Weekday sunlight exposure, but not vitamin D intake, influences the association between vitamin D receptor genotype and circulating concentration 25-hydroxyvitamin D in a pan-European population: the Food4Me study.
Little is known about diet- and environment-gene interactions on 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D concentration. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate (i) predictors of 25(OH)D concentration and relationships with vitamin D genotypes and (ii) whether dietary vitamin D intake and sunlight exposure modified these relationships.



Participants from the Food4Me study (n = 1312; age 18-79) were genotyped for vitamin D receptor (VDR) and vitamin D binding protein at baseline and a genetic risk score was calculated. Dried blood spot samples were assayed for 25(OH)D concentration and dietary and lifestyle information collected. Circulating 25(OH)D concentration was lower with increasing genetic risk score, lower in females than males, higher in supplement users than non-users and higher in summer than winter. Carriage of the minor VDR allele was associated with lower 25(OH)D concentration in participants with the least sunlight exposure. Vitamin D genotype did not influence the relationship between vitamin D intake and 25(OH)D concentration.



Age, sex, dietary vitamin D intake, country, sunlight exposure, season, and vitamin D genetic risk score were associated with circulating 25(OH)D concentration in a pan-European population. The relationship between VDR genotype and 25(OH)D concentration may be influenced by weekday sunlight exposure but not dietary vitamin D intake.
Human Nutrition Research Centre, Institute of Cellular Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK.
Katherine M
KM
Livingstone
Human Nutrition Research Centre, Institute of Cellular Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK.
Carlos
C
Celis-Morales
Analytical Research Centre and Human Nutrition and Health Department, DSM Nutritional Products, Basel, Switzerland.
Ulrich
U
Hoeller
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Harokopio University, Athens, Greece.
Christina P
CP
Lambrinou
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Harokopio University, Athens, Greece.
George
G
Moschonis
Hugh Sinclair Unit of Human Nutrition and Institute for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Research, University of Reading, Reading, UK.
Anna L
AL
Macready
Hugh Sinclair Unit of Human Nutrition and Institute for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Research, University of Reading, Reading, UK.
Rosalind
R
Fallaize
Analytical Research Centre and Human Nutrition and Health Department, DSM Nutritional Products, Basel, Switzerland.
Manuela
M
Baur
Analytical Research Centre and Human Nutrition and Health Department, DSM Nutritional Products, Basel, Switzerland.
Franz F
FF
Roos
Analytical Research Centre and Human Nutrition and Health Department, DSM Nutritional Products, Basel, Switzerland.
Igor
I
Bendik
Eurogenetica Ltd, Burnham-on-Sea, UK.
Keith
K
Grimaldi
Center for Nutrition Research, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.|CIBER Fisiopatología Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBERobn), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
Santiago
S
Navas-Carretero
Center for Nutrition Research, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.|CIBER Fisiopatología Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBERobn), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
Rodrigo
R
San-Cristobal
Analytical Research Centre and Human Nutrition and Health Department, DSM Nutritional Products, Basel, Switzerland.
Peter
P
Weber
Department of Nutrition, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
Christian A
CA
Drevon
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Harokopio University, Athens, Greece.
Yannis
Y
Manios
Department of Human Nutrition, Faculty of Health Science, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
Iwona
I
Traczyk
UCD Institute of Food and Health, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Republic of Ireland.
Eileen R
ER
Gibney
Hugh Sinclair Unit of Human Nutrition and Institute for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Research, University of Reading, Reading, UK.
Julie A
JA
Lovegrove
Department of Human Biology, NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Wim H
WH
Saris
ZIEL Research Center of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Biochemistry Unit, Technical University of Munich, Germany.
Hannelore
H
Daniel
UCD Institute of Food and Health, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Republic of Ireland.
Mike
M
Gibney
Center for Nutrition Research, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.|CIBER Fisiopatología Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBERobn), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
J Alfredo
JA
Martinez
Human Nutrition Research Centre, Institute of Cellular Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK.|UCD Institute of Food and Health, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Republic of Ireland.
Lorraine
L
Brennan
Human Nutrition Research Centre, School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK.
Tom R
TR
Hill
Human Nutrition Research Centre, Institute of Cellular Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK.
John C
JC
Mathers
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol / Q000235:genetics*; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D044465:White People
D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol; D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D
25-hydroxyvitamin D; Diet; Environment-gene interaction; Food4Me; Sunlight; Vitamin D receptor gene