title: The effect of GSTT1, GSTM1 and GSTP1 gene polymorphisms on the susceptibility of age-related cataract in Chinese Han population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Age-related cataract (ARC) is one of the most common eye diseases in the elderly worldwide, especially in China. The genetic polymorphisms of many glutathione S-transferases coding genes are likely to be closely related to the development of ARC, especially the GSTT1, the GSTM1 and the GSTP1. This investigation is aimed to determine the possible associations of GSTT1, GSTM1 and GSTP1 polymorphisms with the susceptibility of ARC in Chinese Han Population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A case-control study including ARC cases (n = 312) and controls (n = 256) in Chinese Han Population was performed. GSTT1 and GSTM1 polymorphisms were detected by duplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and two SNPs (rs1695, A/G and rs1138272, C/T) in GSTP1 gene were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method, all the results were verified by sequencing method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The GSTT1 null genotype carriers had a much higher risk of ARC compared with non-null genotype (χ(2) = 14.091, P<0.001), and the allele G carriers also had a increased risk over the allele A carriers in the SNP (rs1695, A/G) in GSTP1 gene (χ(2) = 7.696, P = 0.006), while the GSTM1 polymorphism and the SNP (rs1138272, C/T) in GSTP1 gene seem had no association with the susceptibility of ARC in Chinese Han Population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These preliminary results indicated carriage of null GSTT1 and GSTP1 Val/Val genotypes may contribute to genetic susceptibility to ARC in Chinese Han Population, and these genetic polymorphisms might be used as molecular markers for detecting ARC susceptibility.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University Zhengzhou 450000, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Ruo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University Zhengzhou 450000, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Zhimin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University Zhengzhou 450000, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Lixiao
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhou
keywords: ARC; Chinese; GSTM1; GSTP1; GSTT1; SNP