Glutathione S-transferase M1 genotype and age-related cataracts. Lack of association in an Italian population.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate possible associations between the gene number and allelic forms of glutathione S-transferase M1 (GSTM1) and the occurrence of nucleic and cortical age-related cataracts.


METHODS
Patients with cortical cataract, nuclear cataract, mixed and cortical cataract, and no cataract were sytematically selected from subjects evaluated in the Italian-American Study of the Natural History of Age-Related Cataract. The patients were typed for the A, B, and null alleles of GSTM1 using a variation of the amplification refractory mutation system.


RESULTS
Forty-nine percent of patients (50/102) with cortical cataracts, 45% (13/29) with nuclear cataracts, 51% (36/71) with mixed nuclear and cortical cataracts, and 50% of controls (49/98) were homozygous for the null GSTM1 allele. Twenty-five percent of patients (26/102) with cortical cataracts, 24% (7/29) with nuclear cataracts, 31% with mixed nuclear and cortical cataracts, and 27% of controls (26/98) displayed only the A allele for GSTM1. Twenty-four percent of patients (24/102) with cortical cataract, 24% (7/29) with nuclear cataracts, 14% (10/71) with mixed nuclear and cortical cataract, and 18% of controls showed only the B allele for GSTM1. Two percent of patients (2/102) with cortical cataracts, 7% (2/29) with nuclear cataracts, 4% (3/71) with mixed nuclear and cortical cataracts, and 5% of controls (5/98) showed both A and B alleles for GSTM1.


CONCLUSIONS
No associations between the GSTM1 alleles, including the null allele, and cataracts were detected in this study.
Alberti
G
G
Institute of Ophthalmology, University of Parma, Italy.
Oguni
M
M
Podgor
M
M
Sperduto
R D
RD
Tomarev
S
S
Grassi
C
C
Williams
S
S
Kaiser-Kupfer
M
M
Maraini
G
G
Hejtmancik
J F
JF
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D000483:Alleles; D001483:Base Sequence; D002386:Cataract / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics*; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D005838:Genotype; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000235:genetics*; D007558:Italy / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
D017931:DNA Primers; D007527:Isoenzymes; D005982:Glutathione Transferase