Affiliations: Evidence-Based Medicine Unit, Department of
Biomathematics, University of Thessaly School of Medicine, Larissa,
Greece | Department of Endocrinology, University of Thessaly
School of Medicine, Larissa, Greece
Note: [] Corresponding author: Elias Zintzaras, M.Sc., Ph.D., Department
of Biomathematics, University of Thessaly School of Medicine, Papakyriazi 22,
41222 Larissa, Greece. Tel./Fax: +30 2410 565270; E-mail: zintza@med.uth.gr
Abstract: A meta-analysis regarding BsmI, TaqI, ApaI and FokI polymorphisms in
the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene and their associations with osteoporosis in
females is reported. The meta-analysis involved 14, seven, seven and three
studies for BsmI, TaqI, ApaI and FokI polymorphisms, respectively. The studies
were association studies with osteoporotic cases and controls free of
osteoporosis that provided the genotype distribution of individual cases and
controls. For the BsmI polymorphism, the allele contrast b vs. B showed
heterogeneity among studies (p< 0.01, I^{2}> 50%) and
the random effects (RE) pooled odds ratio (OR) was non-significant: 0.94 [95%
confidence interval (CI) 0.63–1.38]. Caucasians, postmenopausal cases and
studies with WHO diagnostic criteria showed no association under any genetic
contrast. However, in East Asians, the OR for the dominant model [fixed effects
OR=0.14 (95% CI 0.04–0.50) and RE OR=0.16 (95% CI 0.03–0.84)] was
significant, indicating prevention. Overall, for the TaqI, ApaI and FokI
polymorphisms, the allele contrast showed heterogeneity and the pooled RE ORs
were non-significant [OR=1.06 (95% CI 0.71–1.60), OR=0.99 (95% CI
0.72–1.37) and OR=1.17 (95% CI 0.76–1.80), respectively]. The
allele contrast for Caucasians, East Asians, postmenopausal cases and studies
with WHO diagnostic criteria showed no association for TaqI, ApaI, and FokI.
The allele contrast of homozygotes, and the recessive and dominant models the
results followed the same pattern as the allele contrast. Therefore, the
relationship between the VDR polymorphisms and osteoporosis remains an
unresolved issue and other probable genetic-environmental risk factors
interacting with the above polymorphisms should be investigated.
Keywords: VDR, osteoporosis, meta-analysis
Journal: Disease Markers, vol. 22, no. 5-6, pp. 317-326, 2006
