No Association between Polymorphisms of Vitamin D and Oxytocin Receptor Genes and Autistic Spectrum Disorder in a Sample of Turkish Children

OBJECTIVE: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairment in social skills and communication with repetitive behaviors. Etiology is still unclear although it is thought to develop with interaction of genes and environmental factors. Oxytocin has extensive effects on intrauterine brain development. Vitamin D, affects neural development and differentiation and contributes to the regulation of around 900 genes including oxytocin receptor gene. In the present study, the contribution of D vitamin receptor and oxytocin receptor gene polymorphisms in the development of ASD in Turkish community was investigated. To our knowledge, this is the first study examining these two associated genes together in the literature. METHODS: Eighty-five patients diagnosed with ASD according to DSM-5 who were referred to outpatient clinics of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry of Başkent University and Mersin University and 52 healthy, age and gender-matched controls were included in the present study. Vitamin D receptor gene rs731236 (Taq1), rs2228570 (Fok1), rs1544410 (Bsm1), rs7975232 (Apa1) polymorphisms and oxytocin receptor gene rs1042778 and rs2268493 polymorphisms were investigated using real time polymerase chain reaction method. RESULTS: No significant difference between groups in terms of distribution of genotype and alleles in each of polymorphisms for these genes could be found. CONCLUSION: Knowledge of genes and polymorphisms associated with the development of ASD may be beneficial for early diagnosis and future treatment. Further studies with larger populations are required to demonstrate molecular pathways which may play part in the development of ASD in Turkey.

Efecto de los medicamentos antiepilépticos en el metabolismo de la vitamina D y el impacto negativo relacionado al déficit / Effect of antiepileptic drugs in the metabolism of vitamin D and negative impact related to the deficit

Resumen: la alteración en el metabolismo de la vitamina D ha ido creciendo en importancia hasta considerarse un problema de salud pública. Cada vez son más frecuentes las etiologías relacionadas al déficit de la vitamina D y con consecuencias a largo plazo, lo que hace necesario conocer no sólo las bases moleculares del metabolismo de la vitamina D, con especial atención en la participación de las enzimas de la familia del citocromo P450, sino la descripción de las vías metabólicas, la interacción con el receptor específico, las acciones genómicas y no genómicas, sus resultados en el metabolismo óseo y las acciones extra esqueléticas. Además, la acción directa de los antiepilépticos sobre las enzimas de la citocromo P450 y su efecto negativo sobre los niveles de la vitamina D y el metabolismo óseo. Esta revisión pretende brindar las bases que permitan extrapolar estos conceptos a la práctica clínica e identificar los pacientes con riesgo de hipovitaminosis D debido al uso crónico de antiepilépticos que requieren una conducta terapéutica. Es necesario tener presente que en la actualidad no hay un protocolo clínico universal sobre el seguimiento de estos pacientes incluso con la mejoría en el acceso a recursos diagnósticos.

Abstract: alteration in vitamin D metabolism has been growing in importance until be considered a heart public problem. Increasingly are more frequent the etiologies related to vitamin D deficiency and the long-term effects, which making necessary to know not only the molecular basic of vitamin D metabolism, with special attention to the parcipation of cytochrome p450 family enzymes, but also the descrition of the metabolic pathways, interaction with the specific receptor, genomic and non-genomic actions, result in bone metabolism and extraskeletal actions. In addition, the direct action of antiepileptic drugs on cytochrome p450 enzimes and their negative effects on vitamin D levels and bone metabolism. this review aims provide the basic that allow to extrapolate these concepts to clinical practice and identify patients at risk of vitamin D deficiency due to the chronically use antiepileptic drugs thal requisre therapeutic conduct. It should be remembered that currently there is no universal protocol on clinical monitoring of these patients even with the improvement in acess to diagnostic resources.

Vitamin D Receptor Poly(A) Microsatellite Polymorphism and 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Serum Levels: Association with Susceptibility to Breast Cancer / 한국유방암학회지

PURPOSE: According to previous studies, vitamin D exhibits protective effects against breast cancer via the vitamin D receptor (VDR). There is growing evidence that breast cancer incidence is associated with various polymorphisms of the VDR gene. This study investigates the association of VDR poly(A) microsatellite variants with 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) serum levels and breast cancer risk. METHODS: Polymorphism analysis was performed on a total of 261 blood samples, which were collected from 134 women with breast cancer and 127 controls. Single strand conformation polymorphism was assessed by polymerase chain reaction in combination with sequencing to detect poly(A) lengths for each sample. The vitamin D levels of samples were determined by electrochemiluminescence. RESULTS: The poly(A) variant L allele frequency was significantly higher in cancer patients than in controls (odds ratio [OR], 1.73; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.16-2.57; p=0.006). Thus, carriers of the L allele (LS and LL genotypes) have a higher risk for breast cancer (OR, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.13-3.05; p=0.013). A larger increase in the risk for breast cancer was found in individuals with the L carrier genotype and lowered 25(OH)D levels. CONCLUSION: The results primarily suggest that VDR gene polymorphism in the poly(A) microsatellite is associated with 25(OH)D levels and that it can affect the breast cancer risk in the female population from northern Iran.

Association of polymorphisms of estrogen receptor-? and vitamin D receptor genes with peak bone mass in Shanghai women / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

Objective To investigate the association of estrogen receptor-? (ER-?) and vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms with peak bone mass in Shanghai women. Methods The ER-? PvuⅡ and XbaⅠ genotypes and VDR ApaⅠ genotypes were determined by PCR-RFLP in 515 unrelated healthy women aged 19-40 years of Han nationality in Shanghai. Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Results Frequencies of ER-? PvuⅡ genotype PP, Pp and pp were 13.2%, 49.3% and 37.5% respectively. Frequencies of ER-? XbaⅠ genotype XX, Xx and xx were 4.7%, 40.4% and 54.9% respectively. Frequencies of VDR ApaⅠ genotype AA, Aa and aa were 5.8%, 41.9% and 52.3% respectively. Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was evident for both ER-? and VDR gene polymorphisms. No association was found between ER-? PvuⅡ and XbaⅠ genotypes and BMD of various sites in women. Only a significant association was found between VDR ApaⅠ genotype and BMD at L 1-4(P