title: Association between vascular endothelial growth factor +936 C/T gene polymorphism and age-related macular degeneration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) remains unknown. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is an important regulator of angiogenesis and a target for inhibition therapy in wet AMD. This study investigated the association between the VEGF +936 C/T gene polymorphism and AMD, in a Chinese Han population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with AMD, and age- and sex-matched controls were enrolled. Restriction fragment length polymorphism was used to analyse the VEGF +936 polymorphism in the promoter and the 3' untranslated region of the gene.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study included 200 AMD patients and 200 control subjects. There was a significantly higher prevalence of the TT genotype among AMD patients (9.0%) compared with controls (3.5%); the odds ratio for this genotype in AMD patients was 2.73 (95% confidence intervals 1.11, 6.68). There were no significant associations between any genotype and AMD subphenotypic categories (early, geographic atrophy, choroidal neovascularization).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study findings suggested that the VEGF +936 TT genotype was associated with AMD among Han Chinese patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Yanming
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Ge
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Liqiang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jingjing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Gaiping
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Yifei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency / Q000235:genetics; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics*; D015995:Prevalence; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
keywords: Age-related macular degeneration; gene polymorphism; polymerase chain reaction; restriction fragment length polymorphism; vascular endothelial growth factor