RESUMO
AIM: To investigate whether common variants in the oxidative pathway genes influence inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) risk among Moroccan patients. METHODS: The distribution of (TAAA)n_rs12720460 and (CCTTT)n _rs3833912 NOS2A microsatellite repeats, HIF-1A_rs11549467 and NFKB1-94ins/delATTG_rs28362491 was analyzed in 507 subjects grouped in 199 IBD and 308 healthy controls. Genotyping was performed with polymerase chain reaction-fluorescent method and the TaqMan® allelic discrimination technology. RESULTS: The allele and genotype frequencies of HIF1A_ rs11549467, NFKB1_rs28362491 and NOS2A_ (TAAA)n did not differ significantly between patients and controls. Analysis of NOS2A_ (CCTTT)n markers evidenced differences between patients and healthy controls. A preferential presence of the (CCTTT)8 (P = 0.02; OR = 1.71, 95%CI: 1.07-2.74), (CCTTT)14 (P = 0.02; OR = 1.71, 95%CI: 1.06-2.76) alleles in IBD, (CCTTT)8 (P = 0.008; OR = 1.95, 95%CI: 1.17-3.23) in CD and (CCTTT)7 (P = 0.009; OR = 7.61, 95%CI: 1.25-46.08), (CCTTT)11 (P = 0.05; OR = 0.51, 95%CI: 0.25-1.01), (CCTTT)14 (P = 0.02; OR = 2.05, 95%CI: 1.07-3.94), (CCTTT)15 (P = 0.01; OR = 2.25, 95%CI: 1.16-4.35) repeats in UC patients indicated its possible association with higher disease risk which need to be confirmed in a larger sample size. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the NOS2A_ (CCTTT)n gene variations may influence IBD susceptibility in the Moroccan population.