Association of vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms with susceptibility to asthma in Tunisian children: A case control study
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Updated: May 16, 2026

Candidate Gene Testing in Clinical Cohort Studies with Multiplexed Genotyping and Mass Spectrometry
Published on: June 21, 2018
Haifa Maalmi1, Fayçal Haj Sassi, Anissa Berraies
1Université de Tunis El Manar, Faculté de médecine de Tunis, 99/08-40 homeostasis and cell dysfunction unit research, 15 Rue Djebel Lakdar 1007, Tunis Tunisia. maalmi2010@gmail.com
Background:
Vitamin D and its nuclear receptor (VDR) are linked to asthma in a genetic and immunologic basis. Polymorphisms in the VDR gene may alter the actions of vitamin D and then influence the development and the severity of asthma.
Aims:
We aimed at elucidating the genetic association of VDR gene polymorphisms with susceptibility to asthma in Tunisian children and with serum vitamin D levels.
Methods:
The study included 155 patients recruited from Abderrahmen MAMI hospital in Tunisia and two hundred twenty five healthy individuals matched with patients in age and sex for comparison. VDR genotypes were determined by PCR-RFLP method using endonuclease FokI, BsmI, TaqI and ApaI and vitamin D was assessed with a radioimmunoassay kit.
Results:
The distribution of genotype frequencies differed significantly between asthmatics and controls (FokI: P=0.04; BsmI: P=0.006; TaqI: P=0.006). Haplotype analyses revealed a significant association between bAt and bat haplotypes and asthma (P=0.00076, P=0.016). When patients were stratified according to atopic status and stage of severity, no significant association was detected with VDR variants. No association was found between VDR SNPs and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels.
Conclusion:
Our study shows a relation between VDR gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to asthma in children.
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