Relation between Polymorphisms G1704T and G82S of RAGE Gene and Diabetic Retinopathy in Japanese Type 2 Diabetic Patients

Objective To clarify whether polymorphisms G1704T and G82S of the RAGE gene were related to diabetic retinopathy, we performed a case-control study in Japanese type 2 diabetic patients. Patients and Methods Two hundred and sixty-eight patients with type 2 diabetes were examined for polymorphisms G1704T and G82S of the RAGE gene. The genotypes of G1704T and G82S of the RAGE gene were determined with a fluorescent allele-specific DNA primer assay system. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) was diagnosed in a masked manner by independent ophthalmologists using fundus photographs and was classified as non-diabetic retinopathy (NDR), non-proliferative retinopathy (NPDR), and proliferative retinopathy (PDR). Results The T allele frequency of G1704T and S allele frequency of G82S in patients with DR did not significantly differ from those without retinopathy. There were no differences among the genotypes of G1704T and G82S of the RAGE gene regarding age, duration of diabetes, BMI, HbA1c, blood pressure, and lipids levels. Conclusion These data suggest that polymorphisms G1704T and G82S of the RAGE gene are not related to DR in Japanese type 2 diabetic patients.