A comprehensive insight into the potential roles of VDR gene polymorphism in obesity: a systematic review

Effect of vitamin D supplementation on lipid profile, and hormonal functions in polycystic ovary syndrome: An umbrella systematic review and meta-analysis

Vitamin D has the potential to therapeutically affect the lipid profile and endocrine parameters of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients. However, results from prior studies have been inconsistent. Therefore, we conducted an umbrella meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to better understand the effectiveness of vitamin D in treating PCOS. We conducted an electronic search across multiple databases, including Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane CENTRAL, and Scopus, from their inception to January 2, 2024. Random-effects models were used to perform the umbrella meta-analysis. The analysis included 15 meta-analyses of RCTs. Vitamin D demonstrated a significant reduction in TG levels (SMD = -0.23; 95 % CI: -0.42, -0.04, p = 0.02, and WMD = -8.76, 95 % CI: -11.81, -5.72; p <0.001), TC (SMD = -0.47, 95 % CI: -0.80, -0.13; p = 0.007, and WMD = -8.89, 95 % CI: -13.18, -4.59; p < 0.001), LDL-c (SMD = -0.24, 95 % CI: -0.38, -0.10; p = 0.001, and WMD = -3.83, 95 % CI: -6.49, -1.16; p = 0.005), TT (SMD = -0.15, 95 % CI: -0.29 to -0.01; p = 0.02), and DHEA (WMD: -28.03; 95 % CI: -56.9 to -0.36; p = 0.04). However, no significant effect on HDL-c, insulin, and BMI. The present meta-analysis revealed that vitamin D supplementation might significantly affect TG, TC, LDL-c, DHEA, and TT while it is not effective in improving BMI, HDL-c, and insulin. Vitamin D showed noteworthy effects in preventing lipid profile and enhancing hormonal function in patients with PCOS.

Association of VDR gene variant rs2228570-FokI with gestational diabetes mellitus susceptibility in Arab women

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) has been linked with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene variants have been associated with diabetes mellitus susceptibility and related complications. This study assessed the association between VDR gene polymorphism (rs2228570) and GDM risk among pregnant Arab women. A total of 368 pregnant Saudi women who were screened for GDM at 24-28 weeks of gestation and genotyped for the VDR gene variant (rs2228570) were included in this cross-sectional study. Circulatory insulin levels, fasting blood glucose (FBG), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and vitamin D (25(OH)D) were measured. There were 108 women with GDM and 260 women without GDM. The genotype frequency of women with GDM was CC 60.2 %, CT 33.3 %, TT 6.9 %, and CT + TT 39.8 %; for non-GDM women, were CC 61.1 %, CT 31.5 %, TT 6.9 %, and CT + TT 38.4 %. No association was found between the VDR gene variant (rs2228570-FokI) and GDM susceptibility after adjustment for covariates. Serum 25(OH)D had a significant inverse association with FBG (r = -0.49, p = 0.01) and HbA1c (r = -0.45, p = 0.03) among carriers of the TT-genotype. Furthermore, a significant inverse correlation was observed between serum 25(OH)D and HOMA-β (r = -0.20, p = 0.035) in individuals with the T-allele. Among pregnant Saudi women, glycemic indices appear to be influenced by vitamin D, suggesting a possible role it may play in mitigating the metabolic changes associated with GDM, particularly among individuals with specific genetic backgrounds. In our study population, rs2228570-FokI did not appear to be a significant contributor to GDM risk.

