The Association of Vitamin D Receptor Gene BsmI Polymorphism with Multiple Sclerosis in Iranian Patients

Background & Aims: 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25 (OH)2 D3), the biologically active form of vitamin D, exerts an immunosuppressive effect through binding to its specific nuclear receptor. The present case-control study was done to examine the possible association of BsmI polymorphism in vitamin D receptor gene (VDR gene) with severity of multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods: 267 Iranian patients with MS and 292 ethnically and sex matched controls were included in this study. BsmI polymorphism in VDR gene was assessed by PCR-RFLP method. Results: No differences in the allelic distribution were observed in the patients as compared to the controls. Also no difference in genotype distribution of VDR-BsmI polymorphism was observed between patients and controls (p=0.43). Conclusion: Considering the significance of vitamin D3 as an immune system regulator and its inhibitory effects on MS, investigation on other VDR gene polymorphisms is recommended.