Abstract/Summary

OBJECTIVE: Circulating levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) are positively associated with high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. We sought to replicate a previously reported interaction between APOA5 genotype and vitamin D, and to examine whether HDL-associated genetic loci modify the association between serum 25OHD and HDL cholesterol. METHODS: We examined whether 42 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) modify the association between serum 25OHD and HDL cholesterol in the 1958 British Birth cohort (aged 45 years, n = 4978). RESULTS: We identified a borderline interaction between the SNP rs12272004 (near the APOA5) and serum 25OHD on HDL cholesterol (P(interaction) = 0.05). The interaction was particularly prominent among the samples collected during winter (P(interaction) = 0.001). None of the other loci showed an interaction with serum 25OHD concentrations on HDL cholesterol. CONCLUSIONS: Our study in 4978 British Whites provides further support that APOA5 genotype modifies the association between vitamin D metabolites and HDL cholesterol.