The effect of FokI vitamin D receptor polymorphism on bone mineral density in Jordanian perimenopausal women.

Context: Osteoporosis is a polygenic, multifactorial disease that is characterized by demineralization of bone, and thus presented with decreasing bone mineral mass. Vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms in the 3'-end region (as determined by the enzymes BsmI and ApaI) have been inconsistently associated with bone mineral mass. Another important VDR start codon polymorphism (as determined by the enzyme FokI) has been found to be related to adult bone mineral density (BMD) in pre-and post-menopausal American women.

Aims: This study aims to investigate the prevalence of the FokI VDR gene polymorphism in Jordanian perimenopausal women and study its relationship with bone mineral density.

Materials And Methods: DNA was isolated from 90 controls (Mean age = 50.41 ± 1.29 y), and 120 patients with symptomatic vertebral fractures (Mean age = 49.14 ± 3.19 y). Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of FokI was performed on DNA samples.

Statistical Analysis: Data was analyzed using SPSS v19 and Microsoft Excel 2007.

Results: The results showed that in controls, the FF (-0.70 ± 0.51) genotype is associated with high lumbar spine BMD Z-score as compared to Ff (-1.25 ± 0.26) and ff (-1.66 ± 0.47) genotypes (P = 0.0095). In patients, the ff genotype was associated with lower lumbar spine BMD in T-score (-2.31 ± 0.17) and Z-score (-1.56 ± 0.09) genotypes (P = 0.031). No significant association was seen in the femoral neck BMD.

Conclusion: FokI polymorphism may be associated with low BMD in our studied population; however, further studies including other polymorphisms and large sample number are needed.