Vitamin D receptor polymorphisms correlate to parathyroid cell function in primary hyperparathyroidism

Calcitriol acts via its receptor (VDR) and inhibits PTH secretion and parathyroid cell proliferation. Increased prevalence of the polymorphic VDR alleles b, a, and T has been demonstrated in sporadic primary hyperparathyroidism. Sixty-two patients with primary hyperparathyroidism due to parathyroid adenoma (mean age, 69.5 +/- 1.4 yr) were genotyped for these VDR polymorphisms. Dispersed cells of the adenomas were exposed to increasing concentrations of extracellular Ca2+ and analyzed for PTH release and cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentrations. Ca2+-mediated PTH inhibition exhibited higher ED50 and less suppression in the cells of patients who were homozygous for the b, a, and T alleles (P < 0.05-0.10). When analyzing haplotypes, the patients with baT demonstrated a ED50 of 1.81 +/- 0.15 vs. 1.29 +/- 0.10 for BAt (P < 0.05). As VDR alleles were unrelated to parathyroid intracellular Ca2+, influences of polymorphic VDR alleles on PTH secretion seem to involve mechanisms other than the Ca2+-sensing protein of the parathyroid cell surface.