The vitamin D receptor gene BsmI polymorphism is not associated with anthropometric and biochemical parameters describing metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women.
OBJECTIVE
Vitamin D could have a direct effect on adipocyte differentiation and metabolism and might be involved in glucose regulation of insulin secretion. In recent years several polymorphisms in the gene encoding the vitamin D receptor (VDR), which are potent to alter the activity of VDR protein, have been described. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of the VDR BsmI polymorphism and its association with anthropometric and biochemical features of metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women.


METHODS
We studied 351 randomly selected healthy postmenopausal women, with mean age of 55.43 +/- 2.75 years and mean body mass index (BMI) of 27.5 +/- 4.78 kg/m2, to evaluate the frequency of BsmI polymorphism (by restriction fragment length polymorphism-polymerase chain reaction) in the VDR gene and to find out whether there is an association between this polymorphism and BMI, total fat volume and visceral fat (as determined by total body dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry), blood pressure, lipid profile (total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides) glucose and fasting insulin in the whole group, as well as subgroups of obese and non-obese women.


RESULTS
The prevalence of BsmI genotypes in the study group was 51.0% Bb, 37.3% bb and 11.7% BB. Genotype distribution did not differ from that expected under Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium conditions (chi2 = 2.95, p = 0.22). Apart from LDL-C levels (F = 3.46, p = 0.032), there were no significant differences in anthropometric or metabolic parameters between genotypes.


CONCLUSIONS
The BsmI polymorphism in the VDR gene does not seem to predispose to obesity and insulin resistance, but the BB genotype is connected with an unfavorable lipid profile.
Tworowska-Bardzińska
Urszula
U
Department of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Isotope Treatment, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland. ula@venco.com.pl
Lwow
Felicja
F
Kubicka
Eliza
E
Łaczmański
Łukasz
Ł
Jedzrzejuk
Diana
D
Dunajska
Katarzyna
K
Milewicz
Andrzej
A
D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000235:genetics; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol / Q000235:genetics*
D015415:Biomarkers; D008055:Lipids; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol; C053864:endodeoxyribonuclease BsmI; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific