Vitamin D receptor BsmI polymorphism and osteoporosis risk in post-menopausal women

Many studies have suggested that the vitamin D receptor polymorphism BsmI might be associated with the risk of osteoporosis development in post-menopausal women. However, the results have been inconsistent. The aim of this meta-analysis was to derive a more precise evaluation of the relationship. Published literature from PubMed, EMBASE and the CNKI database was searched. Crude odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the strength of any association. Ten case-control studies were included with a total of 1,403 osteoporosis cases and 2,144 healthy controls. In the overall analysis, no significant association was found between BsmI polymorphism and osteoporosis risk (BB vs. bb: OR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.39-1.48; BB vs. Bb: OR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.71-1.15; dominant model: OR = 1.20, 95% CI = 0.74-1.93; recessive model: OR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.53-1.30). In the subgroup analysis by ethnicity, the results showed similar result that BsmI polymorphism m had no association with osteoporosis. Results from the current meta-analysis suggest that vitamin D receptor BsmI polymorphism may not be a risk factor for osteoporosis in post-menopausal women.