Lack of association of the M129V polymorphism of the PRNP gene with pseudoexfoliation syndrome

PURPOSE In this study we aimed to evaluate the polymorphism at codon 129 (M129V) of the PRNP gene as a secondary risk factor for pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PEX). METHODS Two hundred and seventy-five unrelated subjects, including 156 patients with PEX and 119 unrelated control subjects, were recruited from the University Hospital of Patras, Greece. All patients and controls were of Caucasian or European ancestry. The PRNP M129V (A/G) single-nucleotide polymorphism was genotyped by real-time polymerase chain reactions. Association of the polymorphism with PEX was assessed using the two-sided Pearson's chi-squared or Fisher's exact test. RESULT No significant difference between patients and controls was observed in terms of frequencies of alleles and genotypes of the PRNP gene. CONCLUSION Polymorphism at M129V of the PRNP gene was evaluated as a secondary risk factor for developing PEX. Our results suggest that this PRNP gene polymorphism is not associated with PEX.