APOE Linked to Corneal Damage in Eye Infections

TOPLINE:

Elevated expression of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene is linked to corneal damage in patients with acute infection of the eye and shows high specificity in distinguishing affected individuals.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers conducted a cross-sectional study in three phases to identify genetic markers associated with corneal damage in patients with acute eye infection from hospitals in the United States, India, and Thailand.
• They collected swabs from affected eyes and examined patients for corneal damage.
• Phases 1, 2, and 3 involved 90, 48, and 164 patients, respectively.

TAKEAWAY:

• In the first phase, the researchers identified 13 genes associated with corneal damage from a group of 36 patients.
• They developed a model with an accuracy of 85% on the basis of these genes, which dropped to 74% when the gene APOE was removed, confirming APOE as a predictor of eye damage.
• In the second phase, the researchers validated the association of APOE with corneal damage. Patients with corneal damage had higher levels of APOE expression than those without corneal damage (median, 0.23 vs 0.04; P = .004).
• Phase 3 involved two groups of patients; APOE showed modest sensitivity (56% and 45%) and high specificity (88% and 93%) in these groups.

IN PRACTICE:

“If APOE can predict the development of keratitis early in the conjunctivitis course, the potential for earlier or preventive measures can be initiated,” the authors wrote.

SOURCE:

The study was led by Gerami D. Seitzman, MD, of the University of California, San Francisco, and appeared online on August 15, 2024, in JAMA Ophthalmology.

LIMITATIONS:

The study did not validate the performance of the combinations of genes with APOE, which could potentially improve sensitivity. The modest sensitivity of APOE may limit its use as a screening biomarker. The broad definition of corneal involvement and lack of follow-up were additional limitations.

DISCLOSURES:

The study was supported in part by grants from the National Eye Institute and an unrestricted grant from Research to Prevent Blindness. One author reported receiving consulting fees from various pharmaceutical companies outside the submitted work.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.