SLC22A4 and SLC22A5 gene polymorphisms and Crohn's disease in the Chinese Han population

OBJECTIVE: Recent genomic surveys have identified two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in SLC22A4 and SLC22A5 as susceptibility loci for Crohn's disease (CD). We conducted the present study to assess whether the two SNP and exon variants in SLC22A4 and SLC22A5 could be implicated in the vulnerability to CD of the Chinese Han population. METHODS: A total of 180 CD patients and 180 healthy controls were studied. Genotyping for the two positive sites and the SNP that we screened from all the exon regions in SLC22A4 and SLC22A5 were typed using the direct sequencing method. RESULTS: Neither individual SNP nor any haplotype was found to be associated with CD in our case-control study. CONCLUSION: In contrast to the Caucasian population, SLC22A4 and SLC22A5 genes are unlikely to play a major role in susceptibility to CD in the Chinese Han population.