Clinical Analysis and Applications of mRNA Vaccines in Infectious Diseases and Cancer Treatment

Vaccination, for centuries, has been a potent preventive technique to treat morbidities. The messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine technology is an innovative biomedical approach utilized in developing antigen-specific vaccines that can generate adaptive immune responses, triggering both humoral and cellular immunity to enhance the body's defense against specific infections. This review provides a comprehensive, comparative analysis of mRNA vaccine technology and conventional vaccines by focusing on the structures, components, and classifications. An exploratory analysis of the similarities and differences between mRNA vaccine technology and live-attenuated vaccines highlights the mechanisms by which mRNA vaccines elicit immune responses. This review extensively discusses the production, stability, synthesis, and delivery processes associated with mRNA vaccines, showcasing the advancements and technological superiority of this approach over conventional vaccine technologies. Additionally, the potential of mRNA vaccine technology as a potent alternative for the development of vaccine candidates targeting HIV and cancer is examined.

Impact of vitamin D receptor polymorphisms in selected metabolic disorders

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Vitamin D (vitD) can regulate metabolic pathways in adipose tissue and pancreatic β cells by interacting with its vitamin D receptor (VDR). The aim of this study was to review original publications published in the last months and verify the relationship between genetic variants in the VDR gene and type 2 diabetes (T2D), metabolic syndrome (MetS), overweight, and obesity.

RECENT FINDINGS

The recent studies concern genetic variants located in the coding and noncoding regions of the VDR gene. Some of the described genetic variants may affect VDR expression or posttranslational processing altered functionality or vitD binding capacity of VDR. Nevertheless, the data collected in recent months on the assessment of the relationship between VDR genetic variants and the risk of T2D, MetS, overweight, and obesity still do not give a clear answer to whether they have a direct impact on these metabolic disorders.

SUMMARY

Analysis of the potential association between VDR genetic variants and parameters such as glycemia, body mass index, body fat, and lipid levels improves the current understanding of the pathogenesis of T2D, MetS, overweight, and obesity. A thorough understanding of this relationship may provide important information for individuals with pathogenic variants and enable the implementation of appropriate prevention against the development of these disorders.

Association of Vitamin D Receptor Gene Polymorphisms with Cardiometabolic Phenotypes in Hispanics: A Life Course Approach

The vitamin D receptor (VDR) is vital for maintaining calcium and phosphate balance and regulating bone metabolism. Recent research has suggested that VDR also plays an essential role in metabolic diseases. Previous studies on non-Hispanic whites have shown that VDR single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) are associated with cardiometabolic phenotypes. However, the association between VDR SNPs and cardiometabolic traits in Hispanics remains unclear. This study investigated the association between VDR SNPs and cardiometabolic phenotypic data in self-reported Hispanics (n = 1610) from the Arizona Insulin Resistance registry and Sangre Por Salud Biobank. The study population was predominantly female (66.4%) with a mean age of 40 ± 14 years (n = 121 <18 years) and an average body mass index (BMI) of 29.8 ± 6.3 kg/m2. We performed a genotyping association analysis of VDR SNPs (Taq1-rs731236, Fok1-rs2228570 and Apa1-rs7975232) with cardiometabolic traits using linear regression models. The results showed that Taq1 and Apa1 were strongly associated with systolic blood pressure (SBP) in children (<18 years), while Fok1 was associated with measures of adiposity, including fat mass, waist circumference, and BMI. In age-stratified adult (≥18 years) models, Taq1 was strongly associated with hemoglobin A1c, while Apa1 was associated with BMI and fasting glucose. Fok1 had no significant associations in the adult models. In conclusion, the VDR SNPs were associated with several cardiometabolic phenotypes in this Hispanic sample, but the type and strength of the associations varied by age group.

Clinical and genetic aspects of menopausal hormone therapy - a modern paradigm. What changed COVID-19 pandemic?

