Chronic inflammation associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) results in increased oxidative stress that damages the colonic microenvironment. A low level of serum bilirubin, an endogenous antioxidant, has been associated with increased risk for Crohn's disease (CD), but no study has tested another common IBD ulcerative colitis (UC). Bilirubin is metabolized in the liver by uridine glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 (UGT1A1) exclusively. Genetic variants cause functional changes in UGT1A1 which result in hyperbilirubinemia, which can be toxic to tissues if untreated and results in a characteristic jaundiced appearance. Approximately 10% of the Caucasian population is homozygous for the microsatellite polymorphism UGT1A1*28, which results in increased total serum bilirubin levels due to reduced transcriptional efficiency of UGT1A1 and an overall 70% reduction in UGT1A1 enzymatic activity. The aim of this study was to examine whether bilirubin levels are associated with the risk for ulcerative colitis (UC). Using the Informatics for Integrating Biology and the Bedside (i2b2), a large case-control population was identified from a single tertiary care center, Penn State Hershey Medical Center (PSU). Similarly, a validation cohort was identified at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the risk of developing UC with lower concentrations of serummore »
This content will become publicly available on November 2, 2023
5-Halogenation of Uridine Suppresses Protonation-Induced Tautomerization and Enhances Glycosidic Bond Stability of Protonated Uridine: Investigations via IRMPD Action Spectroscopy, ER-CID Experiments, and Theoretical Calculations