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BJO Online First, published on May 10, 2011 as 10.1136/bjo.2010.193680
Clinical science
Clinical science
Clinical science
or CC genotypes compared with TT). A gain of >5 ETDRS higher risk TC and CC genotypes, respectively (p¼0.11, 0.11 and
letters was seen in 34.6%, 56.6% and 56% of eyes with the TT, 0.09 for the TC, CC and combined TC or CC genotypes
TC and CC genotypes (p¼0.04, 0.4 and 0.06 for TC, CC or compared with TT). A gain of >5 letters was seen in 40%, 55.8%
combined TC or CC genotypes compared with TT). and 51.9% of eyes with the TT, TC and CC genotypes (p¼0.08,
For VEGF, mean ETDRS letter score change at month 6 was 0.38 and 0.13 for TC, CC and combined TC or CC genotypes
a gain of +1.3, +5.8 and +7.4 letters for the lower risk TT and compared with TT).
Table 3 Visual acuity change from baseline, number of injections and genotype
p Values
CFH genotype TT TC CC
Frequency (%) 26 (25%) 53 (50.9%) 25 (24.1%)
Mean baseline BCVA letter score (SD) 53.5 (18.0) 51.3 (14.1) 49.8 (16.9)
Mean BCVA letter score change after 6 months (SD) +1.6 (13.1) +5.9 (14.6) +7.2 (11.7) 0.18*, 0.71*
Number with >5 BCVA letter score gain after 6 months (%) 9 (34.6%) 30 (56.6%) 14 (56%) 0.04*, 0.4*
Mean number of injections in 6 months (SD) 4.1 (0.8) 4.1 (0.9) 3.7 (1.1)
HTRA1 genotype GG GA AA
Frequency (%) 27 (26%) 55 (52.9%) 22 (21.1%)
Mean baseline BCVA letter score (SD) 51.0 (14.4) 50.7 (15.6) 54.1 (18.0)
Mean BCVA letter score change after 6 months (SD) +2.2 (14.4) +7.5 (13.2) +2.9 (13.4) 0.03*, 0.55*
Number with >5 BCVA letter score gain after 6 months (%) 13 (48.1%) 30 (54.5%) 10 (45.5%) 0.16*, 0.59*
Mean number of injections in 6 months (SD) 4.0 (0.9) 4.0 (1.0) 4.2 (1.0)
VEGF genotype TT TC CC
Frequency (%) 25 (24.1%) 52 (50%) 27 (25.9%)
Mean baseline BCVA letter score (SD) 51.3 (15.7) 52.6 (14.2) 49.5 (18.6)
Mean BCVA letter score change after 6 months (SD) +1.3 (12.7) +5.8 (14.8) +7.4 (11.8) 0.11*, 0.11*
Number with >5 BCVA letter score gain after 6 months (%) 10 (40%) 29 (55.8%) 14 (51.9%) 0.08*, 0.38*
Mean number of injections in 6 months (SD) 4.2 (1.0) 3.9 (0.9) 4.1 (1.0)
*Compared with the lower risk CFH TT, HTRA1 GG and VEGF TT genotypes in multivariate analysis.
BCVA, best corrected visual acuity; CFH, complement factor H; HTRA1, high-temperature requirement factor A-1; VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor.
Clinical science
For HTRA1, mean ETDRS letter score change at month 6 was therefore detect the segregation of common haplotypes
a gain of +2.2, +7.5 and +2.9 letters for the lower risk GG and containing the +674 polymorphism.