In the modern paradigm of public health protection, much attention is paid to the health of women in peri- and postmenopause, and a personalized approach prevails. It is generally recognized that the pathogenetic therapy of menopausal disorders is hormone therapy. But the COVID-19 pandemic has made its own adjustments to the routine strategy of choosing menopausal hormone therapy (MHT). The purpose of this review was to analyze studies on the dependence of the effectiveness of MHT on clinical and genetic aspects in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The review highlights the main risks of MHT for thromboembolic diseases and coagulation complications characteristic of COVID-19, discusses genetic predispositions that aggravate the course of the post-COVID period, as well as the effectiveness of estrogens in protecting the vascular endothelium and increasing the number of CD4+ T cells, providing an adequate immune response when infected with SARS-CoV-2. Numerous studies show that the complications characteristic of the severe course of COVID-19 are multifactorial in nature and cannot be unambiguously explained only by genetic predisposition. However, with the development of personalized medicine, special attention should be paid to the study of genetic aspects that can equally contribute to the occurrence of menopausal disorders in healthy women and aggravate the course of the post-pregnancy period. The data presented allow us to conclude that in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic at the population level, MHT can bring significant benefits to women during menopause due to the beneficial effect of estrogens on vascular walls. Additional study of the relationship between the course of the postcovid period in MHT users and polymorphisms of candidate genes that determine the risks of thrombotic complications and metabolic consequences is required.

A comprehensive look into the association of vitamin D levels and vitamin D receptor gene polymorphism with obesity in children

Childhood obesity accounts for several psychosocial and clinical consequences. Psychosocial consequences include lower self-esteem, social isolation, poor academic achievement, peer problems, and depression, whereas clinical consequences are cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, cancer, autoimmune diseases, girls early polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), asthma, bone deformities, etc. A growing number of studies have uncovered the association of childhood obesity and its consequences with vitamin-D (vit-D) deficiency and vitamin-D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms such as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), e.g., TaqI, BsmI, ApaI, FokI, and Cdx2. Considering the impact of vit-D deficiency and VDR gene polymorphisms, identifying associated factors and risk groups linked to lower serum vit-D levels and prevention of obesity-related syndromes in children is of utmost importance. Previously published review articles mainly focused on the association of vit-D deficiency with obesity or other non-communicable diseases in children. The nature of the correlation between vit-D deficiency and VDR gene polymorphisms with obesity in children is yet to be clarified. Therefore, this review attempts to delineate the association of obesity with these two factors by identifying the molecular mechanism of the relationship.

BsmI gene polymorphism of vitamin D receptor in obese Egyptian male medical students and its relationship with vitamin D deficiency

Background

Vitamin D regulates cell proliferation and differentiation and exhibits immunoregulatory, antiangiogenic, and antioxidant characteristics. Vitamin D deficiency and vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms have been associated with an increased risk of metabolic syndrome components such as abdominal obesity, with both vitamin D deficiency and VDR gene polymorphisms contributing to its development. Obesity, metabolic disorders, and bone mass defects are associated with VDR alleles. The importance of VDR in the etiology of obesity has been related to the existence of the VDR polymorphisms FokI, BsmI, ApaI, and TaqI. VDR expression in adipocytes affects energy metabolism and aids in obesity development.

Objective

The aim of this study was to examine a possible association between BsmI (B, b allele) polymorphism in the VDR gene and vitamin D status in obese Egyptian male medical students.

Patients and methods

This study was based on a comprehensive experiment known as “Nutritional Assessment of Medical Educational Students (NAMES)” that was completed in 2018 with 700 healthy participants (men and women). In total, out of the 700 participants 30 healthy men were enrolled in this study who matched our inclusion criteria. They attended Ain Shams University Hospital in Cairo between April 2019 and November 2020. This study was conducted at the Clinical Pathology Department of Ain Shams University Hospital, which is a part of the Faculty of Medicine. Participants were divided into two groups: Group I consisted of 12 obese men with nondeficient vitamin D levels (> 20 ng/dl), and Group II consisted of 18 obese men with deficient vitamin D levels (20 ng/dl). Peripheral blood samples were collected into EDTA tubes from all groups, and DNA was extracted and purified using spin purification for PCR (QIA amp DNA Mini Kit). A commercial real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) kit with predesigned TaqMan probes was used to analyze the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) (BsmI) rs 1544410 in the VDR gene.

