Lack of Association between the Thr431Asn and Arg83Lys Polymorphisms of the ROCK2 Gene and Diabetic Retinopathy

Abstract

Purpose: To analyze the genotype distributions and allele frequencies for ROCK2 Thr431Asn and Arg83Lys polymorphisms among the diabetic retinopathy patients in a Turkish population.

Methods: In this case-control study, 335 patients with diabetes mellitus were recruited and divided into three groups according to non-proliferative (n = 127), proliferative (n = 85) diabetic retinopathy, and no retinopathy (n = 123, served as a diabetic control group). Genomic DNA from the patients, and the nondiabetic healthy control cases (n = 132) was analyzed by real-time PCR using a Light-Cycler.

Results: Neither genotype distributions nor the allele frequencies for the Thr431Asn or Arg83Lys polymorphisms showed a significant difference between the groups. The haplotypes were also not significantly associated with diabetic retinopathy.

Conclusion: These results suggest that there were no evidence for an association of ROCK2 gene Thr431Asn and Arg83Lys polymorphisms with diabetes or diabetic retinopathy in the Turkish population.

KEYWORDS::

• Diabetic retinopathy
• Genetic polymorphisms
• Haplotype analysis
• ROCK2
• Rho-kinase

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.