The association between chronic pancreatitis and the iNOS-2087A>G polymorphism

Abstract

Abstract Introduction. Chronic pancreatitis is morphologically characterized by ductal dysplasia, breeding grounds for the proliferation of the ductal cells, the degenerative changes in pancreatic acinar cells and fibrosis, and it is defined on the basis of the clinical, morphological and functional criteria. Aim. The aim of our study is to examine the existence of a possible correlation between the iNOS-2087A>G polymorphism and chronic pancreatitis by means of the genetic analysis. Material and method. We have conducted the study at the Gastroenterology Clinic and the Research Center of Gastroenterology and Hepatology of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Craiova, between March 2015 – September 2016. The study had a prospective character. Both for the 58 patients diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis and for the 132 patients in the witness group, the biological material was represented by blood, (around 2.5 – 5 milliliters of venous blood) let on EDTA and kept at 4°C up to the separation of the DNA molecule. All the patients were genotyped for the iNOS – 2087A>G polymorphism, by means of the Real Time PCR technique with TaqMan probes. Results. Analysing the prevalence of the iNOS genotypes within the study group and witness group, we have noticed that, statistically speaking, there are no significant differences between the two groups. Conclusion. As a conclusion, in the study lot we can sustain that the risk of developing chronic pancreatitis is not increased by the presence of the iNOS-2087A>G polymorphism.