Investigation of the association between SLC1A3 gene polymorphisms and normal tension glaucoma

PURPOSE: To investigate whether the solute carrier family 1, member 3 (SLC1A3) gene, which encodes the glutamate aspartate transporter, is associated with normal tension glaucoma (NTG) in Japanese patients. METHODS: Two hundred and ninety-five Japanese patients with NTG and 518 Japanese healthy controls were recruited. Patients exhibiting comparatively early NTG onset were selected because early onset suggests that genetic factors may show stronger involvement. We genotyped 5 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in SLC1A3 and assessed the allelic and genotypic diversity among cases and controls. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in the frequency of SLC1A3 alleles and genotypes between cases and controls. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed no association between SLC1A3 and NTG, suggesting that the SLC1A3 gene may not be an associated factor in NTG pathogenesis.