title: HTRA1 promoter variant differentiates polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy from exudative age-related macular degeneration.
abstract: Exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) share similar abnormal choroidal vasculature, but responses to treatments are different. In this study, we sequenced the whole HTRA1 gene and its promoter by direct sequencing in a Hong Kong Chinese PCV cohort. We identified rs11200638, c.34delCinsTCCT, c.59C>T, rs1049331 and rs2293870 significantly associated with PCV. Notably, rs2672598 was significantly associated with exudative AMD (p = 1.31 × 10(-4)) than PCV (p = 0.11). Logistic regression indicated that rs2672598 (p = 2.27 × 10(-3)) remained significant after adjusting for rs11200638 in exudative AMD. Moreover, the rs11200638-rs2672598 joint genotype AA-CC conferred higher risk to exudative AMD (43.11 folds) than PCV (3.68 folds). Promoter analysis showed that rs2672598 C-allele showed higher luciferase expression than wildtype T-allele (p = 0.026), independent of rs11200638 genotype (p = 0.621). Coherently, vitreous humor HTRA1 expression with rs2672598 CC genotype was significantly higher than that with TT genotype by 2.56 folds (p = 0.02). Furthermore, rs2672598 C-allele was predicted to alter the transcription factor binding sites, but not rs11200638 A-allele. Our results revealed that HTRA1 rs2672598 is more significantly associated with exudative AMD than PCV in ARMS2/HTRA1 region, and it is responsible for elevated HTRA1 transcriptional activity and HTRA1 protein expression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Tsz Kin
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Xiao Ying
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Timothy Y Y
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Pancy O S
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Tam
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Jian Xiong
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Li Jia
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: The Joint Shantou International Eye Center of Shantou University and The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shantou, China.
authors.forename: Haoyu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Chi Pui
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Pang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000483:Alleles; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics; D015862:Choroid Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics*; D005838:Genotype; D006239:Haplotypes; D000074289:High-Temperature Requirement A Serine Peptidase 1 / Q000235:genetics*; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D057135:Wet Macular Degeneration / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D000074289:High-Temperature Requirement A Serine Peptidase 1; C474012:HTRA1 protein, human