Tumor Necrosis Factor Gene Polymorphisms in Advanced Non-exudative Age-related Macular Degeneration

PURPOSE: To investigate tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α gene polymorphisms in advanced dry-type age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in a population from Northeastern Iran. METHODS: In this case-control study, 50 patients with geographic macular atrophy and 73 gender-matched controls were enrolled. Genomic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was extracted from the peripheral blood. Polymerase chain reaction was performed to analyze 2 candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms in the TNF-α gene, namely −1031 thymine (T)/cytosine (C) and −308 guanine (G)/adenine (A). RESULTS: The distribution of the - 1031 T/C genotype was TT, 62%; TC, 36%; CC, 2% in the patients and TT, 60%; TC, 36%; CC, 4% in the controls (P = 0.94). Genotype analysis of TNF-α −308 also revealed no significant difference in distribution between patients (G, 78%; GA, 22%; AA, 0%) and controls (GG, 74%; GA, 23%; AA, 3%) (P = 0.51). None of the haplotypes nor alleles of studied TNF-α polymorphisms were significantly associated with advanced dry-type AMD. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study show that polymorphisms in the TNF-α gene, do not play an important role in dry-type AMD in the studied population.