title: A pharmacogenetics study to predict outcome in patients receiving anti-VEGF therapy in age related macular degeneration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To ascertain whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the Vascular Endothelial Growth factor (VEGFA), Complement Factor H (CFH), and LOC387715 genes could predict outcome to anti-VEGF therapy for patients with age related macular degeneration (AMD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with "wet" AMD were identified by chart review. Baseline optical coherence tomography (OCT) and visual acuity (VA) data, and at least 6 months of clinical follow up after 3 initial monthly injections of bevacizumab or ranibizumab were required for inclusion. Based on OCT and VA, patients were categorized into two possible clinical outcomes: (a) responders and (b) non-responders. DNA was extracted from saliva and genotyped for candidate SNPs in the VEGFA, LOC387715, and CFH genes. Clinical outcomes were statistically compared to patient genotypes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  101 patients were recruited, and one eye from each patient was included in the analysis. 97% of samples were successfully genotyped for all SNPs. We found a statistically significant association between the LOC387715 A69S TT genotype and outcome based on OCT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Genetic variation may be associated with outcome in patients receiving anti-VEGF therapy.
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmology, Retina Associates of Kentucky, Lexington, KY.
authors.forename: John W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kitchens
authors.forename: Nawal
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kassem
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.forename: Thomas W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Stone
authors.forename: Rick
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Isernhagen
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.forename: Brad A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Hancock
authors.forename: Milan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Radovich
authors.forename: Josh
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Waymire
authors.forename: Lang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Bryan P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Schneider
keywords: ARMS2; LOC387715; age related macular degeneration; bevacizumab; complement factor H (CFH); ranibizumab; single nucleotide polymorphisms; vascular endothelial growth factor