higher risk GA and AA genotypes, respectively (p¼0.03, 0.55 and Polymorphisms in the promoter region of the HTRA1 (high-
0.07 for GA, AA and combined GA or AA genotypes compared temperature requirement factor A-1) gene have been shown to
with GG). No association was seen in the binary visual acuity increase susceptibility to AMD, especially the neovascular form,
change model. in Caucasian and other populations.3 4 Possession of the high-
risk A allele is associated with increased levels of the HTRA1
DISCUSSION protein in drusen, retinal pigment epithelium and choroidal
In the ANCHOR and MARINA studies, the response to treat- neovascular membranes of eyes with AMD.3 4 Chowers found
ment seemed to be consistent despite baseline variation in lesion no association between the HTRA1 promoter genotype and the
size, visual acuity and lesion characteristics.10e12 Although visual acuity outcome or number of injections after PDT.24 In
current evidence still suggests that regular monthly treatment is our series, a trend towards better visual acuity outcome after
associated with the optimum visual acuity response, a number 6 months of intravitreal ranibizumab therapy was seen for the
of other studies have suggested that a proportion of patients increasing AMD risk HTRA1 genotypes, using the linear model
may not need such regular dosage after the initial loading phase alone. Although the total number of injections was similar for all
to maintain the early gain in visual acuity.13 14 In the PIER three HTRA1 genotypes, there was a large gain in visual acuity in
study, 40% of patients maintained their initial gain with quar- the individuals who were heterozygous for the high AMD risk A
terly treatment after the initial loading phase although 60% lost allele and a more modest gain in homozygotes. The apparent
their initial gain.13 We hypothesised that the variable acuity advantage of heterozygotes over homozygotes for either HTRA1
responses seen in these trials may be related to genotype. The genotype is unexpected. However, heterozygote advantage is
results of our pilot study suggest that the visual acuity change a documented phenomenon in many biological systems and is
after 6 months of ranibizumab therapy may indeed be influ- not unprecedented in autoimmune disease, which some consider
enced by polymorphisms in three genes that are known to to be the basis of AMD.25 A similar, but non-significant, trend
increase the risk of developing neovascular AMD. was also seen in the binary acuity outcome model. In this
Prior studies have investigated a possible association between study, the allele frequency of the A allele was 0.48, higher than in
the CFH genotype and response to verteporfin photodynamic other published Caucasian AMD series.3 24 26 The higher
therapy (PDT) and both intravitreal bevacizumab and ranibi- frequency of this allele in our study population of AMD patients
zumab therapies. For PDT, the results are conflicting. Goverdhan from Yorkshire may have provided the opportunity to identify
reported greater loss of visual acuity after PDT in patients with this effect.
the CC and CT CFH genotypes and Feng reported a trend In this pilot study, we have identified preliminary evidence of
towards an association between a negative PDT response and associations between visual acuity outcome after 6 months of
the CC genotype.15 16 However, Brantley identified a worse intravitreal ranibizumab and polymorphisms in the CFH, VEGF
outcome with the TT CFH genotype and Seitsonen found and HTRA1 genes. For each gene, a trend towards a better
a lower proportion of PDT responders in the TT genotype outcome was seen with the polymorphisms considered to
group.17 18 With intravitreal bevacizumab, Brantley and Nischler increase the risk of developing neovascular or advanced AMD.
reported a trend towards reduced visual acuity and a lower Although the mechanism by which these polymorphisms
percentage of subjects with improved acuity for the CC geno- contribute to AMD susceptibility is not known, these findings
type.19 20 Lee identified that patients with the CC genotype may imply that neovascular AMD is not one disease but rather
required one more ranibizumab injection over the first 9 months, several different diseases with a common end point. There may
but the CFH genotype was not significantly associated with be a common form of AMD that results from the action of one
post-treatment visual acuity at either 6 or 9 months, after or more high-risk alleles at HTRA1, CFH and VEGF. This form of
adjusting for pretreatment acuity.21 In our study, we did not find AMD may be characterised by high levels of intraocular VEGF
an association between CFH genotype and the number of and may respond favourably to ranibizumab therapy. Another
injections in the first 6 months, but we did find a trend towards form of AMD, secondary to other susceptibility genes, may not
a better visual acuity response with the higher risk TC or CC be characterised by high intraocular VEGF and may respond
genotypes. differently to treatment.27
Although the VEGF gene does not appear to be a major Our original hypothesis was that genotype may be associated
genetic contributor to the development of neovascular AMD, with either visual acuity change or the number of additional
the +674 C/T polymorphism has been most strongly associated injections required. The 6-month time point provided the
with neovascular AMD in a Caucasian population.7 8 McKay has opportunity to investigate both these effects.13 28 The initial
also suggested that VEGF polymorphisms may influence the response to treatment for the entire group is in keeping with
development of certain anatomic types of neovascular AMD.22 data from multicentre clinical trials, suggesting that the associ-
Given the role of VEGF in the angiogenesis and hyper- ation with genotype is real and not the result of selection bias. In
permeability that characterise neovascular AMD, this poly- addition, the allele frequencies for the CFH and VEGF genes are
morphism was considered to be another potential factor that similar to other published series and there are no minor alleles
might influence the response to blockage of the biological effect with a frequency below 10%. Despite these strengths, there are
of VEGF within the eye. In the linear acuity change model alone, potential limitations to the findings of our study. As the treat-
there was a trend suggesting a better outcome with the higher ment was given with a loading phase of three consecutive
risk TC or CC genotypes. To our knowledge, no other group has injections, followed by a maintenance phase with repeated
investigated the influence of this polymorphism on the response injection only as required, the results may not be applicable to
to ranibizumab therapy for AMD. However, Immonen has patients treated with regular monthly injections. The modest
recently identified a potential link between other intronic and number of subjects in this initial analysis means that we are
promoter site VEGF polymorphisms and the anatomic response liable to detect only large associations between genotype and
to PDT.23 These SNPs cover the entire VEGF gene and will visual outcome and that none of the potential associations met
Clinical science
the predetermined level of significance. The study population 10. Rosenfeld PJ, Brown DM, Heier JS, et al. Ranibizumab for neovascular age-related
indicates that the results are only applicable to other Caucasian macular degeneration. N Engl J Med 2006;355:1419e31.
