title: A69S and R38X ARMS2 and Y402H CFH gene polymorphisms as risk factors for neovascular age-related macular degeneration in Poland - a brief report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The wet form of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) is a leading cause of irreversible blindness in Caucasians. Our purpose was to assess influence of gene polymorphisms A69S (rs10490924) and R38X (rs2736911) ARMS2 and Y402 (rs1061170) CFH on wet ARMD risk in a Polish population.
  
  
  METHODS
  130 unrelated patients (90 with wet ARMD and 40 controls) took part in the study. Dry blood was used for DNA isolation. PCR amplification and gene sequencing were performed. In subjects with R38X and A69S, SNP gene cloning was used to exclude the possible combined variant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Homozygous Y402H and A69S conferred a significance risk of wet ARMD in Poland: Y402H odds ratio (OR) was 5.57 (95% confidence interval: 1.58-19.6), p=0.002; and A69S OR was 7.72 (95% confidence interval: 1.73-34.36), p=0.001. R38X is probably more common in healthy subjects: OR was 0.45 (95% confidence interval: 0.19-1.05), p=0.053.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The etiologic role in ARMD of A69S ARMS2 and Y402H CFH gene variants were confirmed in a Polish population for the first time. R38X variant of ARMS2 seems to be protective from wet ARMD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, OSK, Katowice, Poland. s_teper@wp.pl
authors.forename: Sławomir J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Teper
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nowińska
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wylęgała
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017242:Complement Factor H / Q000235:genetics*; D017931:DNA Primers; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D011044:Poland; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D057135:Wet Macular Degeneration / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: C514392:ARMS2 protein, human; D017931:DNA Primers; D011506:Proteins; D017242:Complement Factor H