Genome-wide association study of vitamin D levels in children: replication in the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) study.

ABSTRACT

This genome-wide association study (GWAS) utilises data from the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study for 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels measured in blood collected at age 6 years (n=673) and at age 14 years (n=1140). Replication of significantly associated genes from previous GWASs was found for both ages. Genome-wide significant associations were found both at age 6 and 14 with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on chromosome 11p15 in PDE3B/CYP2R1 (age 6 rs1007392, P=3.9 × 10(-8); age14 rs11023332, P=2.2 × 10(-10)) and on chromosome 4q13 in GC (age 6 rs17467825, P=4.2 × 10(-9); age14 rs1155563; P=3.9 × 10(-9)). In addition, a novel association was observed at age 6 with SNPs on chromosome 7p15 near NPY (age 6 rs156299, P=1.3 × 10(-6)) that could be of functional interest in highlighting alternative pathways for vitamin D metabolism in this age group and merits further analysis in other cohort studies.