Association of Vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms with metabolic syndrome and its components among adult Arabs from the United Arab Emirates

AIMS: The aim was to investigate relationships of Vitamin D receptor gene (VDR) polymorphisms to the components of MetS among Arabs adult residing in the United Arab Emirates.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study of 198 Arabs adult (50 males and 148 females). Serum levels of glucose, vitamin D, HDL-C, and TG, and blood pressure were measured. FokI, BsmI & TaqI genotyping of VDR were investigated using PCR-RFLP technique.

RESULTS: Age of the participants was 21(9) years with a BMI of 26.8(7.8) kg/m2. About 15% had MetS with serum vitamin D levels of 25.5(18.2) nmol/L. VDR genotyping yielded: FokI: 57.1% FF and 38.9% Ff, BsmI: 29.8% bb and 51.5% Bb, while TaqI showed 39.4% TT and 43.4% Tt. The ff carriers had higher total cholesterol [174(12.4) mg/dl] than FF and Ff genotypes. Bb carriers showed higher BMI and LDL-C than BB and bb genotypes. In females, FokI VDR polymorphism showed significant association with systolic blood pressure (SBP) and F allele carriers were at higher risk of developing high SBP [x2=4.4, df1, OR=0.29 (95%CI: 0.087-0.98), p=0.035].

CONCLUSION: VDR gene polymorphisms were not associated with MetS, yet it may affect the severity of some of components of MetS, namely the association of BsmI with obesity, FokI and BsmI with dyslipidemia and FokI with SBP.