Inflammatory bowel disease: Are there gender differences in the genetics of signal transduction? A preliminary study of cytosolic low molecular weight protein tyrosine phosphatase

The phenotype of cytosolic Low Molecular Weight Protein Tyrosine Phosphatas e (cLMWPTP or ACP1), an enzyme involved in signal transduction of insulin, PDGF and T-cell receptors, has been determined in 71 patients with Crohn's Disease (CD:37 males and 34 females), 49 patients with Ulcerative Colitis ( UC: 27 males and 22 females) and 358 consecutive newborns (194 males and 16 4 females). cLMWPTP phenotypes showing a high concentration of F isoforms a re associated with CD in females and with UC in males. Since PTPases counte ract the effects of protein tyrosines kinases, a high concentration of F is oform of cLMWPTP may influence the mucosal response to pathogenic factors, increasing susceptibility to CD in females and to UC in males.