Laboratory of Genomics and Bioinformatics, Institute of Biology, University of Latvia, LV-1004 Riga, Latvia.
Department of Immunology and Allergology, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, LT-50161 Kaunas, Lithuania.
Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Feb 5;25(3):1943. doi: 10.3390/ijms25031943.
Bronchial asthma (BA) exhibits varying prevalence across global populations, prompting a comprehensive investigation into genetic and environmental determinants. Vitamin D is a potent immunomodulator capable of suppressing inflammatory signals in several cell types involved in the asthmatic response; it exerts effects on the immune system by binding to the nuclear vitamin D receptor (VDR). VDR gene genetic variations are affecting serum vitamin D levels with a possible role in the BA risk. The current study aimed to examine the complex interaction of various factors (genetic background, serum vitamin D levels, and geographic location) to identify differences in the influence of these factors on the susceptibility to asthma between populations at different latitudes. Focusing on Eastern European cohorts from Latvia and Lithuania and comparing them with published data on East Asian populations, we explore the impact of VDR gene polymorphisms on BA susceptibility. Genotyping four key SNPs and assessing their association with 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, our study unveils significant associations of the studied loci with the risk of asthma-both risk-reducing and increasing effects, differently distributed between Baltic and East Asian populations. The functional effects of in silico VDR gene genetic variations are also identified and discussed.
支气管哮喘(BA)在全球人群中的患病率存在差异,因此需要全面研究遗传和环境决定因素。维生素 D 是一种有效的免疫调节剂,能够抑制参与哮喘反应的几种细胞类型中的炎症信号;它通过与核维生素 D 受体(VDR)结合对免疫系统发挥作用。VDR 基因遗传变异会影响血清维生素 D 水平,可能在 BA 风险中起作用。本研究旨在研究各种因素(遗传背景、血清维生素 D 水平和地理位置)的复杂相互作用,以确定这些因素对不同纬度人群哮喘易感性的影响程度存在差异。本研究聚焦于拉脱维亚和立陶宛的东欧队列,并将其与已发表的东亚人群数据进行比较,探讨了 VDR 基因多态性对 BA 易感性的影响。通过对四个关键 SNP 进行基因分型,并评估它们与 25-羟维生素 D 水平的关联,我们的研究揭示了所研究的基因座与哮喘风险之间存在显著关联——既有降低风险的作用,也有增加风险的作用,在波罗的海和东亚人群中的分布方式不同。还确定并讨论了基于计算机的 VDR 基因遗传变异的功能影响。