Apolipoprotein E promoter polymorphisms do not have a major influence on the risk of developing primary open angle glaucoma.

PURPOSE: Primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) is a major cause of late onset visual failure of unknown etiology. Recent genetic association studies have implicated the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene in the pathophysiology of primary open angle glaucoma, but there have been conflicting findings.

METHODS

To resolve this issue we studied 140 cases and 73 controls that were carefully phenotyped, and used a logistic regression model to simultaneously analyze the effect of apolipoprotein E genotype and functional polymorphisms in the apolipoprotein E gene promoter while controlling for potentially confounding variables.

RESULTS

We found no evidence of an association between the apolipoprotein E promoter region polymorphisms and primary open angle glaucoma.

CONCLUSIONS

Apolipoprotein E promoter polymorphisms are unlikely to have a major impact on the pathophysiology of primary open angle glaucoma.