Influence of the vitamin D receptor alleles on human osteoblast-like cells

We investigated the effect of vitamin D receptor gene (VDRG) polymorphism o n the responsiveness to 1,25(OH)(2)D-3 in human osteoblast-like cells. The cells were obtained from the femoral heads of 18 women with osteoarthritis of the hip. Three different restriction enzymes, BsmI, ApaI, and TaqI, were used to analyse the polymorphism, The genotypes of the 18 patients were bb AaTT (8), bbaaTT (6), BbAaTt (3), and BbAATt (1). Our findings showed that there were no differences according to the VDR gen otype, but there was a statistically significant difference in the producti on of osteocalcin between BbAaTt and bbAaTT, and between BbAaTt and bbaaTT. Northern blot analysis of osteocalcin and VDR mRNA showed no significant d ifferences among the three VDR genotypes, These findings suggest that VDR g ene polymorphism affects the individual responsiveness of 1,25(OH)(2)D-3.