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Maternal 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration and offspring birth size: effect modification by infant VDR genotype

Abstract

Background/Objectives:

We tested the hypothesis that the relationship between maternal 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-(OH)D) and offspring birth size differs according to offspring vitamin D receptor (VDR) genotype (Apa1, Bsm1, Fok1 or Taq1).

Subjects/Methods:

Mothers of 354 singleton babies had serum 25-(OH)D concentration measured at 28–30 weeks of gestation and consented to measurement of their babies soon after birth. DNA was extracted from the babies’ Guthrie cards.

Results:

There was evidence of effect modification by infant FokI genotype. Babies of deficient mothers had lower birth weight with FF or Ff, but not ff genotype (P-value for interaction after adjustment for potential confounding factors=0.02), but thicker subscapular and suprailiac skinfolds with ff, but not FF or Ff genotype (P=0.008 and 0.02, respectively). Sample size was insufficient to investigate effect modification by the other VDR polymorphisms.

Conclusions:

These preliminary findings suggest that studies of maternal vitamin D status and birth size may need to take VDR genotype into account.

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Acknowledgements

This study was funded by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). RM was funded by a fellowship from the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth) and now a Senior Research Fellowship (350250) from NHMRC. We thank Elizabeth Sykes and Kathy Kolk, who undertook all of the fieldwork, and Helen Tsimiklis who did the VDR analyses. We, especially, thank all of the women who participated in this study.

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Correspondence to R Morley.

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Guarantor: R Morley.

Contributors: RM, JC, JP and JW designed the study. RM analysed the data, with advice from JC, and all authors contributed to and approved the final version.

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Morley, R., Carlin, J., Pasco, J. et al. Maternal 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration and offspring birth size: effect modification by infant VDR genotype. Eur J Clin Nutr 63, 802–804 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2008.55

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2008.55

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