Molecular genetic analysis of primary open-angle glaucoma, normal tension glaucoma, and developmental glaucoma for the VAV2 and VAV3 gene variants in Japanese subjects.

The VAV2 and VAV3 genes have been implicated as being causative for primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) in the Japanese. We studied 168 unrelated Japanese patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), 163 unrelated Japanese patients with normal tension glaucoma (NTG), 45 unrelated Japanese patients with developmental glaucoma (DG), and 180 ethnically matched normal controls, to determine whether variants in the vav 2 guanine nucleotide exchange factor (VAV2) and vav 3 guanine nucleotide exchange factor (VAV3) genes are associated with POAG, NTG, or DG in the Japanese. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes, and variants in the VAV2 and VAV3 genes were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and directly sequenced.

Association of HK2 and NCK2 with normal tension glaucoma in the Japanese population.

Although family studies and genome-wide association studies have shown that genetic factors play a role in glaucoma, it has been difficult to identify the specific genetic variants involved. We tested 669 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from the region of chromosome 2 that includes the GLC1B glaucoma locus for association with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and normal tension glaucoma (NTG) in the Japanese population. We performed a two-stage case-control study.