Vitamin D receptor genotypes and kidney allograft rejection.

OBJECTIVE: Transplantation of renal grafts is an established treatment for renal failure in a variety of medical conditions. Polymorphisms in genes, coding for proteins involved in immune response, may influence immunological and non-immunological mechanisms that lead to allograft loss. Vitamin D receptor (VDR) agonist has been shown to reduce short and long term allograft rejection in animal model. There are functional polymorphisms in VDR gene.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 75 renal allograft recipients with at least 2 years follow-up were selected and genotyped for two polymorphisms in the VDR genes (FokI and BsmI) and the association of each genotype with renal allograft survival and acute rejection was evaluated.

RESULTS: We are unable to find statistically significant association between any of the study polymorphisms and clinical outcomes.

CONCLUSION: We have found no evidence to suggest that either VDR FokI or BsmI polymorphism determines the incidence of acute rejection or graft survival after renal transplantation. A larger sample size is necessary to confirm these findings.