BackgroundLoss of vision in glaucoma is due to apoptotic retinal ganglion cell loss. While p53 modulates apoptosis, gene association studies between p53 variants and glaucoma have been inconsistent. In this study we evaluate the association between a p53 variant functionally known to influence apoptosis (codon 72 Pro/Arg) and the subset of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) patients with early loss of central visual field.MethodsGenotypes for the p53 codon 72 polymorphism (Pro/Arg) were obtained for 264 POAG patients and 400 controls from the U.S. and in replication studies for 308 POAG patients and 178 controls from Australia (GIST). The glaucoma patients were divided into two groups according to location of initial visual field defect (either paracentral or peripheral). All cases and controls were Caucasian with European ancestry.ResultsThe p53-PRO/PRO genotype was more frequent in the U.S. POAG patients with early visual field defects in the paracentral regions compared with those in the peripheral regions or control group (p = 2.7×10−5). We replicated this finding in the GIST cohort (p  = 7.3×10−3, and in the pooled sample (p = 6.6×10−7) and in a meta-analysis of both the US and GIST datasets (1.3×10−6, OR 2.17 (1.58–2.98 for the PRO allele).ConclusionsThese results suggest that the p53 codon 72 PRO/PRO genotype is potentially associated with early paracentral visual field defects in primary open-angle glaucoma patients.

Purpose:To identify variants in the CYP1B1 gene in northeastern Brazilian patients with primary congenital glaucoma (PCG) and possible genotype-phenotype correlations.Materials and Methods:This is a cross-sectional observational study of 17 nonrelated patients with PCG, performed at the Altino Ventura Foundation, Recife, Brazil, between December 2017 and February 2018. All patients underwent an examination, including gathering information from their medical records, slit-lamp examination, fundoscopy, tonography, and measuring corneal diameter and thickness.Results:The mean age at the time of the examination was 27.7 years; 52.9% (n=9) were male, 29.4% (n=5) had history of parental consanguinity. The mean age when the diagnosis was confirmed was 0.53±2.18 years. Horizontal corneal diameter ranged from 12 to 16 mm (mean: 14.05±1.42 mm) and the IOP mean value was 17.31±9.84 mm Hg. Predicted pathogenic variants of the CYP1B1 gene were identified in 4 patients (23.5%). The differences among all clinical parameters did not reach statistical significance between individuals with and without CYP1B1 variants (P-values >0.05).Conclusions:Two variants which had not been previously related to PCG in Brazil (c.182G>A, c.241T>A) were identified. No statistically significant genotype-phenotype correlations were found.

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