The Role of MMP2 (-1306C>T) and TIMP2 (-418 G>C) Promoter Variants in Age-related Macular Degeneration

Purpose: To investigate the possible association between the matrix metalloproteinase 2 (-1306C>T) (rs 243865) and tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinase 2 (-418 G>C) (rs 8179090) polymorphisms and the risk of age-related macular degeneration. Methods: This case-controlled prospective study included 144 age-related macular degeneration patients and 172 control subjects. All subjects were screened for age, gender, hypertension (HT), diabetes (DM), and body mass index (BMI). Serum levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and smoking were also determined. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral leukocytes from ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid anticoagulated blood. Genotyping of the MMP2 (-1306C>T) and TIMP2 (-418 G>C) polymorphisms was performed using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: Genotype distributions or allelic frequencies of MMP2 (-1306C>T) and TIMP2 (-418 G>C) did not significantly differ between patients with AMD and control subjects. Similarly, no significant differences in either genotype distributions or allelic frequencies of MMP2 (-1306C>T) and TIMP2 (-418 G>C) were found between dry and wet AMD. Conclusion: MMP2 (-1306C>T) and TIMP2 (-418 G>C) promoter variants are unlikely to have a major role in age-related macular degeneration risk susceptibility.