Genetic variation of vascular endothelial growth factor pathway does not correlate with the severity of retinopathy of prematurity.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to assess the genetic effects of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway on retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).


METHODS
A prospective study from a tertiary center that enrolled 204 Japanese infants (<35 weeks of gestational age (GA)) having no anomalies. ROP developed in 127, but not in 77 infants. The relative severity was defined as non-severe, moderate and severe ROP for GA, based on the staging criteria. VEGF (g.-634G>C, g.+13553C>T) and VEGF-receptor (KDR g.+4422(AC)11 to 14, Flt-1 c.+6724(TG)13 to 23) gene polymorphisms and clinical variables were assessed by uni/multivariate analyses.


RESULTS
The frequency of polymorphisms did not differ between ROP and non-ROP patients. The TT genotype of g.+13553 showed a higher odds ratio for non-severe ROP than CC genotype (P=0.006). Multivariate analyses indicated that low birth weight, blood transfusion and respiratory distress syndrome, but not polymorphisms, were the risk factors of advanced ROP (≥ stage 3).


CONCLUSIONS
A genotype of the VEGF pathway weakly affects the severity of ROP compared with other clinical factors.
Kusuda
T
T
Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
Hikino
S
S
Ohga
S
S
Kinjo
T
T
Ochiai
M
M
Takahata
Y
Y
Tokunaga
S
S
Ihara
K
K
Hata
Y
Y
Hara
T
T
D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008297:Male; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012127:Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn / Q000150:complications*; D012178:Retinopathy of Prematurity / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D065227:Transfusion Reaction; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1
C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1