Vitamin D and calcium-sensing receptor genotypes in men and premenopausal women with low bone mineral density.

Background: Genetic factors have been shown to play a major role in the development of peak bone mass, with hereditability accounting for about 50-85% of the variance in bone mass. Numerous candidate genes involved in osteoporosis have been proposed, but the precise genes and their relative contribution remain unknown.

Objectives: To gain insight into the genetic basis of idiopathic low bone mineral density in Israeli patients by analyzing the impact of two candidate genes: polymorphism of the vitamin D receptor gene and polymorphism A986S in the calcium-sensing receptor gene.