title: Risk of open angle glaucoma due to tumor necrosis factor alpha gene polymorphisms.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Axonal degeneration and retinal ganglion cell apoptosis in glaucoma is associated with tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), which is an important pro-inflammatory cytokine. The aim of this study was to determine the association between the risk of open angle glaucoma (OAG) in the Egyptian population and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) gene polymorphisms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty OAG patients and 26 healthy unrelated controls were used to analyze TNF-α polymorphism G-308A using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP).
  
  
  RESULTS
  the GG genotype was found at a higher frequency in the controls than in the patients, and the AA and GA genotypes were associated strongly with OAG.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study, we found that the TNF-α polymorphism G-308A was associated significantly with OAG in the Egyptian population. However, there is a need for population-based studies with large numbers of subjects. Also, long-term follow up is required to verify the association between TNF-α polymorphism G-308A and glaucoma susceptibility.
authors.affiliation: Medical Biochemistry Unit, Research Institute of Ophthalmology, Giza, Egypt.
authors.forename: Mona Abdel
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Hamid
authors.affiliation: Medical Biochemistry Unit, Research Institute of Ophthalmology, Giza, Egypt.
authors.forename: Leqaa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Moemen
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmology Department, Research Institute of Ophthalmology, Giza, Egypt.
authors.forename: Hany
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Labib
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmology Department, Research Institute of Ophthalmology, Giza, Egypt.
authors.forename: Hazem
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Helmy
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pathology Unit, Research Institute of Ophthalmology, Giza, Egypt.
authors.forename: Tarek
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Elsergany
keywords: TNFα 308G/A polymorphism; open angle glaucoma