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Letter

Nature Genetics 38, 458–462 (1 April 2006) | doi:10.1038/ng1750

Variation in factor B (BF) and complement component 2 (C2) genes is associated with age-related macular degeneration

Bert Gold , Joanna E Merriam , Jana Zernant , Lisa S Hancox , Andrew J Taiber , Karen Gehrs , Kevin Cramer , Julia Neel , Julie Bergeron , Gaetano R Barile , R Theodore Smith , Gregory S Hageman , Michael Dean & Rando Allikmets

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common form of irreversible blindness in developed countries. Variants in the factor H gene (CFH, also known as HF1), which encodes a major inhibitor of the alternative complement pathway, are associated with the risk for developing AMD.