TY - JOUR
T1 - Vitamin D status
T2 - Multifactorial contribution of environment, genes and other factors in healthy Australian adults across a latitude gradient
AU - Lucas, Robyn M.
AU - Ponsonby, Anne Louise
AU - Dear, Keith
AU - Valery, Patricia C.
AU - Taylor, Bruce
AU - Van Der Mei, Ingrid
AU - McMichael, Anthony J.
AU - Pender, Michael P.
AU - Chapman, Caron
AU - Coulthard, Alan
AU - Kilpatrick, Trevor J.
AU - Stankovich, Jim
AU - Williams, David
AU - Dwyer, Terence
PY - 2013/1/1
Y1 - 2013/1/1
N2 - Vitamin D deficiency is common and implicated in risk of several human diseases. Evidence on the relative quantitative contribution of environmental, genetic and phenotypic factors to vitamin D status (assessed by the serum concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, 25(OH)D) in free-living populations is sparse. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 494 Caucasian adults aged 18-61 years, randomly selected from the Australian Electoral Roll according to groups defined by age, sex and region (spanning 27°-43°South). Data collected included personal characteristics, sun exposure behaviour, biomarkers of skin type and past sun exposure, serum 25(OH)D concentration and candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms. Ambient ultraviolet radiation (UVR) levels in the month six weeks before blood sampling best predicted vitamin D status. Serum 25(OH)D concentration increased by 10 nmol/L as reported time in the sun doubled. Overall, 54% of the variation in serum 25(OH)D concentration could be accounted for: 36% of the variation was explained by sun exposure-related factors; 14% by genetic factors (including epistasis) and 3.5% by direct measures of skin phenotype. Novel findings from this study are demonstration of gene epistasis, and quantification of the relative contribution of a wide range of environmental, constitutional and genetic factors to vitamin D status. Ambient UVR levels and time in the sun were of prime importance but it is nonetheless important to include the contribution of genetic factors when considering sun exposure effects.
AB - Vitamin D deficiency is common and implicated in risk of several human diseases. Evidence on the relative quantitative contribution of environmental, genetic and phenotypic factors to vitamin D status (assessed by the serum concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, 25(OH)D) in free-living populations is sparse. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 494 Caucasian adults aged 18-61 years, randomly selected from the Australian Electoral Roll according to groups defined by age, sex and region (spanning 27°-43°South). Data collected included personal characteristics, sun exposure behaviour, biomarkers of skin type and past sun exposure, serum 25(OH)D concentration and candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms. Ambient ultraviolet radiation (UVR) levels in the month six weeks before blood sampling best predicted vitamin D status. Serum 25(OH)D concentration increased by 10 nmol/L as reported time in the sun doubled. Overall, 54% of the variation in serum 25(OH)D concentration could be accounted for: 36% of the variation was explained by sun exposure-related factors; 14% by genetic factors (including epistasis) and 3.5% by direct measures of skin phenotype. Novel findings from this study are demonstration of gene epistasis, and quantification of the relative contribution of a wide range of environmental, constitutional and genetic factors to vitamin D status. Ambient UVR levels and time in the sun were of prime importance but it is nonetheless important to include the contribution of genetic factors when considering sun exposure effects.
KW - 25-Hydroxyvitamin D
KW - Diet
KW - Genetics
KW - Sun exposure
KW - Vitamin D
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84881173298&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2013.01.011
DO - 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2013.01.011
M3 - Review Article
AN - SCOPUS:84881173298
SN - 0960-0760
VL - 136
SP - 300
EP - 308
JO - The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
JF - The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
IS - 1
ER -
