title: Chronic parotitis: not another SPINKosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pancreatitis and parotitis share several etiological, pathohistological and functional similarities. It arose from recent pancreatitis research that some cases of chronic pancreatitis are associated with mutations of the serine protease inhibitor, Kazal type-1 (SPINK1). We tested the hypothesis that the pancreatitis-associated N34S mutation of SPINK1 is also a risk factor for chronic parotitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction was used to investigate SPINK1 transcription in the parotid gland. Forty-five blocks of formalin-fixed, paraffin wax-embedded tissues with chronic parotitis of unknown cause were analyzed for the SPINK1-N34S mutation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The SPINK1 gene is transcribed in the parotid gland. Two of the 45 patients (4.4%) with chronic parotitis carried the N34S mutation heterozygously. Of 82 healthy blood donors, 3 subjects (3.7%) were identified as carrying this mutation heterozygously (p = 0.83).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The SPINK1-N34S mutation is not associated with chronic parotitis.
authors.affiliation: Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik II, Universitatsklinikum Leipzig, Deutschland.
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gundling
authors.forename: Fabian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Reitmeier
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tannapfel
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schutz
authors.forename: Anette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: Jurgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ussmuller
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Keim
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mossner
authors.forename: Niels
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Teich
mesh_terms: D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D005819:Genetic Markers; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D010306:Parotid Gland / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D010309:Parotitis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D012313:RNA / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014359:Trypsin Inhibitor, Kazal Pancreatic
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D005819:Genetic Markers; C486642:SPINK1 protein, human; D014359:Trypsin Inhibitor, Kazal Pancreatic; D012313:RNA; D004247:DNA