[The apolipoprotein E polymorphism in age related macular degeneration]

The aim of the study was to evaluate association of apo E polymorphism with AMD.

The included participants of this study were: 45 patients aged 60 to 71 (mean age 66.2 +/- 3.6), treated because of AMD. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes, and the subsequent analysis of apo E genotypes was performed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

In our study the allele frequencies in control group of patients weresimilar to the apo E allele distribution presented by other authors in Caucasian populations. We have not found significant differences between AMD and control group patients for apo (E) genotype or allele frequency. Compared with control group (epsilon4 -13.6%, epsilon2 -2.27%), the frequency of epsilon4 allele was not significantly decreased (11.11%) and epsilon2 allele frequency (7.77%) increased in AMD patients.

The results of our present study have not indicate a significant association between AMD development and apo E allele frequency, in our studied population of AMD patients.