Characterization of Retinal Vascular and Neural Damage in a Novel Model of Diabetic Retinopathy.

Purpose: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a major cause of blindness globally. Investigating the underlying mechanisms of DR would be aided by a suitable mouse model that developed key features seen in the human disease, and did so without carrying genetic modifications. This study was undertaken to produce such a model.

Candidate gene study of genetic thrombophilic polymorphisms in pre-eclampsia and recurrent pregnancy loss in Sinhalese women.

Aim: Genetic thrombophilias are known to contribute to adverse pregnancy outcomes. Studies in Western populations show that 5, 10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) 677C>T and Factor V (F5) 1691G>A (Leiden) polymorphisms are commonly associated with pre-eclampsia and recurrent spontaneous pregnancy loss. The objective of this study was to investigate the association of MTHFR 677C>T (rs1801133); 1298A>C (rs1801131) and F5 1691G>A (rs6025); 4070A>G (rs1800595) polymorphisms with pre-eclampsia and recurrent pregnancy loss among Sinhalese women in Sri Lanka.

Prevalence of genetic thrombophilic polymorphisms in the Sri Lankan population--implications for association study design and clinical genetic testing services.

We investigated the prevalence of genotypes/alleles of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) and haplotypes defined by them in three genes in which variations are associated with venous thromboembolism in 80 Sinhalese, 80 Sri Lankan Tamils and 80 Moors in the Sri Lankan population and compared the SNP data with that of other populations in Southern India and haplotype data with that of HapMap populations. The genes and polymorphisms investigated were Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) - 677C>T (rs1801133), 1298A>C (rs1801131), 1317T>C, 1793G>A (rs2274976); Factor V (F5) - 1691G>A (rs6025) and 4070A>G (rs1800595); and prothrombin (F2) - 20210G>A (rs1799963). The polymorphisms were genotyped using PCR/RFLP methods.