Vitamin D Status and Vitamin D Receptor Gene Polymorphisms Are Associated with Pelvic Floor Disorders in Women

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To investigate if vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms and circulating vitamin D levels are associated with pelvic floor disorders (PFDs). METHODS: In this case-control study, 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25[OH]D) serum levels were analyzed in 47 females with PFDs and 87 healthy females (controls), respectively. The VDR gene polymorphisms were determined by using polymerase chain reaction and performing digestions with 4 restriction enzymes i.e., ApaI, TaqI, FokI, and BsmI. Vitamin D levels of patients were divided into 0.05). However, there was a significant difference in the distribution of vitamin D levels between study group and controls using Pearson's χ2 test (30 ng/mL 87.2%, 12.8%, and 0% in the study group and 75.9%, 16.1%, and 8.0% in controls, respectively, P < 0.05). Taken together, our observations suggest that vitamin D levels could be associated with PFDs and that 2 polymorphisms (i.e., ApaI and BsmI) in the VDR gene may contribute to an increased prevalence of PFDs in women with insufficient levels of vitamin D. CONCLUSIONS: Examining vitamin D levels and performing a VDR genotype analysis may be helpful for assessing PFD risk.