Impact of Vitamin D deficiency and VDR FokI polymorphism on diabetic nephropathy risk in type 2 diabetes

Vitamin D deficiency and vitamin D receptor (VDR) FokI gene polymorphisms have been linked to diabetic nephropathy (DN) susceptibility across diverse populations. This study aimed to evaluate their impact on DN risk among type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients at Debre Tabor Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia.

A hospital-based, age- and sex-matched case-control study was conducted, involving 210 participants: 70 T2DM patients with DN, 70 T2DM patients without DN, and 70 healthy controls. To determine the related risk factors, demographic and clinical data were assessed. DNA was extracted from blood samples and subjected to polymerase chain reaction and agarose gel electrophoresis analysis to determine the FokI genotypes.

Vitamin D deficiency was more prevalent in diabetic nephropathy patients compared to non-nephropathy T2DM patients and controls (OR = 5.05, 95 % CL = 2.03-12.53; P < 0.001). Additionally, both the FokI ff genotype (OR: 2.48; 95 % CL: 1.15-5.37; P = 0.020) and f allele (OR: 1.70; 95 % CL: 1.13-2.57; P = 0.010) were substantially more prevalent in diabetic nephropathy patients than in non-nephropathy T2DM patients and controls, suggesting their potential role as genetic risk factors for the development of diabetic nephropathy.

These findings highlight a significant association between vitamin D deficiency and diabetic nephropathy. Moreover, FokI gene polymorphisms may be clinically relevant in identifying high-risk diabetic patients for early intervention of DN in the Ethiopian population under study.