PCR-RFLP of the Vitamin D Receptor Gene in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Patients Deficient in Vitamin D3 in Cote d’Ivoire

Aims: This study was to identify mutations in patients’ vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene in Côte d'Ivoire, precisely in Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients deficient in vitamin D3.

Methodology: Fifty (50) DNA extractions from peripheral blood mononuclear cells collected from HIV positive and vitamin D3 deficient patients were analyzed after verifying their integrity by quantification of genomic DNA and migration from agarose gel. The use of the restriction enzymes Dpn I, Bg III and Pst I made it possible to carry out the PCR-RLFP of the fragments Fok-1 in exon 2, Bsm-1 and Apa-1 in intron 8 and Taq-1 in exon 9.

Results: The analysis of the DNA fragments Fok-1 in exon 2 and Bsm-1 in intron 8 of the VDR gene from HIV positive patients deficient in vitamin D3 showed a significantly high prevalence of mutant genotype (100% and 98%) respectively p = 0.0001. Furthermore, in this study, a prevalence of 6% of mutant genotype was observed in Taq-1 of exon 9 of the VDR gene.

Conclusion: The high prevalence of mutant genotypes observed in the DNA fragments of Fok-1 in exon 2 and Bsm-1 in intron 8 of the VDR gene studied confirms the presence of mutations in the VDR gene of these patients. It would, therefore, be necessary to sequence the DNA fragments with mutations in order to identify the mutations that affect the VDR gene and that are responsible for the vitamin D3 deficiency observed in these patients.