Short mucin 6 alleles are associated with H pylori infection.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationship between mucin 6 (MUC6) VNTR length and H pylori infection.


METHODS
Blood samples were collected from patients visiting the Can Tho General Hospital for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. DNA was isolated from whole blood, the repeated section was cut out using a restriction enzyme (Pvu II) and the length of the allele fragments was determined by Southern blotting. H pylori infection was diagnosed by (14)C urea breath test. For analysis, MUC6 allele fragment length was dichotomized as being either long (> 13.5 kbp) or short (< or = 13.5 kbp) and patients were classified according to genotype [long-long (LL), long-short (LS), short-short (SS)].


RESULTS
160 patients were studied (mean age 43 years, 36% were males, 58% H pylori positive). MUC6 Pvu II-restricted allele fragment lengths ranged from 7 to 19 kbp. Of the patients with the LL, LS, SS MUC6 genotype, 43% (24/56), 57% (25/58) and 76% (11/46) were infected with H pylori, respectively (P = 0.003).


CONCLUSIONS
Short MUC6 alleles are associated with H pylori infection.
Nguyen
Thai V
TV
Department of Gastroenterology, Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Viet Nam.
Janssen
Marcel
M
Gritters
Paulien
P
te Morsche
René H M
RH
Drenth
Joost P H
JP
van Asten
Henri
H
Laheij
Robert J F
RJ
Jansen
Jan B M J
JB
D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D004247:DNA / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D005260:Female; D005819:Genetic Markers / Q000235:genetics; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018598:Minisatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics; D055272:Mucin-6; D009077:Mucins / Q000235:genetics*
D005819:Genetic Markers; C524734:MUC6 protein, human; D055272:Mucin-6; D009077:Mucins; D004247:DNA