Received on June 17, 2007
Accepted on October 15, 2007

Lipids, Lipoproteins, and Cardiovascular Risk Factors

Association of Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) Mutation/Variant/Haplotype and Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) Promoter Polymorphism in Hyperlipidemic Pancreatitis

¹ Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei Taiwan
² Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei Taiwan; Institute of Occupational Medicine and Industrial Hygiene, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
³ Department of Radiology, National Taiwan University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
⁴ Department of Medical Genetics, National Taiwan University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: jmwong{at}ntu.edu.tw.

BACKGROUND: The mechanism by which hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) leads to pancreatitis is not clear. We sought to determine whether the genes involved in pancreatic ductal or acinar cell injury, including the cationic trypsinogen gene [protease, serine, 1 (trypsin 1) (PRSS1)], the pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor gene [serine peptidase inhibitor, Kazal type 1 (SPINK1)], the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene [cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (ATP-binding cassette subfamily C, member 7) (CFTR)], and inflammation genes such as tumor necrosis factor [tumor necrosis factor, TNF superfamily, member 2 (TNF)] are associated with hyperlipidemic pancreatitis (HLP) in patients with HTG.

METHODS: We performed genetic analysis of 126 HTG patients in Taiwan (46 with HLP and 80 without HLP). The entire coding and intronic regions of the PRSS1, SPINK1, and CFTR genes were identified by heteroduplex analysis techniques and were confirmed by sequencing analysis. The presence of 125G/C, 1001 + 11CT, 1540A>G (Met470Val), 2694T>G, and 4521G>A in CFTR, the presence of 272C/T in SPINK1, and TNF promoter polymorphisms (nucleotide positions 1031, 863, 857, 308, and 308) were measured by direct sequencing.

RESULTS: Of the 126 HTG patients, 13 (10.3%) carried a CFTR mutation. No PRSS1 or SPINK1 mutations were detected in our patients or in HTG controls. The CFTR gene mutation rates in HTG with and without HLP were 26.1% (12 of 46) and 1.3% (1 of 80), respectively (P <0.0001). The CFTR gene mutations were all Ile556Val. A multivariate analysis of HTG patients indicated that triglycerides, CFTR 470Val, and TNF promoter 863A were independent risk markers for HLP.

CONCLUSIONS: This genetic study is the first to address the association of HLP with the CFTR mutation/variant/haplotype and TNF promoter polymorphism in a Chinese HTG population. The results suggest that the occurrence of HLP is multifactorial and polygenic.