Allelic variants in vitamin D receptor gene are associated with adiposity measures in the central-European population

Julie Bienertová-Vašků, Filip Zlámal, Aneta Pohořalá, Ondřej Mikeš, Monika Goldbergová-Pávková, Jan Novák, Zbyněk Šplíchal, Hynek Pikhart

There is an increasing body of evidence suggesting that vitamin D is involved in ethiopathogenesis of obesity and therefore the aim of the study was to investigate whether 5 selected SNPs in VDR (vitamin D receptor) gene are associated also with anthropometry in the obese and non-obese Central-European population. A total of 882 Central European Caucasian individuals of Czech origin were recruited (n = 882, 232 M/650 F) and weight, height, BMI, lean body mass, fat mass, body fat, waist and hip circumference, waist-hip ratio (WHR) and skinfold thickness were measured. Univariate and multivariate models were constructed in order to investigate the relationship between anthropometry and VDR polymorphisms. In the univariate modeling, the CC genotype of FokI SNP was associated with reduced waist circumference (β = -3.48; 95%CI:-7.11;0.15; p = 0.060), sum of skin fold thickness (β = -6.53, 95% CI: -12.96;-0.11; p = 0.046) as well as total % of body fat (β = -3.14, 95% CI: -5.18;-1.09; p = 0.003) compared to TT genotype. The AC genotype of ApaI SNP was associated with reduced waist circumference compared to AA genotype (β = -4.37, 95% CI: -7.54;-1.20; p = 0.007). GG genotype of EcoRV SNP was associated with reduced sum of skin fold thickness compared to AA genotype (β = -7.77, 95% CI: -14.34;-1.21; p = 0.020). In the multivariate modelling, multiple significant associations of VDR with investigated traits were observed, too. Our study suggests that genetic variability in the VDR region may be an important factor influencing anthropometric characteristics associated with obesity.