Analysis of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) insertion/deletion gene polymorphism and environmental risk factors in sample of Algerian population with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD)

Background: Increasing evidence shows that genetic and environmental factors can influence neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) risk. The aim of this study was first to analyse the association of insertion/deletion polymorphism in VEGF gene and environmental factors with the risk of nAMD, and then to investigate whether these factors have an impact on the age of onset of nAMD in a sample of the Algerian population.

Methods: Seventy two patients with nAMD and one hundred twenty-four controls were recruited; standardized questionnaire was used to collect information regarding underlying systemic diseases and important environmental factors. Genotyping of VEGF (I/D) SNP was conducted using PCR-based assay approach, and statistical analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS statistics 21.

Results: A significant association was reported of age (p < 0.05), smoking (p = 0.02), alcohol (p < 0.01), hypertension (p = 0.04), hyperlipidaemia (p = 0.008) and thyroid disease (p = 0.03) with nAMD. Also, Thyroid disease may have a role in accelerating the development of nAMD in an earlier age in our sample (p < 0.001). No association was found between the VEGF – 2549 I/D genotype and the presence of nAMD (p = 0.27), neither with the age of onset of nAMD (p = 0.21).

Conclusion: Our results suggest that age, smoking, alcohol, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia and thyroid diseases are possible risk factors that could increase the risk of nAMD in a sample of Algerian population. In addition, VEGF – 2549 I/D might not be associated with the risk of nAMD development. Finally, thyroid disease may accelerate the development of nAMD in an earlier age.