Lack of association between the C677T single nucleotide polymorphism of the MTHFR gene and glaucoma in Iranian patients

ABSTRACT

Glaucoma is a major cause of blindness worldwide. A single nucleotide polymorphism of the MTHFR gene [C677T] has been associated with susceptibility to this disease, although this is controversial in the last decade. In this study, the possible association between the MTHFR C677T polymorphism and the risk of developing primary open angle [POAG] and pseudoexfoliation glaucoma [PEXG] was investigated. For this, a prospective study consisting of 73 POAG, 85 PEXG and 90 matched controls was undertaken in an Iranian population. Genomic DNA was extracted from whole blood. Genotyping of all individuals for the MTHFR C677T polymorphism was conducted using the PCR-RFLP technique. Our findings revealed no significant association between the MTHFR C677T polymorphism in POAG and PEXG compared with controls. Consistent with several other studies, our analysis suggests that the MTHFR C677T polymorphism is unlikely to be a factor contributing to the risk of developing specific forms of glaucoma