title: Vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms in multiple sclerosis patients in northwest Greece.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Polymorphisms of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene have been linked to both multiple sclerosis (MS) and osteoporosis. We examined the frequency of the Taq-I and Bsm-I polymorphisms of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene in 69 patients with MS and 81 age and sex-matched healthy individuals. Genotyping of Taq-I (rs731236) and Bsm-I (rs1544410) was performed using TaqMan SNP Genotyping Assay. All patients and controls had determination of body mass index (BMI), bone mineral density (BMD) and smoking history.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of patients was 39 ± 10.5 years compared to 38.7 ± 10.7 years of the controls (p = 0.86), the BMI was 24.8 ± 4.2 kg/m2 compared to 25.7 ± 4.8 kg/m2 of the controls (p = 0.23), the BMD in the lumbar spine 0.981 ± 0.15 compared to 1.025 ± 013 of the controls (p = 0.06) and the total hip BMD was 0.875 ± 0.14 compared to 0.969 ± 0.12 of the controls (p < 0.001). There were no differences of the Taq-I (TT, CT, CC) and Bsm-I genotypes (GG, GA, AA) and allelic frequencies between MS and control individuals. Multivariate analysis also failed to show any association of the Taq-I and Bsm-I polymorphisms and MS or sex, BMI, BMD and smoking history.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that the Taq-I and Bsm-I polymorphisms of the VDR gene are not associated with MS risk, BMI or BMD in the Greek population studied.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece. csioka@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Chrissa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sioka
authors.forename: Stylianos
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Papakonstantinou
authors.forename: Sofia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Markoula
authors.forename: Foteini
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gkartziou
authors.forename: Athanasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Georgiou
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Georgiou
authors.forename: Sygliti-Henrietta
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Pelidou
authors.forename: Athanassios P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Kyritsis
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fotopoulos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006115:Greece; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000235:genetics*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol / Q000235:genetics*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D019914:Taq Polymerase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol; D019914:Taq Polymerase