Runt-related transcription factor 3 is associated with ulcerative colitis and shows epistasis with solute carrier family 22, members 4 and 5.

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), comprising Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), are intestinal inflammatory disorders with a complex genetic background. Mice deficient for the runt-domain-transcription-factor3 (Runx3) develop spontaneous colitis. Human RUNX3 resides in an IBD-susceptibility locus. We studied the association of RUNX3 in a cohort of IBD patients and analyzed the interaction with SLC22A4/5. RUNX3 and OCTN1 mRNA expression was assessed in inflamed and noninflamed mucosa from patients and controls.

METHODS: 543 IBD patients (309 CD / 234 UC) and 296 controls were included. Four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 4 microsatellite markers were studied for RUNX3. Five SNPs (including SNP-207G-->C and SNP1672C-->T) were analyzed for SLC22A4/5. RUNX3, and OCTN1 expression in mucosal tissue from 30 patients (14 UC / 16 CD) and 6 controls were determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction.

RESULTS: A significant association between RUNX3-SNP rs2236851 and UC (OR 1.61; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.11-2.32, P = 0.020) was found. Carriership is associated with pancolitis (odds ratio [OR] 1.86; 95% CI 1.08-3.21). SLC22A4/5-SNPs rs272893 and rs273900 are associated with CD (OR 2.16; 95% CI 1.21-3.59 and OR 2.40; 95% CI 1.43-4.05). We found epistasis for carriership of a risk-associated allele in RUNX3 and SLC22A4/5 for UC patients versus CD patients (OR 3.83; 95% CI 1.26-11.67). RUNX3 mRNA expression is increased (P = 0.01) in inflamed colonic mucosa of UC patients compared to noninflamed mucosa and controls.

CONCLUSIONS: We provide evidence for the genetic association of RUNX3 with UC and for CD with the IBD5 locus including SLC22A4/5. An epistatic effect of RUNX3 and SLC22A4 was associated with an increased risk for UC. Our data suggest a role for RUNX3 in UC susceptibility.