title: ABO histo-blood group might modulate predisposition to Crohn's disease and affect disease behavior.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  ABO encodes a glycosyltranferase which determines the major human histo-blood group. The FUT2 fucosyltransferase allows expression of ABO antigens on the gastrointestinal mucosa and in bodily secretions (secretor phenotype). A nonsense allele in FUT2 represents a susceptibility variant for Crohn's disease, and both the secretor and ABO blood group status affect the composition of the gut microbiota. Thus, we evaluated if variants in ABO might represent good candidates as Crohn's disease susceptibility loci.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited two case-control cohorts, from Italy (n=1301) and Belgium (n=2331). Subjects were genotyped for one SNP in FUT2 and two variants in ABO.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No effect on Crohn's disease risk was detected for ABO variants, whereas an association was observed between the FUT2 polymorphism and Crohn's disease susceptibility in the Belgian sample, but not in the Italian cohort. The effect of histo-blood groups was evaluated using group O as the reference. Most non-O groups had odds ratios (ORs) higher than 1 in both cohorts, and combined analysis of the two samples indicated a predisposing effect for the A and B groups (OR=1.17, 95% CI: 1.02-1.32 and OR=1.33, 95% CI: 1.09-1.58, respectively). In Crohn's disease patients, the non-O blood group and the non-secretor status were associated with higher risk of developing a stricturing or penetrating disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ABO histo-blood group might confer susceptibility to Crohn's disease and modulate disease severity.
authors.affiliation: Bioinformatics, Scientific Institute IRCCS E. Medea, 23842 Bosisio Parini, LC, Italy.
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Forni
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cleynen
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ferrante
authors.affiliation: IBD Unit, Chair of Gastroenterology, Luigi Sacco University Hospital, 20157 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cassinotti
authors.affiliation: Bioinformatics, Scientific Institute IRCCS E. Medea, 23842 Bosisio Parini, LC, Italy.
authors.forename: Rachele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cagliani
authors.affiliation: IBD Unit, Chair of Gastroenterology, Luigi Sacco University Hospital, 20157 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Sandro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ardizzone
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Severine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vermeire
authors.affiliation: IBD Unit, Chair of Gastroenterology, Luigi Sacco University Hospital, 20157 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fichera
authors.affiliation: IBD Unit, Chair of Gastroenterology, Luigi Sacco University Hospital, 20157 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lombardini
authors.affiliation: IBD Unit, Chair of Gastroenterology, Luigi Sacco University Hospital, 20157 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maconi
authors.affiliation: IBD Unit, Chair of Gastroenterology, Luigi Sacco University Hospital, 20157 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: de Franchis
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Mediche e Medicina Traslazionale, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Rosanna
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Asselta
authors.affiliation: Chair of Immunology, DISC LITA Vialba, University of Milano, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Mara
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Biasin
authors.affiliation: Chair of Immunology, Department of Physiopathology and Transplantation, University of Milan, 20090 Milano, Italy; Fondazione Don C. Gnocchi, IRCCS, 20148 Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Clerici
authors.affiliation: Bioinformatics, Scientific Institute IRCCS E. Medea, 23842 Bosisio Parini, LC, Italy. Electronic address: manuela.sironi@bp.lnf.it.
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sironi
mesh_terms: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005647:Fucosyltransferases / Q000235:genetics; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics; D060005:Genotyping Techniques; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D000097631:Galactoside 2-alpha-L-fucosyltransferase
chemical_list: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D005647:Fucosyltransferases; D000097631:Galactoside 2-alpha-L-fucosyltransferase
keywords: ABO; Crohn's disease; FUT2; Histo-blood group