BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) encoding genes were associated with ulcerative colitis in Chinese in our previous study. We further studied association of a new polymorphism of MTHFR G1793A with ulcerative colitis and assessed relationship of this polymorphism with hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy, > or = 15 mmol/L) and deficiency of folate (< or = 7 nmol/L) and vitamin B(12) (< or = 150 pmol/L) in a cohort of patients with ulcerative colitis in central China.

METHODS

A total of 252 patients and 654 healthy controls were recruited. Polymorphism of MTHFR G1793A was examined using a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. Plasma levels of homocysteine (Hcy), folate and vitamin B(12) were determined by enzymatic cycling assay and corpuscle immune chemiluminescence assay, respectively.

RESULTS

Frequencies of alleles and genotypes in MTHFR G1793A gene differed significantly between ulcerative colitis patients and the healthy controls (20.83% vs 10.47%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.703-2.972, P = 0.0006; 40.48% vs 19.88%, 95% CI: 1.997-3.761, P = 0.0002, respectively). Plasma Hcy levels were higher and folate and vitamin B(12) concentrations were lower in the patients than in the healthy controls (21.72 +/- 6.59 vs 12.47 +/- 5.02, 95% CI: -10.93--7.58, P < 0.0001; 11.25 +/- 6.19 vs 15.28 +/- 7.72, 95% CI: 2.03-6.04; P < 0.001; 322.81 +/- 128.47 vs 442.59 +/- 129.36, 95% CI: 62.61-136.95, P < 0.0001, respectively). HHcy and folate deficiency were more prevalent in patients with ulcerative colitis (45.32% vs 26.17%, 95% CI: 1.285-4.378, P = 0.005; 30.68% vs 13.0%, 95% CI: 1.416-6.197, P = 0.003, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

MTHFR G1793A gene polymorphism, HHcy, folate deficiency and low vitamin B(12) concentration were associated with ulcerative colitis in central China. Our findings demonstrate that the Hcy-related gene and metabolites are involved in pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis.