Sun Exposure Makes no Discrimination based on Vitamin D Status and VDR-Foki Polymorphisms for Non-Melanoma Skin Cancers Risk in Iranian Subjects: A Case-Control Study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Sunlight exposure, the main source of endogenous vitamin D synthesis, may increase the risk of non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC) development. Vitamin D receptor (VDR) polymorphisms are associated with various malignancies. This study aimed to examine the associations between vitamin D status and VDR FokI polymorphisms in Iranian subjects with NMSC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This case-control study included 73 diagnosed cases of NMSC and 72 healthy controls from dermatology clinics at Razi Hospital, Tehran, Iran. A questionnaire was used to assess sunlight exposure. The extracted DNA from whole blood samples was genotyped and serum concentrations of 25-hydroxycalciferol (25(OH)D)) and intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) were measured. RESULTS: We found a significant higher duration of cumulative sunlight exposure in cases compared with controls (p<0.001). However, 25(OH)D and iPTH concentrations were not significantly different between cases and controls (30±15 vs. 29±15 ng/mL, p=0.78 and 46.0±20 vs. 40.5±23 pg/mL, p=0.14, respectively). We did not observe any significant increased risk of NMSC due to f allele, as compared with FF (OR =2.33, 95% CI 0.81-6.75, p=0.12). CONCLUSION: Though sunlight exposure was associated with increased NMSC risk, there were no significant associations between vitamin D status or VDR FokI polymorphisms with NMSC development in our subjects.