Evaluation of MYOC, ACAN, HGF, and MET as candidate genes for high myopia in a Han Chinese population.

Aim: To investigate the association between high myopia (HM) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the myocilin (MYOC), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), hepatocyte growth factor receptor (MET), and aggrecan (ACAN) genes in a Han Chinese population. Methods: Sixteen SNPs were genotyped by the SNaPshot method in a subject group composed of 1052 HM patients and 1070 controls. Statistical analysis was performed to determine the association between the SNPs and the susceptibility of HM. Results: Two SNPs (rs3784757 and rs1516794) in ACAN were significantly associated with HM (p=0.0334 and 0.0236, odds ratio [OR]=0.83 and 0.79, respectively). The risk haplotype CA and the protective haplotype TT, generated by rs3784757 and rs1516794, showed significant association with HM (p=0.0327 and 0.0304, OR=1.21 and 0.80, respectively). Two SNPs (rs38857 and rs10215153) in MET and one SNP (rs3784757) in ACAN showed significant association with HM (p=0.0064, 0.0113, and 0.0373; OR=4.14, 5.74 and 0.52; respectively) in the recessive model. None of the other SNPs showed significant association with HM. Conclusions: Our results suggested that genetic variants in ACAN and MET are associated with HM. Functional roles of ACAN and MET in the development of HM need to be further investigated.