title: HNF4α and CDH1 are associated with ulcerative colitis in a Dutch cohort.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), consisting of ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD), are complex disorders with multiple genes contributing to disease pathogenesis. A recent genome-wide association scan identified three novel susceptibility loci for UC: HNF4α, CDH1, and LAMB1. We performed an analysis of these three loci in an independent cohort.
  
  
  METHODS
  In all, 821 UC patients and 1260 healthy controls of central European Caucasian descent were genotyped for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs): rs6017342 (HNF4α), rs1728785 (CDH1), and rs6949033 (LAMB1). Differences in allele and genotype distribution in cases and controls were tested for significance with the χ² test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Allelic association analysis showed that SNP rs6017342 in the HNF4α locus was strongly associated with UC (P = 1,04 × 10(-11) , odds ratio [OR] = 1.56, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.37-1.77) and SNP rs1728785 (CDH1) was associated with P = 0.01 (OR = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.05-1.44). SNP rs6949033 in LAMB1 was not associated in our cohort (P = 0.12, OR = 1.11, 95% CI = 0.97-1.26). We found an association for SNP rs6949033 (LAMB1) for disease limited to the rectum (P = 0.02). However, this association was lost after correcting for multiple testing. No further specific subphenotype associations were identified.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first independent study to replicate the HNF4α and CDH1 loci as susceptibility loci for UC. The main candidate genes in these risk loci play important roles in the maintenance of the integrity of the epithelial barrier, highlighting the importance of the mucosal barrier function for UC pathogenesis.
authors: Department of Genetics, University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors: Suzanne
authors: S
authors: van Sommeren
authors: Marijn C
authors: MC
authors: Visschedijk
authors: Eleonora A M
authors: EA
authors: Festen
authors: Dirk J
authors: DJ
authors: de Jong
authors: Cyriel Y
authors: CY
authors: Ponsioen
authors: Cisca
authors: C
authors: Wijmenga
authors: Rinse K
authors: RK
authors: Weersma
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015703:Antigens, CD; D015820:Cadherins / Q000235:genetics*; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D055106:Genome-Wide Association Study; D005838:Genotype; D051557:Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4 / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007797:Laminin / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D016017:Odds Ratio; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; C513384:CDH1 protein, human; D015820:Cadherins; C496592:HNF4A protein, human; D051557:Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4; C478221:LAMB1 protein, human; D007797:Laminin