A functional polymorphism of the NFKB1 promoter is not associated with ulcerative colitis in a Spanish population

Background: This study investigated the influence of the NFKB1-94ins/delATTG in the susceptibility/phenotype to ulcerative colitis. Methods: We analyzed the distribution of -94ins/delATTG NFKB1 in 258 patients and 264 healthy controls from southern Spain by a polymerase chain reaction-fluorescent method. Results: The genotype and allele frequencies of -94ins/delATTG did not significantly differ between patients and controls. In fact, the frequency of the -94delATTG allele was almost identical in both groups (34.8%. and 35.4%, respectively), and the del/del genotype was underrepresented in UC patients (11.2% versus 14%). In addition, no association of this polymorphism was found with any of the clinical parameters analyzed. Conclusion: These results suggest that the NFKB1 -94ins/delATTG gene variation, previously associated with UC susceptibility in North Americans, does not influence either susceptibility or phenotype of UC in the Spanish population.