WDR36 gene rarely causes glaucoma in Italian families

The WDR36 gene sequence rarely causes primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) in Italian families, confirms a study published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

Dr Paolo Frezzotti et al., Department of Ophthalmology, University of Siena, Siena, Italy, conducted a study on 34 Italian families with POAG. Out of the families, 25 had high-tension glaucoma (HTG), 4 had juvenile open-angle glaucoma and 1 presented with normal tension glaucoma. Four families were affected by both HTG-POAG and juvenile open-angle glaucoma. The families were analysed by denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography in order to mutate the WDR36 gene.

The findings suggest the D658G allele pose a higher risk in the families than the EDR36 gene. Further investigation of Italian families is required to identify WDR36's role in the pathophysiology of POAG.