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  • Original Article
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Genetic variation of vascular endothelial growth factor pathway does not correlate with the severity of retinopathy of prematurity

Journal of Perinatology volume 31, pages 246–250 (2011)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Objective:

The aim of this study was to assess the genetic effects of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway on retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).

Study Design:

A prospective study from a tertiary center that enrolled 204 Japanese infants (<35 weeks of gestational age (GA)) having no anomalies. ROP developed in 127, but not in 77 infants. The relative severity was defined as non-severe, moderate and severe ROP for GA, based on the staging criteria. VEGF (g.−634G>C, g.+13553C>T) and VEGF-receptor (KDR g.+4422(AC)11 to 14, Flt-1 c.+6724(TG)13 to 23) gene polymorphisms and clinical variables were assessed by uni/multivariate analyses.

Result:

The frequency of polymorphisms did not differ between ROP and non-ROP patients. The TT genotype of g.+13553 showed a higher odds ratio for non-severe ROP than CC genotype (P=0.006). Multivariate analyses indicated that low birth weight, blood transfusion and respiratory distress syndrome, but not polymorphisms, were the risk factors of advanced ROP (⩾stage 3).

Conclusion:

A genotype of the VEGF pathway weakly affects the severity of ROP compared with other clinical factors.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Dr Naoko Kinukawa (Department of Medical Informatics, Kyushu University Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan) and Dr Kazuo Sato (Division of Pediatrics, Kyushu National Medical Center, Fukuoka, Japan) for the statistical assistance and helpful discussion. This research was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research to Hikino S, Takahata Y and Ohga S from the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture of Japan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan

    T Kusuda, S Hikino, S Ohga, T Kinjo, M Ochiai, Y Takahata, K Ihara & T Hara

  2. Department of Medical Informatics, Kyushu University Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan

    S Tokunaga

  3. Department of Ophthalmology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan

    Y Hata

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  1. T Kusuda
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Correspondence to S Ohga.

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Kusuda, T., Hikino, S., Ohga, S. et al. Genetic variation of vascular endothelial growth factor pathway does not correlate with the severity of retinopathy of prematurity. J Perinatol 31, 246–250 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/jp.2010.111

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/jp.2010.111

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