Associations between vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms and chronic spontaneous urticaria in Chinese Han population.

INTRODUCTION

Previous studies found that vitamin D receptor (VDR) TaqI, BsmI, FokI and ApaI gene polymorphisms are associated with several inflammatory diseases. However, the relationship between VDR gene polymorphisms and chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is not clear.

AIM

The purpose of our study was to explore the relationship between the polymorphism of VDR and the incidence of chronic spontaneous urticaria in the Chinese Han population. Meanwhile, the vitamin D levels in patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria were also detected and the effects of VDR gene polymorphism on vitamin D levels were detected.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The genotypes of four VDR polymorphisms (TaqI, BsmI, ApaI, and FokI) were studied using allele-specific PCR analysis in 90 CSU patients and 90 healthy controls.

RESULTS

Compared to the control group, the mutant allele (C) of FokI were more common in patients with CSU (57.2% vs. 45%, = 0.020, odds ratio (OR) = 0.612, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.403-0.928). We found that serum vitamin D levels were significantly lower in CSU patients than in healthy controls ( = 0.023). However, the effect of VDR gene polymorphism on vitamin D levels was not found in patients of CSU.

CONCLUSIONS

We first reported the effect of VDR gene FokI (rs2228570) polymorphism on the incidence of chronic spontaneous urticaria in the Chinese Han population.