Vitamin D receptor polymorphisms in liver transplant recipients.

OBJECTIVES: Liver transplant is an established treatment for end-stage liver failure. Vitamin D has been shown to exert multiple immunomodulatory effects, which act through its own receptor (vitamin D receptor). In the present study, the association between Iranian patients with liver transplant and the polymorphism of vitamin D receptor FokI T>C (rs10735810) was investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The candidate gene locus was genotyped in 51 liver transplant recipients, and the association of each genotype with allograft acute rejection was evaluated. RESULTS: In this study, we found no evidence to suggest that vitamin D receptor FokI polymorphism determines the incidence of acute rejection after liver transplant. The distribution of alleles was not different according to the underlying liver disease. CONCLUSIONS: Larger epidemiologic studies are needed to elucidate the importance of vitamin D receptor gene polymorphism in transplant recipients.