Physiol. Res. 51: 501-509, 2002

 

Vitamin D Receptor Gene Polymorphisms, Bone Mineral Density and Bone Turnover: FokI Genotype is Related to Postmenopausal Bone Mass
 

K. ZAJÍČKOVÁ1, I. ŽOFKOVÁ1, R. BAHBOUH2 , A. KŘEPELOVÁ3
 

1Institute of Endocrinology, 2Faculty of Philosophy and Department of 3Biology and Genetics, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
 

Received November 5, 2001
Accepted January 28, 2002
 


Summary
The relationship between vitamin D receptor (VDR) intragenic polymorphisms FokI, BsmI, ApaI and TaqI and bone mineral density (BMD) or biochemical markers of bone remodeling were investigated in 114 Czech postmenopausal women, on the average 62.5±8.9 years of age. Restriction fragment length polymorphisms in the VDR gene were assessed by PCR amplification and digestion with restriction enzymes FokI, BsmI, ApaI, and TaqI recognizing polymorphic sites in the VDR locus. Bone mineral density was measured at the lumbar spine and at the hip by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA, g/cm2). After adjusting for age and the body mass index (BMI), subjects with the ff genotype had 9.4 % lower BMD at the hip than those with the Ff genotype (p=0.0459, Tukey´s test). FF individuals had an intermediate BMD at the hip. A similar pattern of lower lumbar spine BMD was also found in ff individuals, but it did not reach statistical significance. There was no relationship between BsmI, ApaI and TaqI VDR polymorphisms and BMD at any skeletal site. Subjects with Aa (ApaI) genotypes had higher levels of propeptide of type I collagen (PICP) than homozygous AA (p=0.0459, Tukey´s test). In FokI, BsmI and TaqI restriction sites the biochemical markers of bone remodeling did not differ by genotype. In addition, no significant difference was observed in VDR genotypic distribution between osteoporotic women and non-osteoporotic controls in the study group. To conclude, the FokI genotype of the vitamin D receptor gene is related to bone mass at the hip in Czech postmenopausal women, whereas the importance of remaining VDR genotypes was not evident.


Key words
Vitamin D receptor gene · FokI polymorphism · Bone mineral density · Bone remodeling · Postmenopausal women


Reprint requests
K.Zajíčková, Institute of Endocrinology, Národní 8, Prague 1, 116 94, Czech Republic, fax: 420-2-24905325, e-mail: katka2222@volny.cz


PHYSIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
© 2002 by the Institute of Physiology, Czech Academy of Sciences

ISSN 0862 - 8408

Issue 5