Polymorphisms in the vitamin D Receptor (VDR) and the risk of ovarian cancer: a meta-analysis

Yanling Liu; Chenglin Li; Peizhan Chen; Xiaoguang Li; Mian Li; He Guo; Jingquan Li; Ruiai Chu; Hui Wang

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0066716

Polymorphisms in the vitamin D Receptor (VDR) and the risk of ovarian cancer: a meta-analysis

PLoS One. 2013 Jun 24;8(6):e66716. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0066716. Print 2013.

Authors

Yanling Liu¹, Chenglin Li, Peizhan Chen, Xiaoguang Li, Mian Li, He Guo, Jingquan Li, Ruiai Chu, Hui Wang

Affiliation

¹ Key Laboratory of Food Safety Research, Institute for Nutritional Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, PR China.

Abstract

The vitamin D receptor (VDR) principally mediates the anticancer activities of vitamin D. Various epidemiological studies have investigated the associations of VDR gene polymorphisms with ovarian cancer; however, the results have been inconclusive. In the current study, we evaluated, in a meta-analysis, the association of five common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the VDR gene (ApaI, BsmI, Cdx-2, FokI, and TaqI) with the risk of ovarian cancer. Six eligible studies, with a total of 4,107 cases and 6,661 controls, which evaluated the association of these variants and ovarian cancer risk, were identified from the MEDLINE and PubMed databases. The meta-analysis indicated that FokI was associated with an increased ovarian cancer risk, with a pooled odds ratio (OR) of 1.10 [95% confidence intervals (95% CI) = 1.00-1.20] for CT heterozygotes and 1.16 (95% CI = 1.02-1.30) for TT homozygotes relative to common CC carriers. Carriers of the T allele (also known as the f allele) showed an 11% (pooled OR = 1.11, 95% CI = 1.02-1.21; TT/CT vs. CC) increased risk of ovarian cancer relative to CC carriers. For FokI, no significant heterogeneity between the studies was found (I(2) = 0%, P = 0.62 for the Q test). There was no statistically significant association between the other four variants (ApaI, BsmI, Cdx-2 and TaqI) and risk of ovarian cancer. These data indicate that the polymorphism FokI on the VDR is a susceptibility factor for ovarian cancer. Nevertheless, more studies are warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of the VDR in development of ovarian cancer.

Publication types

Meta-Analysis
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Female
Genetic Predisposition to Disease*
Humans
Ovarian Neoplasms / genetics*
Polymorphism, Genetic*
Receptors, Calcitriol / genetics*

Substances

Receptors, Calcitriol

Grants and funding

This study was supported by grants from One Hundred Talents Program and Knowledge Innovation Program (KSCX2-EW-R 10) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; the National Nature Science Foundation (81125020, 91029715, 31070680, 31101261, 81242002, and 31200569); the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (2012BAK01B00, 2011BAK10B00, and 2009CB919000); the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality (12XD1407000, 12431900500, and 10391902100); Xuhui Central Hospital (CRC2011001 and CRC2011004), and Director Foundation and the Food Safety Research Center and Key Laboratory of Nutrition and Metabolism of INS, SIBS, CAS. Peizhan Chen gratefully acknowledges the support of SA-SIBS scholarship program. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.