title: Association between FokI polymorphism in vitamin D receptor gene and susceptibility to spinal tuberculosis in Chinese Han population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Studies have shown that the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms may be associated with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) and play important roles in the regulation of calcium in a variety of tissues including bone. To our knowledge, however, whether FokI polymorphism in VDR gene is associated with susceptibility to spinal TB is still unknown. We undertook this study to investigate the association between FokI polymorphism in VDR gene and susceptibility to spinal TB in Chinese Han population.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included 110 patients with spinal TB and 102 volunteers as controls. FokI polymorphism in VDR gene was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) in the spinal TB group and the control group. The frequencies of VDR-FokI genotypes in the two groups were compared using chi(2) test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a significant difference between groups in regard to the frequencies of the VDR-FokI genotypes (p <0.05). In the spinal TB group, the frequency of the ff genotype was 46.36%, which was significantly higher than the corresponding value for the control group (28.43%). Furthermore, the odds ratio (OR) was 2.176 (p <0.05), and the 95% confidence interval (CI) ranged from 1.236-3.832.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FokI polymorphism in VDR gene may be associated with the susceptibility to spinal TB in Chinese Han population. Furthermore, the ff genotype may be the susceptible genotype of spinal TB.
authors.affiliation: Department of Spine Surgery, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, ChangSha, China. zhq9996@163.com
authors.forename: Hong-Qi
authors.initials: HQ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ang
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Chao-Feng
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Yu-Xiang
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ling-Qiang
authors.initials: LQ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yong-Fu
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jian-Huang
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Jin-Yang
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001483:Base Sequence; D002681:China; D017931:DNA Primers; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol / Q000235:genetics*; D014399:Tuberculosis, Spinal / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol; C035042:endodeoxyribonuclease FokI; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific