Intervertebral disk degeneration (IDD) is strongly associated with genetic predisposition and environmental susceptibility. Several studies been conducted to investigate the potential association between IDD and FokI polymorphism located in the gene encoding the vitamin D receptor (VDR), and inconsistent conclusions had been reached among different ethnic populations. In order to assess the ass...

PURPOSE Vitamin D receptor (VDR) polymorphisms are considered to be risk factors for prostate cancer. However, previous case-control studies on the association between the variants of VDR and prostate cancer have shown contradictory results. Therefore, the role of VDR in prostate cancer remains unresolved. To investigate a potential correlation between VDR polymorphisms and prostate cancer risk...

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with several diseases including multiple sclerosis (MS). Several factors influence vitamin D levels and its optimal multi-function maintenance. Our objective was to assess quantifiable variables influencing vitamin D level and metabolism in MS patients from Kuwait. In a case-control study involving 50 MS patients, and 50 healthy control individuals for which p...

This study examined associations between polymorphisms in three genes, apolipoprotein E (APOE), angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), and vitamin D receptor (VDR), and longitudinal change in brain volumes and white matter lesions (WML) as well as effect modification by cardiovascular factors and tibia lead concentrations. Two MRIs, an average of 5 years apart, were obtained for 317 former organo...

Experimental studies suggest that vitamin D and calcium protect against cancer by reducing proliferation and inducing differentiation. The effects of vitamin D and calcium may be mediated by the vitamin D receptor (VDR), which is encoded by the VDR gene. The present study investigated whether calcium intake and serum vitamin D, as an integrated measure of intake and endogenous production, were ...

OBJECTIVE : To investigate whether vitamin D receptor gene (VDR) BsmI-rs1544410 and FokI-rs2228570 polymorphisms, smoking duration, and body mass index (BMI) are risk factors for cutaneous melanoma, especially metastatic melanoma. METHODS : We studied 120 cutaneous melanoma cases [68 stage I and II non-metastatic melanoma (NMetM) patients, plus 52 Stage III and IV metastatic melanoma (MetM) p...

Many genetic studies recently have focused on HLA, VDR, NRAMP1, MBL, TNF-a, and their relationships with susceptibility to diseases such as pulmonary tuberculosis. Some studies showed predisposing and protective roles for VDR polymorphisms in pulmonary tuberculosis. Through a case-control study, blood samples were taken from tuberculosis case (n= 164) and control (n= 50) groups. DNA was extract...

Abstract Background Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that regulates calcium and phosphorous homeostasis to maintain healthy mineralized skeleton. It can also influence immune responses has immunomodulatory properties. receptor (VDR) nuclear mediates the activities of hormonal form D. VDR polymorphisms alter immunity susceptibility infections by modulating expression activity. This study aimed...

Vitamin D inhibits prostate cancer cell growth, angiogenesis, and metastasis. These actions are mediated by the vitamin D receptor. We examined associations between prostate cancer risk and five polymorphisms in the VDR gene: four single nucleotide polymorphisms (FokI, BsmI, ApaI, and TaqI restriction sites) and the polyadenylic acid microsatellite. Specifically, we genotyped population-based s...