Profile of vitamin D receptor gene polymorphism TaqI in patients with periodontitis

The present study aimed to assess the incidence of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphism TaqI in patients with periodontitis, and the potential association of this polymorphism with the severity of the disease. This was a case‐controlled study, which included 162 adults divided into two groups as follows: Case group (81 patients diagnosed with periodontitis) and control group (81 patients without periodontitis). Venous blood was obtained from each sample from which DNA was extracted. The gene poly‐ morphism was determined using restricted fragment length polymorphism‐PCR and DNA sequencing to identify endo‐ nuclease restrictions in exon 9 (TaqI). The data were analyzed using an independent samples t‐test. VDR gene polymor‐ phisms were detected in periodontitis cases with TT (86.4%), Tt (12.4%) and tt (1.2%) genotypes. DNA sequencing confirmed a change in the sequence of the VDR gene nucleo‐ tides in patients with periodontitis. The data indicated that the severity of periodontal tissue damage may be influenced by changes in the nucleotide sequence.