Editor,—In up to 30% of patients with idiopathic pancreatitis (IP) a mutation of at least one or both alleles of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene can be identified.1-3 The study by Malats et al ((2001) Gut 48:70–4; OpenUrlAbstract/FREE Full Text) addressed the question of whether CFTR mutations, possibly together with environmental factors such as alcohol, may be associated with chronic pancreatitis or pancreatic cancer. The vast majority of the pancreatic patients (86.4%) investigated by Malats et al were diagnosed as having alcoholic pancreatitis (AP), and 75.4% of the cancer patients were daily drinkers. The authors found no statistically significant difference in the prevalence of delta-F508 (0%; 2.4%) and the 5T allele (10.5%; 5.5%) in the AP or cancer groups compared with the expected prevalence in the general population. The lack of a positive association of both delta-F508 and the 5T allele with AP is neither surprising nor argues against involvement of CFTR variations in the development of AP, considering the following.

In cystic fibrosis (CF), the degree of correlation …

Dr Malats. nuria{at}imim.es