Association of NOD2/CARD15 variants with Crohn's disease in a Greek population.
OBJECTIVE
Single nucleotide polymorphisms in the NOD2/CARD15 gene have recently been shown to be associated with Crohn's disease (CD), but whether this susceptibility extends to all ethnic groups and geographic areas remains unknown. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the NOD2/CARD15 mutations in Greek patients with CD.


METHODS
Individuals were genotyped for three NOD2/CARD15 mutations: R702W, G908R and L1007fsinsC. Blood samples were obtained from 120 patients with CD, 85 patients with ulcerative colitis, and 100 unrelated healthy controls.


RESULTS
Mutations in NOD2/CARD15 were observed with significantly greater frequency in CD patients (98/120, 81.7%) than in ulcerative colitis patients (40/85, 47%) (P < 0.0001) or in healthy individuals (21/100, 21%) (P < 0.0001). For CD patients, compared with controls, the odds were increased for carriage of the R702W (odds ratio, 12.25) and less for the G908R (odds ratio, 5.2) and L1007fsinsC (odds ratio, 3.9) mutations. The age of onset of CD was lower in Greek mutation carriers as compared with non-carriers of Greek origin (28.2 +/- 14.6 years versus 34 +/- 12.3 years, respectively; P = 0.036). Additionally, the frequency of NOD2/CARD15 mutations was increased in ileitis or ileocolitis compared with non-ileal disease.


CONCLUSIONS
The NOD2/CARD15 mutations are risk factors for CD in Greece, they appear to predict an earlier age of onset and are associated particularly with ileitis or ileocolitis.
Department of Histology-Embryology (Molecular Carcinogenesis Group), Medical School, University of Athens, Greece.
Maria
M
Gazouli
Panayotis
P
Zacharatos
Gerassimos J
GJ
Mantzaris
Calypso
C
Barbatis
Ioannis
I
Ikonomopoulos
Athanassios J
AJ
Archimandritis
John C
JC
Lukas
Efstathios
E
Papalambros
Vassilis
V
Gorgoulis
D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000483:Alleles; D003092:Colitis / Q000235:genetics; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000235:genetics; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency / Q000235:genetics; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D006115:Greece; D006801:Humans; D007079:Ileitis / Q000235:genetics; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D020125:Mutation, Missense / Q000235:genetics; D053473:Nod2 Signaling Adaptor Protein; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics*
D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; C429018:NOD2 protein, human; D053473:Nod2 Signaling Adaptor Protein