NLRP3 and colitis: Polymorphism in the NLRP3 gene is linked to colitis severity and progression in patients (Villani et al., 2009; Lewis et al., 2011), and gain-of-function mutations in the NLRP3 gene that increase production and secretion of IL-1β and IL-18 are associated with cryopyrin-associated periodic fever syndrome (CAPS; Bozkurt et al., 2015; Carta et al., 2015; Zhou et al., 2015).