title: Polymorphisms in the vascular endothelial growth factor gene and the risk of diabetic retinopathy in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene are associated with diabetic retinopathy (DR) in a cohort of Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 268 patients with T2DM (129 with DR and 139 without DR) were recruited and enrolled in the study. Patients with T2DM were assigned to a DR group or a diabetic-without-retinopathy group, based on the duration of diabetes and grading of fundus images. Genotypes of eight SNPs in the VEGF gene (rs699947, rs833061, rs13207351, rs2010963, rs833069, rs2146323, rs3025021, and rs3025039) were analyzed using a mass-array genotyping system, and an association study was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After adjusting for covariates, a significant association of DR was observed with the homozygous genotype of the minor allele for promoter SNPs rs699947 (odds ratio (OR)=3.54, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.12-11.19), rs833061 (OR=3.72, 95% CI: 1.17-11.85) and rs13207351 (OR=3.76, 95% CI: 1.21-11.71). A significant association of DR was also observed with haplotype ACA, as defined by minor alleles of promoter SNPs rs699947, rs833061, and rs13207351 (OR=1.52, 95% CI: 1.03-2.24), and haplotype GAA, as defined by SNPs rs2010963, rs833069, and rs2146323 (OR=1.62, 95% CI: 1.08-2.41).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggest that polymorphisms in the promoter region of the VEGF gene increase the risk of DR in Chinese patients with T2DM.
authors.affiliation: Beijing Tongren Eye Center, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Key Laboratory, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Xiufen
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Apiradee
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Ariunzaya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Altankhuyag
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Yanhong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: Torkel
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Snellingen
authors.forename: Xipu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ningli
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ningpu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics*; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D015810:Linkage Disequilibrium; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A