were lower in the UC groups than in the controls (9.5% vs 11.8% and 4.0% vs 6.7%). rs601338 was statistically related to UC in both populations (Han, P = 0.025; Uyghur, P = 8.33 × 10-5). AA homozygous rs601338 frequencies were lower in the UC groups than in the controls (0% vs 1.8% and 12.2% vs 13.4%). No association was found between rs602662 and UC in both Han and the Uyghur populations. Allelic analysis showed that rs281377 allele was significantly associated with UC in the Han population as compared with the controls [P = 0.001, odd ratio (OR) = 0.26], however, it was not associated with UC in the Uyghur population (P = 0.603, OR = 1.14), and rs1047781 allele was associated with UC in the Uyghur population (P = 0.001, OR = 0.029) while it was not associated with UC in the Han population (P = 0.074, OR = 0.62). Moreover, rs601338 was associated with UC in both Han (P = 0.005, OR = 0.1) and Uyghur populations (P = 0.002, OR = 0.43). Meta analysis showed that rs1047781 and rs601338 conferred risk of UC as compared with the controls [P = 0.005, OR = 0.47; P = 0.0003, OR = 0.35; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.31-0.72 and 0.21-0.58], but rs281377 and rs602662 showed no statistically significant differences between patients with UC and controls (P = 0.10, OR = 0.71; P = 0.68, OR = 0.09; 95% CI = 0.47-1.07 and 0.56-1.47).

CONCLUSION: Functionally relevant FUT2 gene variants are associated with UC, suggesting that they play a potential role in the pathogenesis of UC and may contribute to the clinical heterogeneity of UC between Han and Uyghur patients.

Keywords: Ulcerative colitis, Fucosyltransferase 2, Gene polymorphisms, Han, Uyghur