The acquisition of a high adult peak bone mass (PBM) is considered an important determinant of osteoporotic risk later in life. Genetic and environmental factors determine optimal PBM acquisition in early adulthood. The aim of this study was to test the association of vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms and dietary calcium intake with the bone mass of young adults. The study population comprised a total of 305 individuals (mean age 20.41; SD 2.36) whose bone mass was assessed through heel ultrasound [quantitative ultrasound measurements (QUS)] measurements (BUA, dB/MHz). The FokI G/A, rs9729 G/T, and TaqI G/A polymorphisms were selected as genetic markers of VDR. A significant difference in BUA values was observed according to gender (females 82.96; SD 15.89 vs. males 97.72; SD 16.50; p < 0.00001). The mean dietary calcium intake of the study group (827.84 mg/day; SD 347.04) was lower than the dietary reference intake for young adults (1000 mg/day) and had no association with BUA. None of the three VDR polymorphisms tested showed an association with BUA. Similarly, the analysis of VDR 3' haplotypes, estimated using rs9729 and Taq1 as tag SNPs, did not reveal any significant association with QUS traits. Our results confirm the existence of different heel QUS for women and men, as well as a tendency towards low calcium consumption by young adults, and they also suggest that the VDR gene does not play a major role in the genetic determination of QUS parameter in early adulthood.
Keywords: Broadband ultrasound attenuation; Calcium intake; Peak bone mass; Vitamin D receptor gene; Young adults.