Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 19, 2026

Monitoring Dynamic Growth of Retinal Vessels in Oxygen-Induced Retinopathy Mouse Model
Published on: April 2, 2021
Genetic susceptibility to retinopathy of prematurity
Matthew J Bizzarro1, Naveed Hussain, Baldvin Jonsson
1Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar St, New Haven, CT 06520-8064, USA.
Objectives:
The goals were to isolate and to estimate the genetic susceptibility to retinopathy of prematurity.
Methods:
A retrospective study (1994-2004) from 3 centers was performed with zygosity data for premature twins who were born at a gestational age of < or = 32 weeks and survived beyond a postmenstrual age of 36 weeks. Retinopathy of prematurity was diagnosed and staged by pediatric ophthalmologists at each center. Data analyses were performed with mixed-effects logistic regression analysis and latent variable probit modeling.
Results:
A total of 63 monozygotic and 137 dizygotic twin pairs were identified and analyzed. Data on gestational age, birth weight, gender, respiratory distress syndrome, retinopathy of prematurity, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, duration of ventilation and supplemental oxygen use, and length of stay were comparable between monozygotic and dizygotic twins. In the mixed-effects logistic regression analysis for retinopathy of prematurity, gestational age and duration of supplemental oxygen use were significant covariates. After controlling for known and unknown nongenetic factors, genetic factors accounted for 70.1% of the variance in liability for retinopathy of prematurity.
Conclusion:
In addition to prematurity and environmental factors, there is a strong genetic predisposition to retinopathy of prematurity.
Related Concept Videos
The Retinoblastoma Gene
The first-ever tumor suppressor gene called Rb was identified in retinoblastoma - a rare eye tumor in children. In inherited forms of the disease, a child inherits one defective copy of the Rb gene, which predisposes them to retinoblastoma. However,...
The Retinoblastoma Gene
The first-ever tumor suppressor gene called Rb was identified in retinoblastoma - a rare eye tumor in children. In inherited forms of the disease, a child inherits one defective copy of the Rb gene, which predisposes them to retinoblastoma. However,...
Diabetic Retinopathy
Pharmacogenetic Phenotypes: Alterations in Pharmacokinetics, Drug Targets and Biologic Milieu
Genetic Lingo
Pharmacogenetics of Drug Targets: β₂-Adrenergic Receptors, Apo E, Thymidylate Synthase