11. Brown DM, Kaiser PK, Michels M, et al. Ranibizumab versus verteporfin for
populations and that the high risk HTRA1 A allele was partic- neovascular age-related macular degeneration. N Engl J Med 2006;355:1432e44.
ularly common in the local population. The association with 12. Boyer DS, Antoszyk AN, Awh CC, et al. Subgroup analysis of the MARINA study of
visual acuity was not supported by an increased number of ranibizumab in neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Ophthalmology
2007;114:246e52.
injections. 13. Mitchell P, Korobelnik JF, Lanzetta P, et al. Ranibizumab (Lucentis) in neovascular
In this study, we have identified trends suggesting a more age-related macular degeneration: evidence from clinical trials. Br J Ophthalmol
favourable visual acuity outcome after 6 months of intravitreal 2010;94:2e13.
14. Fung AE, Lalwani GA, Rosenfeld PJ, et al. An optical coherence tomography-guided,
ranibizumab therapy with the higher AMD risk CFH, VEGF and variable dosing regimen with intravitreal ranibizumab (Lucentis) for neovascular age-
HTRA1 genotypes. These findings may imply that the mecha- related macular degeneration. Am J Ophthalmol 2007;143:566e83.
nisms underlying the more common form(s) of AMD, due largely 15. Goverdhan SV, Hannan S, Newsom RB, et al. An analysis of the CFH Y402H
to the action of risk alleles at the loci tested in this study, are genotype in AMD patients and controls from the UK, and response to PDT treatment.
Eye (Lond) 2008;22:849e54.
those best targeted by anti-VEGF therapy. Neovascular AMD in 16. Feng X, Xiao J, Longville B, et al. Complement factor H Y402H and C-reactive protein
individuals without these high-risk alleles may in part be due to polymorphism and photodynamic therapy response in age-related macular
mechanisms that respond less favourably to anti-VEGF therapy. degeneration. Ophthalmology 2009;116:1908e12.
17. Brantley MA Jr, Edelstein SL, King JM, et al. Association of complement factor H
Funding This project was supported by a grant from Yorkshire Eye Research and by and LOC387715 genotypes with response of exudative age-related macular
an investigator-initiated research grant from Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK. The funding degeneration to photodynamic therapy. Eye (Lond) 2009;23:626e31.
organisations had no role in either the design or the conduct of the research. 18. Seitsonen SP, Jarvela IE, Meri S, et al. The effect of complement factor H Y402H
polymorphism on the outcome of photodynamic therapy in age-related macular
Competing interests None. degeneration. Eur J Ophthalmol 2007;17:943e9.
Ethics approval This study was conducted with the approval of the Leeds East 19. Brantley MA Jr, Fang AM, King JM, et al. Association of complement factor H and
Research Ethics Committee. LOC387715 genotypes with response of exudative age-related macular degeneration
to intravitreal bevacizumab. Ophthalmology 2007;114:2168e73.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed. 20. Nischler C, Oberkofler H, Ortner C, et al. Complement factor H Y402H gene
polymorphism and response to intravitreal bevacizumab in exudative age-related
macular degeneration. Acta Ophthalmol. Published Online First: 14 January 2011.
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These include:
References This article cites 26 articles, 9 of which can be accessed free at:
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