title: Vitamin D Receptor Gene BsmI Polymorphism in Polish Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.
abstract: The hormonally active form of vitamin D3, 1,25(OH)2D3 (calcitriol), exerts actions through VDR receptor, which acts as a transcriptional factor. Calcitriol is an immunomodulator that affects various immune cells, and several studies link it to many autoimmune diseases. BsmI polymorphism affects the level of VDR gene transcription, transcript stability, and posttranscriptional modifications. It seems to be related to the systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Our study examined the characteristics of VDR gene BsmI polymorphism in Polish SLE patients and their relationship with clinical manifestations of the disease. We genotyped 62 patients with SLE and 100 healthy controls using the real-time PCR. There were no differences observed in the frequency of BsmI genotypes in SLE patients and in the control group. There was no significant correlation between BsmI genotypes and clinical symptoms of SLE, but the AA genotype correlates with higher levels of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) in this group (r = 0.438; P = 0.002). A larger study examining BsmI and other VDR gene polymorphisms is needed. It may allow explaining differences in the clinical picture of the disease and choosing a personalized therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Clinical Chemistry, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Beata
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kaleta
authors.forename: Jarosław
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bogaczewicz
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Robak
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sysa-Jędrzejowska
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wrzosek
authors.forename: Weronika
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Szubierajska
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mróz
authors.forename: Jacek
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lukaszkiewicz
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Woźniacka