Vitamin D receptor polymorphism and colorectal cancer-specific and all-cause mortality.
BACKGROUND
The vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene is present in colorectal cancer (CRC) cells and its genetic variants have been associated with an increased risk of CRC. The association with colorectal cancer prognosis remains widely unexplored.


METHODS
1397 colorectal cancer patients participating in two cancer cohorts (ESTHER II and VERDI) and in a population-based case-control study (DACHS) were followed for 5 years. Unadjusted and adjusted hazard ratios for all-cause mortality (469 events) and CRC-specific mortality (336 events) were estimated for VDR variants rs731236 (TaqI), rs2228570 (FokI), rs11568820 (Cdx2), and rs1989969 (VDR-5132).


RESULTS
No association was found between VDR polymorphism and CRC specific and all-cause mortality. Adjusted hazard ratios ranged from 0.79 (95% CI 0.57-1.12) to 1.14 (95% CI 0.89-1.46) for CRC-specific mortality and from 0.89 (95% CI 0.67-1.18) to 1.22 (95% CI 0.99-1.50) for all-cause mortality. All 95% confidence intervals included the null value.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings do not support the hypothesis that the common VDR gene variants investigated in this study are of clinical relevance with respect to CRC prognosis.
German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) - Division of Clinical Epidemiology and Aging Research, Im Neuenheimer Feld, 581-69120 Heidelberg, Germany. Electronic address: l.perna@dkfz-heidelberg.de.
Laura
L
Perna
Michael
M
Hoffmeister
Ben
B
Schöttker
Volker
V
Arndt
Ulrike
U
Haug
Bernd
B
Holleczek
Barbara
B
Burwinkel
José M
JM
Ordóñez-Mena
Hermann
H
Brenner
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D011379:Prognosis; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol / Q000235:genetics*; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate
D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol
Cancer prognosis; Colorectal cancer; VDR polymorphism; Vitamin D