title: Association between CTLA-4 gene promoter (49 A/G) in exon 1 polymorphisms and inflammatory bowel disease in the Tunisian population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the possible association between the polymorphism of the CTLA-4 exon 1 +49 A/G and susceptibility to Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) in the Tunisian population.
  
  
  METHODS
  The +49 A/G dimorphism was analyzed in 119 patients with CD, 65 patients with UC, and 100 controls by the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significantly higher frequencies of the CTLA-4 +49A allele and A/A homozygous individuals were observed in patients with CD when compared with controls (pc = 0.0023 and pc = 0.0003, respectively). Analysis of CTLA-4 A/G polymorphism with respect to sex in CD showed a significant difference in A/A genotypes between female patients and controls (pc = 0.0001 and pc = 0.038, respectively). There were no differences in the subgroups of patients with CD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Forty-nine A alleles and AA genotype are associated with CD susceptibility in Tunisians. Other genes involved in the T-cell regulation remain strong candidates for IBD susceptibility and require further investigation.
authors: Charles Nicolle Hospital, Tunis-1006, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors: Walid
authors: W
authors: Ben Alaya
authors: Imen
authors: I
authors: Sfar
authors: Houda
authors: H
authors: Aouadi
authors: Saloua
authors: S
authors: Jendoubi
authors: Tawfik
authors: T
authors: Najjar
authors: Azza
authors: A
authors: Filali
authors: Yousr
authors: Y
authors: Gorgi
authors: Taieb
authors: T
authors: Ben Abdallah
authors: Leila
authors: L
authors: Mouelhi
authors: Samira
authors: S
authors: Matri
authors: Khaled
authors: K
authors: Ayed