1: Science. 2005 Apr 15;308(5720):385-9. Epub 2005 Mar 10.Click here to read Click here to read Links
Comment in:
Science. 2005 Apr 15;308(5720):362-4.

Complement factor H polymorphism in age-related macular degeneration.

Laboratory of Statistical Genetics, Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021, USA.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a major cause of blindness in the elderly. We report a genome-wide screen of 96 cases and 50 controls for polymorphisms associated with AMD. Among 116,204 single-nucleotide polymorphisms genotyped, an intronic and common variant in the complement factor H gene (CFH) is strongly associated with AMD (nominal P value <10(-7)). In individuals homozygous for the risk allele, the likelihood of AMD is increased by a factor of 7.4 (95% confidence interval 2.9 to 19). Resequencing revealed a polymorphism in linkage disequilibrium with the risk allele representing a tyrosine-histidine change at amino acid 402. This polymorphism is in a region of CFH that binds heparin and C-reactive protein. The CFH gene is located on chromosome 1 in a region repeatedly linked to AMD in family-based studies.

PMID: 15761122 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

PMCID: PMC1512523