title: Vitamin D receptor GATG haplotype association with atherosclerotic disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An association between the vitamin D receptor (VDR) GAT haplotype and coronary artery disease (CAD) in type-2 diabetes has recently been described. Since cardiovascular mortality in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is comparable to that observed for patients with type-2 diabetes, we aimed to determine if VDR GAT haplotype is also associated with atherosclerotic disease in RA.
  
  
  METHODS
  591 Northern Spanish RA patients were genotyped for 4 VDR polymorphisms (rs731236 A/G; rs7975232 A/C; rs1544410C/T; rs2228570 G/A). Atherosclerotic disease was established by the presence of carotid plaques in carotid ultrasound.
  
  
  RESULTS
  VDR rs7975232 AA genotype was increased in RA patients with plaques (p = 0.045, OR = 1.46 [1.01-2.18]). More importantly, the frequency of carotid plaques was significantly increased in RA patients who carried the GATG haplotype (p = 0.009, OR = 1.56 [1.09-2.42]).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest a potential VDR GATG haplotype association with atherosclerotic disease in RA patients.
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology, Genetics and Atherosclerosis Research Group on Systemic Inflammatory Diseases, Rheumatology Department, IDIVAL, Santander, Spain.
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: López-Mejías
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology, Genetics and Atherosclerosis Research Group on Systemic Inflammatory Diseases, Rheumatology Department, IDIVAL, Santander, Spain.
authors.forename: Fernanda
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Genre
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology, Genetics and Atherosclerosis Research Group on Systemic Inflammatory Diseases, Rheumatology Department, IDIVAL, Santander, Spain.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Remuzgo-Martínez
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology and Biomedicine López-Neyra, IPBLN-CSIC, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Gema
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Robledo
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Computational Biology, School of Medicine, University of Cantabria, CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), IDIVAL, Santander, Spain.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Llorca
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology, Genetics and Atherosclerosis Research Group on Systemic Inflammatory Diseases, Rheumatology Department, IDIVAL, Santander, Spain.
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Corrales
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department, Hospital Lucus Augusti, Lugo, Spain.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: González-Juanatey
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology, Genetics and Atherosclerosis Research Group on Systemic Inflammatory Diseases, Rheumatology Department, IDIVAL, Santander, Spain.
authors.forename: Begoña
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ubilla
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology, Genetics and Atherosclerosis Research Group on Systemic Inflammatory Diseases, Rheumatology Department, IDIVAL, Santander, Spain.
authors.forename: Verónica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mijares
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology, Genetics and Atherosclerosis Research Group on Systemic Inflammatory Diseases, Rheumatology Department, IDIVAL, Santander, Spain.
authors.forename: Trinitario
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pina
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology, Genetics and Atherosclerosis Research Group on Systemic Inflammatory Diseases, Rheumatology Department, IDIVAL, Santander, Spain.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Blanco
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Department, Hospital Universitario la Princesa, IIS-Princesa, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Santos
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Castañeda
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology and Biomedicine López-Neyra, IPBLN-CSIC, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martín
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology, Genetics and Atherosclerosis Research Group on Systemic Inflammatory Diseases, Rheumatology Department, IDIVAL, Santander, Spain; Cardiovascular Pathophysiology and Genomics Research Unit, School of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Division of Rheumatology, Clinical University Hospital of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Electronic address: miguelaggay@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Miguel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: González-Gay
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol; C579457:VDR protein, human; D004247:DNA
keywords: Atherosclerosis; Carotid plaques; Polymorphisms; Rheumatoid arthritis; Vitamin D receptor