EVALUTION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VITAMIN D RECEPTOR GENE POLYMORPHISM (FOK I) AND THYROID CANCER

Background and Vitamin D is an antiproliferative agent against cancer cells and regulates cell differentiation. It acts via Vitamin D Receptor (VDR). The VDR gene contains a Start Colon Polymorphism (SCP) that can be detected with the restriction enzyme Fok I. Previous studies report an association of SCP and some diseases and some suggest that this polymorphism alters VDR function. As no studies so far have reported the association between Fok I genotype in Thyroid cancer, this study is intended to determine the association of Fok I polymorphism of VDR with thyroid cancer risks in Iranian population. Methods and Materials: 58 patients with papillary carcinoma, 13 patients with follicular carcinoma and 82 controls participated in a case-control study. A PCR-RFLP method used to determine VDR gene polymorphism in start codon characterized by the restriction enzyme Fok I. 95% confidence intervals and odds ratio were calculated for testing the relationship between Fok I polymorphism and thyroid cancer. The odds ratio for the Fok I polymorphism on thyroid cancer was 0.39 (95% CI, 0.12-1.27), witch signifies no relationship between this polymorphism and the ris of thyroid cancer. As no relationship was found between this polymorphism and thyroid cancer, other genetic or environmental factors may be considered in thyroid cancer.