Association of Vitamin D Receptor Gene Variation With Osteoporosis Risk in Belarusian and Lithuanian Postmenopausal Women

Vitamin D receptor (VDR) is one of the main mediators of vitamin D biological activity. VDR dysfunction might substantially contribute to development of postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMO). Numerous studies have revealed the effects of several VDR gene variants on osteoporosis risk, although significant variation in different ethnicities have been suggested. The main purpose of this work was to assess the frequency of distribution of VDR genetic variants with established effect and evaluate their haplotype association with the risk of PMO in a cohort of Belarusian and Lithuanian women. Case group included women with PMO (n = 149), the control group comprised women with normal bone mineral density (BMD) and without previous fragility fractures (n = 172). Both groups were matched for age, height, sex, and BMI—no statistically significant differences observed. VDR gene polymorphic variants (ApaI rs7975232, BsmI rs1544410, TaqI rs731236, and Cdx2 rs11568820) were determined using polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism. The lumbar spine (L1-L4) and femoral neck BMD was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Association between each VDR variant and PMO risk was assessed using multiple logistic regression. The genotyping revealed statistically significant difference in the rs7975232 genotype frequencies between the patients and the controls (homozygous C/C genotype was overrepresented in patients, p = 0.008). Patients with osteoporosis were also three times more likely to carry the rs1544410 G/G genotype, when compared to controls. We found that rs7975232, rs1544410, and rs731236 variants were in a strong direct linkage disequilibrium (p < 0.0001), suggesting that risk alleles of these markers are preferably inherited jointly. For the bearers of C-G-C haplotype (consisting of rs7975232, rs1544410, and rs731236 unfavorable alleles), the risk of PMO was significantly higher (OR = 4.7, 95% CI 2.8–8.1, p < 0.0001) compared to controls. This haplotype was significantly over-represented in PMO group compared to all other haplotypes. Our findings highlight the importance of identified haplotypes of VDR gene variants. Complex screening of these genetic markers can be used to implement personalized clinical approach for prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation programs