Association of ARMS2 genotype with response to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatment in polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy

Background To investigate whether genetic risk variants for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are associated with response to intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) patients. Methods This prospective cohort study included 95 treatment-naïve patients that underwent anti-VEGF treatment for PCV for 12 months. Patients were genotyped for 10 single nucleotide polymorphisms in eight AMD-relevant genes. Genotypic association with visual and anatomic outcome measures at 12 months after initial treatment, including mean change in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and total foveal thickness, visual gain of ≥ 15 letters, dry status on optical coherence tomography (OCT), pigment epithelial detachment (PED) regression on OCT, polyp regression on indocyanine green angiography, and injection numbers, were investigated using regression models with adjustment for non-genetic covariates under additive genetic model. Results In 81 patients who completed 12-month anti-VEGF monotherapy without photodynamic therapy, significant pharmacogenetic association was found between ARMS2 rs10490924 and PED regression on OCT. Proportions of PED regression were 26.4% for TT, 45.7% for TG, and 63.6% for GG genotype, showing additive effect of G allele for higher chance of PED regression (OR, 2.96; 95% CI, 1.38–6.36; corrected P = 0.043). For entire 95 patients, no significant association was found between candidate polymorphisms and receiving photodynamic therapy within 12 months. Conclusions In PCV patients, ARMS2 rs10490924 showed association with anatomic therapeutic response to anti-VEGF, suggesting pharmacogenetic relationship. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12886-017-0631-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.