Results

No statistically significant relationship was observed between vitamin D levels and all InBody bioelectrical impedance characteristics, as well as BsmI gene polymorphism and all InBody bioelectrical impedance parameters (P > 0.05). Regarding Bb and BB genotypes, no statistically significant difference was observed between Groups I and II. The prevalence of BB genotype was higher in vitamin-D-deficient individuals, and Bb genotype was more common among obese participants than BB genotype, which showed a higher prevalence of the “b” gene; however, these were not significant. Iron profile (iron level, ferritin level, TIBC, and transferrin saturation) and BsmI gene polymorphism showed no statistically significant relationship (P > 0.05). Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level and BsmI gene polymorphism showed a statistically significant relationship (P = 0.002), with a higher mean value among Bb genotype carriers than among BB genotype carriers. Eosinophil count showed a statistically significant difference between BB and Bb genotype carriers (P = 0.045), with a higher mean value among Bb genotype carriers than among BB genotype carriers. Bsml gene polymorphism showed no statistically significant relationship with any other complete blood count parameters (P > 0.05.)

Conclusion

There was no significant relationship between VDR gene polymorphism (BsmI) and body mass index (BMI) nor between the different InBody bioelectrical impedance parameters. We noticed the prevalence of BB genotype among vitamin-D-deficient obese students and the frequency of the “b” allele among obese candidates according to the findings of our study. There was also no significant relationship between BsmI gene polymorphism and vitamin D levels. However, BsmI gene polymorphism and HbA1c levels and eosinophil count showed a relationship, which requires further investigation.

Association of VDR gene ApaI polymorphism with obesity in Iranian population

Introduction:

Identifying obesity risk factors as a health problem facing communities is crucial given its complexity. The vitamin D receptor gene has been reported as a possible cause of this disease.

Objective:

To study the association of the VDR gene ApaI, BsmI, and TaqI polymorphisms with obesity in an Iranian population.

Material and methods:

We analyzed the genotypes of 348 obese (BMI≥30 kg/m²) and 320 non-obese people (BMI: 18.5-24.9 kg/m²) using PCR-RFLP. We measured FBS, TG, total cholesterol, and HDL and LDL cholesterol levels in an automatic biochemical analyzer.

Results:

We found significantly higher BMI, FBS, and TG levels in the obese group compared to the control. In the obese individuals, the frequency of genotype AA was 47.1% and that of the combined Aa+aa genotype, 52.9% while in the control group they were 30% and 70%, respectively (p=0.024, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.100-3.933, odds ratio (OR)=2.08). A and a alleles frequencies for the ApaI polymorphism were statistically significant in the two groups (allele A vs. a; p=0.017). No significant relationship was observed between TaqI genotypes and alleles in the control and obese subjects.

Conclusion:

We found that VDR ApaI (rs7975232 C/A) polymorphism appeared to be a risk factor for obesity. Especially, the A allele and the AA genotype in ApaI were associated with the obesity phenotypes.

Effect of cholecalciferol on unsaturated model membranes

Vitamin D plays an important role in many physiological processes, particularly calcium and phosphorous homeostasis. The biochemistry of vitamin D is also complex, encompassing a range of active molecules that may be either endogenous or dietary in origin. The role of lipids and fats in the production, processing and use of vitamin D is an interesting one, with a relative paucity of model studies into the interactions of vitamin D with lipidic systems such as micelles and vesicles. Here, we have studied the effect of vitamin D3 in simple unsaturated phospholipid systems. We used NMR and FTIR spectroscopy to investigate the effect of increasing vitamin D concentration on the structure and dynamics of the lipid chains and interfacial region. In order to link these model studies with more complex biomimetic environments, we compare results in the presence of buffer and vitamin D binding protein. We have also used DLS to determine that vitamin D3-DOPC vesicles can retain their size distribution for varying amounts of time in different conditions. We find that the acyl chain region of vitamin D3-DOPC membranes are generally disordered, and that the addition of buffer and/or protein alters the properties of the interfacial region.