Abstract
Purpose:
To determine the effect of rs6265 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the Brain-Derived Neurotrohpic Factor (BDNF) gene in dry eye disease (DED), and determine the association between rs6265 and stress-related disorders (depression/anxiety) in DED patients.
Methods:
BDNF rs6265 genotype and allele frequency were measured using TaqMan SNP genotyping assay for 65 DED patients and 11 controls. DED was measured through symptom and clinical examination of new and established patients. Differences in genotype frequency (G/G, G/A, and A/A) by DED status was determined using Fischer’s exact test. Among DED patients, depression and/or anxiety status was determined through patient and medication history. Logistic regression was used to determine the association between G/A genotype and depression/anxiety status.
Results:
The G/A genotype was higher in DED as compared to controls (40% versus 10%). Sixty percent of DED patients had a genotype of G/G and 90% of controls had a genotype of G/G. This difference was not significant (P > 0.05). The minor allele frequency (A) in DED cases was 0.155 compared to 0.09 in controls. Only one patient had a genotype of A/A. Among DED, patients with the G/A genotype were 4.8 times more likely than patients with the G/G genotype to have a depression/anxiety disorder (P=0.0016).
Conclusions:
In this preliminary data and analysis, BDNF rs6265 SNP may play a role in patients with DED and other stress-related disorders.
Keywords: 486 cornea: tears/tear film/dry eye