Genetic polymorphisms in biotransformation enzymes in Crohn's disease: association with microsomal epoxide hydrolase.
BACKGROUND
Mucosal biotransformation enzymes can modify toxic compounds in the gut. As chemical or oxidative stress may be involved in the aetiology of Crohn's disease, genes encoding for enzymes involved in the prevention of such stress may be candidates for genetic susceptibility to Crohn's disease.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the association of Crohn's disease with genetic polymorphisms in cytochrome P450 1A1, glutathione S-transferases mu-1, pi-1, and theta-1, and epoxide hydrolase.


METHODS
chi(2) square analysis was used to compare frequencies of polymorphisms between 151 patients with Crohn's disease and 149 healthy controls.


RESULTS
In patients, a genetic polymorphism in exon 3 of the microsomal epoxide hydrolase gene was distributed significantly different compared with controls (chi(2)=23.7; p<0.0001). All other polymorphisms tested were equally distributed between patients and controls.


CONCLUSIONS
Microsomal epoxide hydrolase may play a role in the pathophysiology of Crohn's disease. Furthermore, the epoxide hydrolase gene is located on chromosome 1q, close to a region previously linked to Crohn's disease.
de Jong
D J
DJ
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Medical Centre Nijmegen, the Netherlands. d.dejong@gastro.azn.nl
van der Logt
E M J
EM
van Schaik
A
A
Roelofs
H M J
HM
Peters
W H M
WH
Naber
T H J
TH
D000328:Adult; D001711:Biotransformation / Q000235:genetics; D002878:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 1 / Q000235:genetics; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 / Q000235:genetics; D004851:Epoxide Hydrolases / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008861:Microsomes / Q000201:enzymology; D010641:Phenotype; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length
D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; D004851:Epoxide Hydrolases