Association of Vitamin D Receptor Gene Polymorphisms with Colon Cancer

Abstract

In this study, we investigated the association of two vitamin D receptor (VDR) polymorphisms BsmI and TaqI with colon cancer in a Caucasian population. The VDR gene polymorphisms BsmI and TaqI were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP)-genotyping assays by using endonucleases BsmI and TaqI, and an agarose gel electrophoresis technique in a series of 43 colon cancer patients and 42 healthy controls. Allele frequencies and genotype distributions were found to be similar in both cases and controls. When homozygous carriers and heterozygotes were combined for each allele, alleles B and T were found to be more common in the control group (p=0.039, χ(2)=4.276, odds ratio [OR]=0.312, 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.100-0.973 and p=0.039, χ(2)=4.258, OR=0.254, 95% CI=0.064-1.000, respectively). When genotypes were analyzed as pairs, the Bb/TT variant was higher in the control group at a statistically high significance (p=0.001, χ(2)=11.854, OR=0.122, 95% CI=0.032-0.460). The alleles B and T and the genotype combination Bb/TT were found to be higher in the control group, and thus BsmI and TaqI polymorphisms of the VDR gene may be possible risk factors for colorectal carcinogenesis.