title: No association of vitamin D receptor gene start codon fok 1 polymorphisms in Chinese patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine whether the start codon Fok I of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphism is a marker of susceptibility to or severity of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in Chinese patients in Taiwan.
  
  
  METHODS
  A control group of 90 healthy people and 52 patients with SLE were examined. Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based restriction analysis, we evaluated the relationship between Fok I polymorphisms and SLE, where an unexcisable length was determined to be 265 bp (FF), and the 2 fragments measuring 169 bp and 96 bp were determined to be excisable lengths (ff).
  
  
  RESULTS
  For the genotype of VDR Fok I start codon polymorphism, there were no statistically significant differences between the 2 groups (chi-squared test, p = 0.07). Additionally, we did not detect any association of VDR genotype with the clinical and laboratory profiles in SLE patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that the vitamin D receptor Fok I start codon polymorphism is not related to patients with SLE in Taiwan.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, China Medical College Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Chung-Ming
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Mei-Chen
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Jer-Yuarn
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Fuu-Jen
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Tsai
mesh_terms: D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D018387:Codon, Initiator / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005819:Genetic Markers; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011336:Probability; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol / Q000235:genetics*; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D018387:Codon, Initiator; D005819:Genetic Markers; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol