Skip to main content
  • Original Article
  • Open access
  • Published:

Vitamin D receptor gene polymorphism in rheumatoid arthritis and its association with atherosclerosis

Abstract

Aim of the work

Determine vitamin D receptor gene BsmI, FokI polymorphism and 25-hydroxyvitamin D in early Egyptian rheumatoid patients and its association to subclinical atherosclerosis.

Patients and methods

This study included forty early rheumatoid arthritis patients and forty healthy controls. Disease activity score 28 (DAS-28), Modified Health Assessment Questionnaire (MHAQ), Carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) were assessed using B-mode ultrasound, Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C reactive protein (CRP), Lipid profile, anti cyclic citrullinated PolyPeptid (anti-CCP), serum interleukin-6, Total serum vitamin D and genotype determination of BsmI, FokI polymorphism and allel frequency were measured.

Results

Vitamin D deficiency was observed in 25% of patients. There was no significant difference between RA patients and controls regarding the distribution of BsmI genotype frequencies and allele. However, a significant difference between rheumatoid arthritis patients and controls regarding the distribution of FokI genotype and allele frequencies was found. In addition, FokI polymorphism and the F allele was significantly associated with RA. anti-CCP, interleukin-6 levels, (cIMT) and vitamin D deficiency were significantly higher in the presence of bb homozygote of BsmI genotypes and FF homozygote of FokI genotypes. A significant negative correlation between 25 hydroxy vitamin D levels with (DAS-28), ESR, (CRP), and IL-6 (P < 0.001). However, there was positive correlation between 25 hydroxyvitamin D levels and HDL-C (P < 0.001).

References

  1. Majithia V, Geraci SA. Rheumatoid arthritis: diagnosis and management. Am J Med 2007; 120:936–939.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Tanasescu C, Jurcut C, Jurcut R, Ginghina C. Vascular disease in rheumatoid arthritis: from subclinical lesions to cardiovascular risk. Eur J Intern Med 2009; 20:348–354.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Cutolo M, Otsa K, Uprus M, Paolino S, Seriolo B. Vitamin D in rheumatoid arthritis. Autoimmun Rev 2007; 7:59–64.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Pérez-LÓpez FR. Vitamin D metabolism and cardiovascular risk factors in postmenopausal women. Maturitas 2009; 62:248–262.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Van Schooten FJ, Hirvonen A, Maas LM, De Mol BA, Kleinjans JC, Bell DA, Durrer JD Putative susceptibility markers of coronary artery disease: association between VDR genotype, smoking, and aromatic DNA adduct levels in human right atrial tissue. FASEB J 1998; 12:1409–1417.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Pani MA, Knapp M, Donner H, Braun J, Baur MP, Usadel KH, Badenhoop K Vitamin D receptor allele combinations influence genetic susceptibility to type 1 diabetes in Germans. Diabetes 2000; 49:504–507.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Ho YV, Briganti EM, Duan Y, Buchanan R, Hall S, Seeman E. Polymorphism of the vitamin D receptor gene and corticosteroid-related osteoporosis. Osteoporos Int. 1999; 9:134–138.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Aletaha D, Neogi T, Silman AJ, Funovits J, Felson DT, Bingham CO III, et al. 2010 rheumatoid arthritis classification criteria: an American College of Rheumatology/European League against Rheumatism collaborative initiative. Ann Rheum Dis 2010; 69:1580–1588.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Prevoo ML, van ‘t Hof MA, Kuper HH, van Leeuwen MA, van de Putte LB, van Riel PL. Modified disease activity scores that include twenty-eight-joint counts. Development and validation in a prospective longitudinal study of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum 1995; 38:44–48.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Pincus T, Summey JA, Soraci SA, Jr, Wallston KA, Hummon NP. Assessment of patient satisfaction in activities of daily living using a modified Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire. Arthritis Rheum 1983; 26:1346–1353.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Pignoli P, Tremoli E, Poli A, Oreste P, Paoletti R. Intimal plus medial thickness of the arterial wall: a direct measurement with ultrasound imaging. Circulation 1986; 74:1399–1406.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Bischoff-Ferrari HA, Giovannucci E, Willett WC, Dietrich T, Dawson-Hughes B. Estimation of optimal serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D for multiple health outcomes. Am J Clin Nutr 2006; 84:18–28.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Miller SA, Dykes DD, Polesky HF. A simple salting out procedure for extracting DNA from human nucleated cells. Nucleic Acids Res 1988; 16:1215.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  14. Sattar N, McCarey DW, Capell H, McInnes IB. Explaining how ‘high-grade’ systemic inflammation accelerates vascular risk in rheumatoid arthritis. Circulation 2003; 108:2957–2963.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Ciftci O, Yilmaz S, Topcu S, Caliskan M, Gullu H, Erdogan D, et al. Impaired coronary microvascular function and increased intima-media thickness in rheumatoid arthritis. Atherosclerosis 2008; 198:332–337.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Rossini M, Maddali Bongi S, La Montagna G, Minisola G, Malavolta N, Bernini L, et al. Vitamin D deficiency in rheumatoid arthritis: prevalence, determinants and associations with disease activity and disability. Arthritis Res Ther 2010; 12:R216.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  17. Solomon DH, Finkelstein JS, Shadick N, LeBoff MS, Winalski CS, Stedman M, et al. The relationship between focal erosions and generalized osteoporosis in postmenopausal women with rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum 2009; 60:1624–1631.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  18. Craig SM, Yu F, Curtis JR, Alarcón GS, Conn DL, Jonas B, et al. Vitamin D status and its associations with disease activity and severity in African Americans with recent-onset rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol 2010; 37:275–281.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Holick MF. Vitamin D: a millennium perspective. J Cell Biochem 2003; 88:296–307.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Orbach H, Zandman-Goddard G, Amital H, Barak V, Szekanecz Z, Szucs G, et al. Novel biomarkers in autoimmune diseases: prolactin, ferritin, vitamin D, and TPA levels in autoimmune diseases. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2007; 1109:385–400.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Pelajo CF, Lopez-Benitez JM, Miller LC. Vitamin D and autoimmune rheumatologic disorders. Autoimmun Rev 2010; 9:507–510

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Nielen MM, van Schaardenburg D, Lems WF, van de Stadt RJ, de Koning MH, Reesink HW, et al. Vitamin D deficiency does not increase the risk of rheumatoid arthritis: comment on the article by Merlino et al. Arthritis Rheum 2006; 54:3719–3720.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Costenbader KH, Feskanich D, Holmes M, Karlson EW, Benito-Garcia E. Vitamin D intake and risks of systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis in women. Ann Rheum Dis 2008; 67:530–535.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Cutolo M, Otsa K, Laas K, Yprus M, Lehtme R, Secchi ME, et al. Circannual vitamin d serum levels and disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis: Northern versus Southern Europe. Clin Exp Rheumatol 2006; 24:702–704.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Patel S, Farragher T, Berry J, Bunn D, Silman A, Symmons D. Association between serum vitamin D metabolite levels and disease activity in patients with early inflammatory polyarthritis. Arthritis Rheum 2007; 56:2143–2149.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Garcia-Lozano JR, Gonzalez-Escribano MF, Valenzuela A, Garcia A, Núñez-Roldán A. Association of vitamin D receptor genotypes with early onset rheumatoid arthritis. Eur J Immunogenet 2001; 28:89–93.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Provvedini DM, Tsoukas CD, Deftos LJ, Manolagas SC. 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 receptors in human leukocytes. Science 1983; 221:1181-1183.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Bhalla AK, Amento EP, Clemens TL, Holick MF, Krane SM. Specific high-affinity receptors for 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells: presence in monocytes and induction in T lymphocytes following activation. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1983; 57:1308–1310.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Adorini L. Intervention in autoimmunity: the potential of vitamin D receptor agonists. Cell Immunol 2005; 233:115–124.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Lee YH, Bae SC, Choi SJ, Ji JD, Song GG. Associations between vitamin D receptor polymorphisms and susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus: a meta-analysis. Mol Biol Rep 2011; 38:3643–3651.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Maalej A, Petit-Teixeira E, Michou L, Rebai A, Cornelis F, Ayadi H. Association study of VDR gene with rheumatoid arthritis in the French population. Genes Immun 2005; 6:707–711.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Gómez-Vaquero C, Fiter J, Enjuanes A, Nogués X, Díez-Pérez A, Nolla JM. Influence of the BsmI polymorphism of the vitamin D receptor gene on rheumatoid arthritis clinical activity. J Rheumatol 2007; 34:1823–1826.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Arai H, Miyamoto K, Taketani Y, Yamamoto H, Iemori Y, Morita K, et al. A vitamin D receptor gene polymorphism in the translation initiation codon: effect on protein activity and relation to bone mineral density in Japanese women. J Bone Miner Res 1997; 12:915–992.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Kroot EJ, de Jong BA, van Leeuwen MA, Swinkels H, van den Hoogen FH, van’t Hof M, et al. The prognostic value of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody in patients with recent-onset rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum 2000; 43:1831–1835.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Kendrick J, Targher G, Smits G, Chonchol M. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D deficiency is independently associated with cardiovascular disease in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Atherosclerosis 2009; 205:255–260.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Wang TJ, Pencina MJ, Booth SL, Jacques PF, Ingelsson E, Lanier K, et al. Vitamin D deficiency and risk of cardiovascular disease. Circulation 2008; 117:503–511.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Cigolini M, Iagulli MP, Miconi V, Galiotto M, Lombardi S, Targher G. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 concentrations and prevalence of cardiovascular disease among type 2 diabetic patients. Diabetes Care 2006; 29:722–724.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Targher G, Bertolini L, Padovani R, Zenari L, Scala L, Cigolini M, Arcaro G Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 concentrations and carotid artery intima-media thickness among type 2 diabetic patients. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) 2006; 65:593–597.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Zittermann A, Schleithoff SS, Tenderich G, Berthold HK, Körfer R, Stehle P. Low vitamin D status: a contributing factor in the pathogenesis of congestive heart failure? J Am Coll Cardiol 2003; 41:105–112.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Melamed ML, Michos ED, Post W, Astor B. 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and the risk of mortality in the general population. Arch Intern Med 2008; 168:1629–1637.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  41. Dusso AS, Brown AJ, Slatopolsky E. Vitamin D. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 2005; 289:F8–F28.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Li YC, Kong J, Wei M, Chen ZF, Liu SQ, Cao LP. 25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 is a negative endocrine regulator of the renin–angiotensin system. J Clin Invest 2002; 110:229–238.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  43. Jacoby DS, Rader DJ. Renin-angiotensin system and atherothrombotic disease: from genes to treatment. Arch Intern Med 2003; 163:1155–1164.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Schleithoff SS, Zittermann A, Tenderich G, Berthold HK, Stehle P, Koerfer R. Vitamin D supplementation improves cytokine profiles in patients with congestive heart failure: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr 2006; 83:754–759.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. Gupta GK, Agrawal T, DelCore MG, Mohiuddin SM, Agrawal DK. Vitamin D deficiency induces cardiac hypertrophy and inflammation in epicardial adipose tissue in hypercholesterolemic swine. Exp Mol Pathol 2012; 93:82–90.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  46. Reddy Vanga S, Vanga SR, Good M, Howard PA, Vacek JL. Role of vitamin D in cardiovascular health. Am J Cardiol 2010; 106:798–805.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  47. Timms PM, Mannan N, Hitman GA, Noonan K, Mills PG, Syndercombe-Court D, et al. Circulating MMP9, vitamin D and variation in the TIMP-1 response with VDR genotype: mechanisms for inflammatory damage in chronic disorders? QJM 2002; 95:787–796.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  48. Braam LA, Hoeks AP, Brouns F, Hamulyák K, Gerichhausen MJ, Vermeer C. Beneficial effects of vitamin D and K on the elastic properties of the vessel wall in postmenopausal women: a follow-up study. Thromb Haemost 2004; 91:373–380.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  49. Pérez-Castrillón JL, Vega G, Abad L, Sanz A, Chaves J, Hernandez G, Dueñas A Effects of Atorvastatin on vitamin D levels in patients with acute ischemic heart disease. Am J Cardiol 2007; 99:903–905.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Manal Shawky Hussein MD.

Additional information

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License, which allows others to remix, tweak, and build upon the work non-commercially, as long as the author is credited and the new creations are licensed under the identical terms.

Rights and permissions

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

El-Barbary, A.M., Hussein, M.S., Rageh, E.M. et al. Vitamin D receptor gene polymorphism in rheumatoid arthritis and its association with atherosclerosis. Egypt Rheumatol Rehabil 42, 145–152 (2015). https://doi.org/10.4103/1110-161X.163947

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/1110-161X.163947

Keywords