Molecular Methods and Bioinformatic Tools for Adjuvant Characterization by High-Throughput Sequencing

Screening of CPA1 gene mutations in a Chinese Han population with chronic pancreatitis

AIM

To screen the mutations in the carboxypeptidase A1 (CPA1) gene in a Han Chinese population and explore the molecular mechanism behind the pathogenesis of chronic pancreatitis (CP).

METHODS

A total of 146 CP patients treated at Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital and its Chongzhou Branch between October 2014 and April 2016 were included in a case group in this study. Another 200 healthy subjects were selected as a control group. The sequences of the coding region of the CPA1 gene were analyzed using PCR and DNA sequencing and compared with the normal sequence of the CPA1 gene.

RESULTS

In the exon 3 of the CPA1 gene, c.281A>G heterozygous missense mutation and c.370A>G heterozygous missense mutation were detected in one patient each. c.1074C>T heterozygous synonymous mutation in exon 8 was detected in two patients. The c.281A > G, c.370A>G and c.1074C>T mutations were not detected in normal controls. One single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP; rs1126899) was detected in the exon 3 of the CPA1 gene. The distribution of rs1126899 genotype was statistically significant between the CP group and control group. The percentage of CP patients carrying G allele of rs1126899 polymorphism was significantly higher than that of normal controls (74.0% vs 63.0%, χ² = 4.641, P = 0.031). The frequency of G allele of rs1126899 was higher in CP patients than in normal controls (49.0% vs 39.2%, χ² = 6.479, P = 0.011). There were statistically significant differences in the distribution of CC genotype and GG + CG genotype between CP patients and normal controls without alcohol consumption (OR = 1.779, 95%CI: 1.026-3.087, P = 0.039).

CONCLUSION

Novel mutations, c.281A>G, c.370A>G and c.1074C>T of the CPA1 gene, may contribute to the development of CP. The rs1126899 C/G polymorphism of the CPA1 gene is associated with a higher risk for CP in the Chinese Han population.