Background: NOD2 single nucleotide polymorphisms have been associated with increased risk of ileal Crohn's disease (CD). This exploratory study was conducted to compare ileal mucosal gene expression in CD patients with and without NOD2 risk alleles.
Methods: Ileal samples were prospectively collected from 18 nonsmoking CD patients not treated with anti-TNF-α biologics and 9 nonsmoking control patients without inflammatory bowel disease undergoing initial resection and genotyped for the 3 major NOD2 risk alleles (Arg702Trp, Gly908Arg, Leu1007fs).