The short vitamin D receptor is associated with increased risk for generalized aggressive periodontitis.

BACKGROUND

Generalized aggressive periodontitis (GAP) exhibits severe inflammation and alveolar bone loss. Vitamin D receptor (VDR) regulates both bone metabolism and inflammation-related genes, and its polymorphisms and haplotypes may affect the functional activity of the VDR protein in GAP.

OBJECTIVE

We analysed the genetic effect of VDR start codon, intron, and exon polymorphisms, and their haplotypes on the development of GAP.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The VDR start codon 27823C > T (rs2228570, FokI), intron 8 60890G > A (rs154410, BsmI), and exon 9 61968T > C (rs731236, TaqI) polymorphisms were determined by using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis among 93 GAP patients and 143 healthy controls.

RESULTS

The VDR start codon 27823*C/C genotype was associated with an increased risk for GAP [odds ratio (OR) = 1.83, p = 0.028], but the intron 8 60880G > A and exon 9 61968T > C polymorphisms were not associated with GAP. The VDR haplotype homozygote ht1(C-G-T) carrying 27823C allele was associated with a 1.8-fold increased risk of GAP (OR = 1.84, p = 0.030).

CONCLUSION

These results demonstrate that the short VDR (27823*C/*C) protein may influence GAP susceptibility.