Published in:
01-02-2007 | Short Communication
Endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene polymorphisms in non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy
Authors:
Tsutomu Sakai, Keigo Shikishima, Masato Matsushima, Kenji Kitahara
Published in:
Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology
|
Issue 2/2007
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Abstract
Background
To examine the association between the polymorphisms of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene and the occurrence of non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION).
Methods
We studied 15 patients with NAION (mean age, 62 years; 60% male). We investigated two polymorphisms of the eNOS gene, Glu298Asp polymorphism of exon 7 and T(–786)C polymorphism of the promoter region. The genotype distribution in NAION was compared with the control (mean age, 63 years; 63% male) distribution.
Results
There was no significant difference in the genotype distribution of the Glu298Asp polymorphism between the NAION and control groups (P=1.000), whereas the genotype distribution of the T(–786)C polymorphism varied significantly between the patients with NAION and control subjects (P=0.002). After adjusting on covariates, individuals with the CC genotype of the T(–786)C polymorphism were more likely to develop NAION compared with those with TT genotype (odds ratio=0.09: 95% CI 0.01–0.86).
Conclusions
We found an increased prevalence of T(–786)C polymorphism of the eNOS gene in patients with NAION. Our data suggest that the T(–786)C polymorphism of the eNOS gene may be an important risk factor in the development of NAION in Japanese subjects.