Association of VDR-gene variants with factors related to the metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and vitamin D deficiency

• Published in: Gene 2014-06, Vol.542 (2), p.129-133
• Main Authors: Al-Daghri, Nasser M., Al-Attas, Omar S., Alkharfy, Khalid M., Khan, Nasiruddin, Mohammed, Abdul Khader, Vinodson, Benjamin, Ansari, Mohammed Ghouse Ahmed, Alenad, Amal, Alokail, Majed S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 25-Hydroxyvitamin D; Adult; Arabs - genetics; Cardiovascular diseases; Case-Control Studies; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - complications; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - genetics; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - metabolism; Female; Gene Frequency; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Haplotype; Haplotypes; Humans; Linkage Disequilibrium; Lipoproteins, HDL - blood; Lipoproteins, HDL - genetics; Male; Metabolic Syndrome - complications; Metabolic Syndrome - genetics; Metabolic Syndrome - metabolism; Middle Aged; Obesity; Obesity - etiology; Obesity - genetics; Polymorphism; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Receptors, Calcitriol - genetics; Saudi Arabia; Vitamin D Deficiency - genetics
• ISSN: 0378-1119; 1879-0038
• DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2014.03.044

The prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) is rising alarmingly in the Saudi Arabian population. This study was conducted to assess the association between vitamin D receptor (VDR) polymorphisms and genetic susceptibility to components of the metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and vitamin D deficiency in the Saudi Arabian population. Five-hundred-seventy Saudi individuals (285 MetS and 285 controls) were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. TaqI, BsmI, ApaI and FokI single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the VDR gene were genotyped. The CT genotype and allele T of BsmI were associated with lower HDL-C levels [OR 0.60 (0.37, 0.96), p=0.03] and obesity [OR 1.4 (1.0, 1.90), p=0.04], respectively. The CT genotype and the dominant model CT+TT of BsmI were associated with increased risk of diabetes [OR 1.7 (1.2, 2.4), p=0.007], and [OR 1.5 (1.1, 2.2), p=0.01], respectively. On the contrary, the CT and CT+CC genotypes of FokI exhibited an association with a reduced risk of diabetes [OR 0.70 (0.49, 0.99), p=0.05] and [OR 0.67 (0.48, 0.94), p=0.02], respectively. The allele C of FokI was associated with lower risk of developing T2DM [OR 0.73 (0.56, 0.95), p=0.02]. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was lower in subjects with the AC genotype of ApaI [OR, 0.34 (0.14, 0.80), p=0.01]. Components of the MetS such as obesity, low HDL and T2DM were associated with the VDR gene. FokI and BsmI have protective and facilitative effects on the risk for T2DM, while the ApaI genotype was associated with reduced vitamin D deficiency. •Association was observed between MetS components and VDR gene BsmI.•Contradictory results from FokI and BsmI in relation to T2DM•ApaI gene related with low prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency