Genetic factors may play a role in the development of osteoarthritis (OA), and vitamin D receptor (VDR) polymorphisms have been associated with several common diseases including OA by some studies. The aim of this study was to explore whether the VDR polymorphisms confer susceptibility to OA.
We conducted meta-analyses on the associations between the VDR TaqI, BsmI, ApaI polymorphisms and OA using: (1) allele contrast, (2) the recessive model, (3) the dominant model, and (4) contrast of homozygotes, using fixed and random effects models.
A total of 10 relevant studies on VDR polymorphisms and OA were included in this meta-analysis, which involved in total 1591 OA patients and 1781 controls. Nine studies were performed on VDR TaqI polymorphisms, 6 on VDR BsmI polymorphisms, 5 on VDR ApaI polymorphisms. Accordingly, to our meta-analysis of VDR TaqI polymorphisms, no association was found between OA and the VDR TaqI T allele among in all study subjects (OR=0.841, 95% CI=0.663-1.067, p=0.155). Stratification by ethnicity yielded no association between the VDR TaqI T allele and OA in Europeans or Asians. Moreover, no association was found between OA and the VDR TaqI polymorphisms by the meta-analyses of recessive and dominant models, and contrast of homozygotes. No association was found between OA and the VDR polymorphisms with respect to the BsmI and ApaI polymorphisms by meta-analyses.
No association was found between the VDR TaqI, BsmI, or ApaI polymorphisms and OA susceptibility by this meta-analysis, which included 3372 subjects.