Association of chemokine and chemokine receptor polymorphisms with activity degree of IBD in Tunisian patients

Crohn's disease [CD] and ulcerative colitis [UC] have complex genetic background that is characterised by more than one susceptibility locus. To detect a possible association between the functional polymorphisms of the chemokine receptors CCR5, CCR2 and MCP-1 genes and susceptibility to CD and UC in Tunisian population, polymorphisms of CCR5-delta 32, CCR5-59029-A/G, CCR2-V64I and MCP-1-2518- G/A were analysed in 194 Inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] patients and 169 healthy blood donors using PCR-RFLP and PCR-SSP methods. The patients were classified in 126 patients with CD and 68 patients with UC. The genotypic and allelic frequencies of all polymorphisms studied, did not reveal significant differences between patients and controls, and among CD and UC patients. However, analysis of CD patients revealed that those without homozygosous G/G genotype are more frequently in remission compared to those with this genotype [OR: 0.4; 95%CI: [0.174-0.928]; p=0.03]. Also, the frequency of the CCR2-64I muted allele was statistically higher in CD patients in remission disease than those in active form [OR: 0.267; 95%CI: [0.09-0.78]; p=0.01]. Adjustment for known covariates factors [age, gender and immunosuppressive regimen] confirmed these univariate findings and revealed that the CCR5-59029-A/G and CCR2-V64I genotype were associated to remission form of CD [OR: 2.63; 95%CI: [1.01-6.80]; p=0.047 and OR: 4.64; 95%CI: [1.01-21.31]; p=0.049 respectively]. In conclusion, the present study supports the involvement of chemokine receptor [CCR2 and CCR5] polymorphisms in activity degree of the IBD disease in Tunisian patients

[Ulcerative colitis and schizophrenia: fortuitous association or etiopathogenic link?]

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease with multiple pathogenic factors. Psychiatric disorder have frequently been associated to ulcerative colitis, the most frequent being depression and anxiety, whereas schizophrenia is unusual. Report a new case of ulcerative colitis associated topsychiatric disorder. We report the case of a 42-year-old woman with ulcerative colitis associated with schizophrenia. Although the two diagnoses were concomitant, on questioning, she revealed that digestive symptoms began before psychiatric disorders. Few cases of schizophrenia associated with ulcerative colitis have been reported in the literature. We discuss epidemiological, etiopathogenic and therapeutic links between the two diseases