Research article

Polymorphisms in gene encoding TRPV1-receptor involved in pain perception are unrelated to chronic pancreatitis

Aura AJ van Esch^*, Mark P Lamberts, René HM te Morsche, Martijn GH van Oijen, Jan BMJ Jansen and Joost PH Drenth

• * Corresponding author: Aura AJ van Esch A.vanEsch@MDL.umcn.nl

Author Affiliations

Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Geert Grooteplein 8, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands

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BMC Gastroenterology 2009, 9:97 doi:10.1186/1471-230X-9-97

Published: 24 December 2009

Abstract

Background

The major clinical feature in chronic pancreatitis is pain, but the genetic basis of pancreatic pain in chronic pancreatitis is poorly understood. The transient receptor potential vanilloid receptor 1 (TRPV1) gene has been associated with pain perception, and genetic variations in TRPV1 may modify the presence and phenotype of chronic pancreatitis. The aim of our study was to investigate the genetic variation of TRPV1 in Dutch patients with chronic pancreatitis and healthy controls.

Methods

We genotyped 4 SNPs (rs222749, rs222747, rs224534 and rs8065080) in 228 chronic pancreatitis-patients and 207 healthy controls by PCR, followed by restriction-fragment-length-polymorphism analysis and DNA sequencing. We generated 27 diplotypes and compared prevalence between patients and controls.

Results

There was no significant difference in allele frequency of the 4 TRPV1 gene SNPs in patients with chronic pancreatitis and healthy controls. Distribution of diplotypes was not statistically significantly different between patients and controls.

Conclusion

TRPV1 diplotypes are not associated with chronic pancreatitis.