Background: To evaluate the clinical outcome of primary endonasal laser assisted dacryocystorhinostomy (ENL-DCR) using the potassium-titanyl-phosphate laser.

To test the hypothesis that genetic polymorphisms of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene are associated with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), based on the association between neurodegenerative diseases and the APOE genotype. Methods: Genomic DNA was examined from an unrelated cohort of 137 POAG patients and 75 control subjects from the ophthalmology department of the Royal Victoria Infirmary. The APOE allele frequency (⑀2, ⑀3, and ⑀4 alleles) was studied by polymerase chain reaction amplification of the related locus (19q13.2), enzymatic digestion of the products, gel electrophoresis, and imaging under UV illumination. For statistical analysis, we used a logistic regression model that included intraocular pressure as a continuous variable to study the possible correlation between POAG and APOE allele frequency. Results: Logistic regression analysis showed no statistically significant association between the frequency of the APOE allele and POAG for the population studied, irrespective of the IOP (⑀2 odds ratio, 0.82; 95% confidence interval, 0.12-5.79 [P =.84]; ⑀3 odds ratio, 0.39; 95% confidence interval, 0.10-1.49 [P = .17]; and ⑀4 odds ratio, 3.84; 95% confidence interval, 0.80-18.49 [P =.09]). Conclusion: In our cohort, the APOE genotype does not constitute a risk factor for developing POAG, even in patients with normal-tension glaucoma.

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