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A case-sibling assessment of the association between skin pigmentation and other vitamin D-related factors and type 1 diabetes mellitus

journal contribution
posted on 2009-09-01, 00:00 authored by Anne-Louise Ponsonby, Fergus Cameron, Richard Saffery, Angela Pezic, Nick Wong, Jeffrey CraigJeffrey Craig, Justine Ellis, Terence Dwyer
Fair skin pigmentation has been associated with a higher risk of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). The aim is to compare children with T1DM directly to a sibling in relation to their skin pigmentation in sun-exposed and unexposed sites, past sun exposure and methylation of the VDR gene promoter. The sample consisted of children with T1DM attending a diabetes outpatient clinic and siblings (total n=42). Cutaneous melanin density was estimated using a spectrophotometer. Parental report on past sun exposure was obtained. DNA methylation analysis of the VDR gene promoter was conducted. Matched data analysis was performed comparing each case directly to their sibling. Cases were significantly more likely to have lighter skin pigmentation at the upper arm (AOR 0.69 [95% CI: 0.52, 0.90]; P=0.01). Low infant sun exposure was imprecisely associated with a two-fold increase in T1DM risk (AOR 2.43 [95% CI: 0.91, 6.51]; P=0.08 for under 1 h of winter sun exposure per leisure day). The VDR gene promoter was completely unmethylated in both cases and siblings. The previously demonstrated association between light skin pigmentation and T1DM risk was evident even in this comparison across sibling pairs. Further work on past UVR exposure and related factors such as skin pigmentation is required.

History

Journal

Photochemistry and photobiology

Volume

85

Issue

5

Season

Sep/Oct

Pagination

1267 - 1270

Publisher

John Wiley & Sons

Location

Chichester, Eng.

ISSN

0031-8655

Language

eng

Publication classification

C1.1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal

Copyright notice

2009, The Authors