Objective. It has been stated that brain cancers are an increasingly serious issue in many parts of the world. The aim of our study was to determine a possible relationship between Vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms and the risk of glioma and meningioma. Methods. We investigated the VDR Taq-I and VDR Fok-I gene polymorphisms in 100 brain cancer patients (including 44 meningioma cases and 56 glioma cases) and 122 age-matched healthy control subjects. This study was performed by polymerase chain reaction-based restriction fragment length polymorphism (RF LP). Results. VDR Fok-I ff genotype was significantly increased in meningioma patients (15.9%) compared with controls (2.5%), and carriers of Fok-I ff genotype had a 6.47-fold increased risk for meningioma cases. There was no significant difference between patients and controls for VDR Taq-I genotypes and alleles. Conclusions. We suggest that VDR Fok-I genotypes might affect the development of meningioma.

Objectives: DNA repair mechanisms work insufficiently in T2DM patients and hyperglycemia seen in diabetes disturbs the oxidant-antioxidant balance thus cause oxidative damage on DNA. The effects of the DNA repair genes’ have not yet been investigated on diabetes. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between APE1 Asp148Glu and XPG Asp1104His polymorphisms with T2DM in the Turkish population. Material and methods: Sixty-five T2DM patients and 54 healthy individuals were included to this study as control. The polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism techniques were used. Results: When the study groups were compared, serum HDL-cholesterol levels were found statistically elevated in the controls. Once the APE1 Asp148Glu polymorphism distribution between the patient and control groups was investigated, the Glu/Glu genotype ratio was found significantly higher in the control group. Furthermore, the Asp/Glu genotype and the Asp allele prevalences were observed to be higher in the patient group. Also, patients with the Asp/Asp genotype had higher serum HDL-cholesterol levels than the others. Conclusion: Despite the small number of subjects included, it could be interpreted that the Glu allele of the APE1 Asp148Glu polymorphism might be protective against and the Asp allele may be contributing to the development of diabetes.

Increased oxidative stress in type 2 diabetes cause to the accumulation of DNA damage and results diabetic complications. Xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group D (XPD) and human oxoguanine glycosylase 1 (hOGG1) are genes involved in the repair of oxidative DNA damage. In this study, we aimed to evaluate association between XPD Lys751Gln and hOGG1 Ser326Cys polymorphisms with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in the Turkish population. Seventy-one T2DM patients and 54 healthy individuals were incorporated into this study. DNA was extracted from whole blood. The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) techniques were used. There was statistically significant difference between patient and control groups in the genotype distribution of XPD Lys751Gln polymorphism (p˂0.05). While the Lys/Lys genotype was found significantly higher in control group, the Lys/Gln was higher in patients. (p˂0.05). There was no significant difference between groups in the genotype distribution of hOGG1 Ser326Cys polymorphism. Despite the small number of subjects included in the study, it could be interpreted that the Lys/Gln genotype of XPD Lys751Gln polymorphism may be contributing to the development of diabetes.