Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) & LOC387715/HTRA1 Polymorphism in Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy

Association of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and LOC387715/HTRA1 Polymorphisms With the Response to Intravitreal Ranibizumab Injections in Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy

This study is to investigate whether there is an association of the LOC387715/HTRA1 and vascular endothelial growth factor polymorphism with response to treatment with intravitreal ranibizumab injections for patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy.

This is a retrospective comparative case series comprised of 70 patients being treated for polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy with intravitreal ranibizumab injections and 112 control subjects. Patients were genotyped for the LOC387715 (rs10490924), HTRA1 gene (rs11200638), and VEGF (rs3025039 and rs833069)polymorphism using Real-Time polymerase chain reaction.

Inclusion Criteria:

• patients older than 60 years of age at onset
• polyp-like terminal aneurysmal dilations with or without branching vascular networks in ICGA and subretinal reddish-orange protrusions corresponding to polyp-like lesions
• patients who had intravitreal injections of 0.5 mg of ranibizumab monthly for 3 months

Exclusion Criteria:

• patients with retinal or choroidal diseases including pathologic myopia, angioid streaks, idiopathic choroidal neovascularization (CNV), presumed ocular histoplasmosis, and other secondary CNV
• patients who refused genotypic analyses