Vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to Mycobacterium malmoense pulmonary disease

Polymerase chain reaction using sequence-specific primers was utilized to a scertain the prevalence of 3 polymorphisms of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene (FokI F/f, ApaI A/a, and TaqI T/t) in 56 patients with Mycobacterium m almoense pulmonary disease. When compared with 101 controls, M. malmoense p atients displayed an increased prevalence of Apa1 A (P = .03; Fisher's exac t test), TaqI t (P = .04), and the At VDR haplotype (P = .04), and they dis played a decreased prevalence of FokI f (P = .04). Only 4 (7%) of 56 patien ts (vs, 29 [28%] of 101 controls) were both positive for FokI f and negativ e for At (P = .001). This indicates that polymorphisms in the VDR (or in cl osely linked genes) modulate the susceptibility to M. malmoense and that su sceptibility involves multiple genetic and environmental factors.