Association between vitamin D concentration and levels of sex hormones in an elderly Polish population with different genotypes of VDR polymorphisms (rs10735810, rs1544410, rs7975232, rs731236).

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D co-regulates the synthesis of sex hormones in part by interaction with its nuclear receptor. The aim of this study was to determine whether there is an association of vitamin D concentration vs the level of sex hormones in elderly Polish individuals with different genotypes of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rs10735810, rs1544410, rs7975232, and rs731236 polymorphisms of VDR, the serum sex hormone level, free estrogen index (FEI) and free androgen index (FAI) as well as vitamin D, were evaluated in 766 persons (362 women and 404 men) selected from 5695 Polish population, aged 65-90years from the PolSenior survey. RESULTS: We observed that women with GG (rs731236), TT (rs7975232), BB (rs1544410) and FF (rs10735810) genotypes were characterized by a significant correlation between vitamin D vs testosterone concentration and FAI value. We found a significant correlation between testosterone level and FAI vs vitamin D concentration in men with heterozygote AG in the rs731236 polymorphism and in the GG (rs7975232), the BB (rs1544410), and the Ff (rs10735810) genotypes. CONCLUSION: In elderly selected Polish population with different genotypes of VDR polymorphisms, a statistically significant relationship between vitamin D concentration vs testosterone level was observed.

Selected CNR1 polymorphisms and hyperandrogenemia as well as fat mass and fat distribution in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

The endocannabinoid system is postulated to play an important role in the etiology of obesity, insulin resistance, fat distribution and metabolic disorders. Insulin resistance associated with abdominal obesity plays a leading role in the etiology of hyperandrogenism and other clinical features of the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). A total of 174 women 16-38 years old, diagnosed with PCOS according to the Rotterdam criteria are recruited. Control group consisted of 125 healthy women 18-45 years old. Medical history, physical examination, anthropometric parameters and metabolic parameters were carried out. Six CNR1 gene polymorphisms were diagnosed. We observed a significantly three times higher risk of GG genotype in the polymorphism rs12720071 in women with PCOS versus the control group (p = 0.0344, OR = 3.01). A similar, significant 8-fold higher risk (p = 0.0176, OR = 8.81) was demonstrated for genotype CC polymorphism rs806368 associated with PCOS. We observed a 3.6-fold increased risk of hyperandrogenemia (free androgen index - FAI > 7) in patients with GG genotype in the rs12720071 polymorphism and AA genotype in the polymorphism rs1049353 (OR = 2.7). Our study may indicate a role of the endocannabinoid system in the occurrence of a specific hyperandrogenemia phenotype of PCOS.