The role of polymorphism of TaqI in Vitamin D receptor gene and risk of ovarian cancer in women of North India

Background & objective: Ovarian cancer mortality is associated with lower regional sunlight exposure. Vitamin D and its metabolites are best known for their action in calcium and bone metabolism. However, epidemiological studies have suggested that an increased ovarian cancer risk is associated with decreased production of vitamin D. The vitamin D signaling pathway is involved in a wide variety of biological processes, including cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis that may influence ovarian cancer risk. The purpose of this study was to analyze the frequency and type of mutations in the coding region of exon 9 of VDR gene in the risk of ovarian cancer in Indian population. Material & Methods: PCR-RFLP analysis of this gene was on 100 ovarian cancer patients and an equal number of matching controls. Results: The tt genotype of codon 352 of VDR gene showed an OR of 1.83 for (95%CI, 0.93–4.03, P = 0.03) and an OR for Tt genotype was 0.83 (95%CI, 0.46–1.26, P = 0.05). Conclusion: The results show that the VDR tt genotype was significantly associated with ovarian cancer risk.