Associations of vitamin D receptor polymorphisms with risk of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and mild cognitive impairment: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Vitamin D is a lipid soluble steroid hormone, which plays a critical role in the calcium homeostasis, neuronal development, cellular differentiation, and growth by binding to vitamin D receptor (VDR). Associations between VDR gene polymorphism and Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) risk has been investigated extensively, but the results remain ambiguous. The aim of this study was to comprehensively assess the correlations between four VDR polymorphisms ( Fok I, Bsm I, Taq I, and Apa I) and susceptibility to AD, PD, and MCI. Crude odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to determine the relationship of interest. Pooled analyses suggested that the Apa I polymorphism decreased the overall AD risk, and the Taq I increased the overall PD susceptibility. In addition, the Bsm I and Apa I polymorphisms were significantly correlated with the overall MCI risk. Stratified analysis by ethnicity further showed that the Taq I and Apa I genotypes reduced the AD predisposition among Caucasians, while the Taq I polymorphism enhanced the PD risk among Asians. Intriguingly, carriers with the BB genotype significantly decreased the MCI risk in Asian descents, and the Apa I variant elevated the predisposition to MCI in Caucasians and Asians. Further studies are need to identify the role of VDR polymorphisms in AD, PD, and MCI susceptibility.