title: Association of the VEGF gene polymorphism with diabetic retinopathy in type 2 diabetes patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diabetic microvascular complications are the major causes of morbidity and early mortality in diabetes. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a potent multifunctional cytokine which plays a key role in the pathogenesis of diabetic microvascular complications. We examined the possible association of the VEGF gene polymorphisms with diabetic nephropathy and retinopathy in type 2 diabetes patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Genotyping of the VEGF gene insertion/deletion (I/D) and +405 polymorphisms was done by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism methods. A total of 426 patients with type 2 diabetes and 493 healthy subjects were genotyped. The frequency of VEGF alleles and genotype distribution were compared in diabetic and control groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The distribution of the VEGF DD genotype was significantly different in patients with diabetic retinopathy compared with healthy controls, entire diabetic group and patients with no complications (44 vs. 23, 30 and 21%, respectively; P < 0.01). Such differences were not observed in the diabetic nephropathy group. The odds ratio for the D allele was 2.27 (95% CI 1.59-3.25). The multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the D allele of the VEGF gene I/D polymorphism was an independent risk factor of retinopathy (P < 0.001). The VEGF +405 genotype was not associated with diabetic complications in type 2 diabetes patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study suggests that the I/D polymorphism in the promoter region of the VEGF gene is associated with retinopathy but not nephropathy in type 2 diabetes patients. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the D allele of the VEGF polymorphism is an independent risk factor of diabetic retinopathy after controlling for other clinical variables.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Molecular Diagnostics of Multifactorial Diseases, Department of Nephrology, Skubiszewski Medical University, Dr K. Jaczewskiego 8, 20-954 Lublin, Poland. monika.buraczynska@am.lublin.pl
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Buraczynska
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ksiazek
authors.forename: Iwona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Baranowicz-Gaszczyk
authors.forename: Lucyna
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jozwiak
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009391:Nephelometry and Turbidimetry; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D004247:DNA; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A