title: Age-dependent association of idiopathic achalasia with vasoactive intestinal peptide receptor 1 gene.
abstract: Idiopathic achalasia is a rare disorder of the oesophagus of unknown aetio-pathogenesis characterized by a myenteric inflammation, aperistalsis and insufficient lower oesophageal sphincter relaxation. Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), present in the myenteric plexus, is involved in smooth muscle relaxation and acts as an anti-inflammatory cytokine. The human VIP receptor 1 gene (VIPR1) is highly polymorphic and may play a role in idiopathic achalasia. One hundred and four consecutive patients and 300 random controls from the same geographic area were typed for five SNPs mapping in the VIPR1 gene. Patients with idiopathic achalasia show a significant difference in allele, genotype and phenotype distribution of SNP rs437876 mapping in intron 4. This association, however, was almost entirely due to the group of patients with late disease onset (P = 0.0005). These results strongly suggest that idiopathic achalasia is a heterogeneous disease with a different aetiology in cases with early or late disease onset.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology and Development, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Paladini
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cocco
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cascino
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Belfiore
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Badiali
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Piretta
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Alghisi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Anzini
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Fiorillo
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Corazziari
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sorrentino
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000483:Alleles; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004931:Esophageal Achalasia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D049630:Esophageal Sphincter, Lower / Q000503:physiopathology; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D015810:Linkage Disequilibrium; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics; D051238:Receptors, Vasoactive Intestinal Polypeptide, Type I / Q000235:genetics*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D051238:Receptors, Vasoactive Intestinal Polypeptide, Type I