Association analysis of vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms in chinese population with asthma.

Several asthma susceptibility loci, including a region containing the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene located at chromosome 12q, have been identified using genome-wide screens. Our aim is to investigate the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in VDR gene and asthma. One hundred one asthma patients and 206 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. Genotypes were determined using a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) strategy and DNA sequencing. The results showed that there was no significant differences in the genotype and allele frequencies of Fok I and Bsm I polymorphisms between asthma patients and the controls in the Chinese Hans (For Fok I: OR = 1.15, 95% CI: 0.82-1.60; for Bsm I: OR = 1.44, 95% CI: 0.87-2.38). It is suggested that Fok I and Bsm I polymorphisms of VDR gene may not significantly contribute to the development of asthma in the Chinese Hans.