Methods of diagnosing a predisposition for osteoarthritis via detection of vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms

A method of identifying an animal predisposed or susceptible to osteoarthritis associated with a genetic polymorphism in a vitamin D receptor gene, said method comprising determining the genotype of said vitamin D receptor gene in said animal, and identifying said animal based on said genotype.

A method of diagnosis of predisposition or susceptibility to osteoarthritis in an individual, the method comprising determining whether the individual possesses a polymorphic risk version of a vitamin D receptor gene, a polymorphic risk version of the gene being one that does not contain a cleavage site for restriction enzyme TaqI, the method comprising

• (a) using PCR techniques to amplify a fragment of exon 9 of the vitamin D receptor gene to make copies of the fragment,
• (b) testing whether the copies contain a cleavage site for TaqI, and thereby determining whether the individual is homozygous or heterozygous for a polymorphic risk version of the gene, and
• (c) diagnosing that individual's risk of predisposition or susceptibility to osteoarthritis as greatest if that individual is homozygous for the polymorphic risk version of the gene and least if that individual lacks the polymorphic risk version.