Abstract
Vitamin D deficiency and vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms are involved in a variety of biological processes including cell proliferation, apoptosis, and adhesion in malignant tumors. This study investigated whether vitamin D levels and genetic variations of VDR are risk factors for thyroid cancer. Patients who underwent surgery for differentiated thyroid carcinoma (n=113) and those with benign thyroid pathology (n=150) were genotyped for VDR gene polymorphisms (ApaI, TaqI, FokI, and BsmI) and their 25(OH)D levels were simultaneously measured. Demographic data and histopathologic reports were also acquired for all patients. Vitamin D levels were significantly lower in the thyroid cancer group (p=0.03). FokI and TaqI polymorphisms were more frequent in the thyroid cancer patients (p<0.001). Compared to control, the proportion of the FokI Ff genotype was increased (p<0.0006) and the proportion of the TaqI Tt genotype was also higher among patients with thyroid cancer (p<0.0001). The Ff genotype of FokI was also associated with multifocality, invasive pattern, and risk for local metastasis. The VDR gene polymorphism FokI may be associated with the risk of thyroid cancer and its more aggressive forms.
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