title: Association of vitamin D receptor variants with clinical parameters in prostate cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Prostate Cancer (PCa) is one of the most common cancers in men and its early detection can provide a high chance of cure. The detection of Vitamin D Receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms may be useful as a molecular indicator of clinical outcome, once VDR is implicated in a wide variety of biological processes including modulation of the immune response and inhibition of cancer cell growth, angiogenesis and metastasis. In this study we explored the Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) FokI, BsmI, ApaI and TaqI, to evaluate the susceptibility locus for PCa and verify its correlation with clinical parameters.
  
  
  METHODS
  VDR polymorphisms were detected by PCR followed by Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). DNA samples were extracted from peripheral blood of 342 patients: 132 PCa, 41 Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia and 169 young healthy volunteers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Statistical analysis showed a noteworthy correlation among SNPs and clinical pathological features. CC genotype (TaqI) was correlated with the age at diagnosis (>58 years old), and GG (BsmI) was associated to lower Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) levels (<10 ng/mL). Moreover, when PCa patients were subgrouped, G allele (BsmI) significantly increased the estimated chance for PSA < 10 ng/mL, and GG/GG genotype (BsmI/ApaI) provided a 9.75 fold increased chance of patients with PCa to present lower PSA levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The polymorphisms of VDR gene showed a genotype-phenotype association and presented new correlations with different parameters as age and PSA levels.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Genetics and Biotechnology, Institute of Genetics and Biochemistry, Federal University of Uberlandia, Campus Patos de Minas, Av. Getúlio Vargas, 230, Sala 206, Patos de Minas, MG 38700-128 Brazil.
authors.forename: Sarah Braga Rodrigues
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Nunes
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Mathematics, Federal University of Uberlandia, Campus Patos de Minas, Patos de Minas, MG 38700-128 Brazil.
authors.forename: Fabrícia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: de Matos Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Federal University of Goias, Goiânia, GO Brazil.
authors.forename: Adriana Freitas
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Neves
authors.affiliation: Nanobiotechnology Laboratory, Institute of Genetics and Biochemistry, Federal University of Uberlandia, Campus Umuarama, Bloco 2E, Sala 248, Uberlandia, MG 38400-902 Brazil.
authors.forename: Galber Rodrigues
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Araujo
authors.affiliation: Nanobiotechnology Laboratory, Institute of Genetics and Biochemistry, Federal University of Uberlandia, Campus Umuarama, Bloco 2E, Sala 248, Uberlandia, MG 38400-902 Brazil.
authors.forename: Karina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Marangoni
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA USA.
authors.forename: Luiz Ricardo
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Goulart
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Genetics and Biotechnology, Institute of Genetics and Biochemistry, Federal University of Uberlandia, Campus Patos de Minas, Av. Getúlio Vargas, 230, Sala 206, Patos de Minas, MG 38700-128 Brazil.
authors.forename: Thaise Gonçalves
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Araújo
keywords: Polymorphisms; Prostate cancer; Prostate-specific antigen; Vitamin D receptor