Vitamin D receptor rs2228570 (FokI) variant is associated with chronic tinnitus susceptibility

Tinnitus is a multifactorial condition with complex and not fully elucidated pathophysiology. Emerging evidence suggests that vitamin D deficiency and neuroinflammatory mechanisms may contribute to tinnitus development. Although vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms have been investigated in otologic disorders, their association with chronic tinnitus remains unclear....

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No actionable change: the genetic association is preliminary and does not yet support vitamin D screening or supplementation as a tinnitus intervention.

Identifying a genetic susceptibility marker for chronic tinnitus opens a potential pathway toward understanding its biological mechanisms and, eventually, targeted prevention or treatment strategies.

1. 01The FokI (rs2228570) variant of the vitamin D receptor gene is associated with increased susceptibility to chronic tinnitus.
2. 02Proposed mechanism involves vitamin D deficiency driving neuroinflammatory pathways relevant to tinnitus pathophysiology.
3. 03Published in Molecular Biology Reports, positioning this as a molecular/genetic association study.
4. 04Findings are associative, not causal; confounders (e.g., sun exposure, diet) are not fully controlled in such designs.
5. 05Could motivate future trials examining vitamin D supplementation in genetically predisposed tinnitus patients.

PMID

42550301

DOI

10.1007/s11033-026-12523-1.

Journal

Molecular Biology Reports

Publication type

research_article

Evidence level

3

Population

Individuals with chronic tinnitus compared to controls

Intervention

Genetic variant analysis (VDR rs2228570 FokI polymorphism)

Comparator

Controls without chronic tinnitus