Abstract
Vitamin D imbalance is suggested to be associated with the development of pancreatitis. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), Apa-1, Bsm-1, Fok-1, and Taq-1, in the vitamin D receptor gene (VDR) are known in various diseases, but not yet in pancreatitis. The aim of this study was to explore possible associations of the four SNPs in the VDR receptor gene in a population of acute pancreatitis patients and alcohol-abuse controls, and to investigate the association with acute pancreatitis (AP) susceptibility. The study population (n = 239) included acute pancreatitis patients (n = 129) and an alcohol-abuse control group (n = 110). All patients met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV) criteria for alcohol dependence. DNA was extracted from peripheral leukocytes and analyzed for VDR polymorphisms using a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. Odd ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using logistic regression analysis. To date, we have found allele T in Taq-1 (OR = 2.61; 95% CI: 1.68–4.03; p < 0.0001) to be almost three times more frequent in the AP group compared to the alcohol-abuse control patients. Polymorphism Taq-1 occurring in the vitamin D receptor may have an impact on the development of acute pancreatitis due to the lack of the protective role of vitamin D.
Highlights
Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a multifactorial disease that develops due to pancreatic ischaemia, pancreatic bile duct obstruction, or activation of pancreatic protease and production of pro-inflammatory cytokines [1,2]
The observed genotype frequencies of Apa-1, Bsm-1, Fok-1, and Taq-1 polymorphisms in the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene were studied in 110 alcohol-abuse controls with diagnosed alcohol-abuse and 129 patients with acute pancreatitis
To the best of our knowledge, this is the first examination and comparison of VDR gene polymorphism in patients diagnosed with acute pancreatitis
Summary
Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a multifactorial disease that develops due to pancreatic ischaemia, pancreatic bile duct obstruction, or activation of pancreatic protease and production of pro-inflammatory cytokines [1,2] It has an unpredictable course and the development of prognostic symptoms can determine patients at high risk of a severe course of this illness who require appropriate treatment and intensive care [3,4]. The active vitamin D metabolite, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol or 1,25(OH)2D3), selectively binds to a specific vitamin D receptor (VDR) [15] This VDR subsequently regulates transcription of genes that are involved in calcium metabolism, cellular proliferation and differentiation, aging, and T-cell mediated immune responses [16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23]
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