Abstract
AIM: To investigate the association of three polymorphisms in the receptor for advanced glycation end product (RAGE) gene with Crohn's disease (CD) risk in a Chinese population. METHODS: A hospital-based case-control association study involving 312 CD patients and 479 healthy controls was conducted. Peripheral blood samples were collected from 791 study subjects, and genomic DNA was extracted. Genotyping was performed using polymerase chain reaction-ligase detection reaction method. The association between polymorphic genotype and CD predisposition was determined using odds ratio and 95% confidence interval (CI). Data were analyzed using Haplo.stats program. RESULTS: Significant differences were observed between patients and controls in allele/genotype distributions of rs1800624 (P(allele)=0.012; P(genotype)=0.005) and in allele distributions of rs2070600 (P=0.02). The risk for CD associated with the rs1800624-A mutant allele decreased by 36% (95%CI: 0.47-0.88, P = 0.005) under the additive model and by 35% (95%CI: 0.46-0.91, P=0.013) under the dominant model. Carriers of rs2070600-A mutant allele showed a 37% (95%CI: 1.02-1.83, P=0.036) increased risk of developing CD relative to the GG genotype carriers. In haplotype analysis, haplotype T-A-G (in the order rs1800625, rs1800624, and rs2070600) decreased the odds of CD by 33% (95%CI: 0.49-0.94, P=0.018). CONCLUSION: CD is an immune-related disease with genetic predisposition. Genetic defects in the RAGE gene are strongly associated with CD in Chinese population.