Cilioretinal artery: Vasculogenesis might be promoted by plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 5G allele.

ABSTRACTBackground: Cilioretinal arteries (CAs) represent enlargements of microscopic and early established collaterals formed via vasculogenesisbetween choroidal and retinal circulations. We aimed to investigate whether genetic tendency to thrombosis due to well-known gene polymorphismsmay induce CA vasculogenesisin embryonic life.Methods: We assessed plasminogen activator inhibitor-1(PAI-1) 4G/ 5G, methylenetetrahydrofolatereductase (MTHFR), FACTOR V LEIDENand PROTHROMBIN gene polymorphismson 130 patients [82/48 females/males; Median age: 57 (18–84) with visibleCAs and 100 (64/36: female/male; Median age: 55 (19–90)] without visibleCAs.Results: Using multiple logistic regression models, we found PAI-1 4G/ 5G; MTHFR (C677T and A1298C) polymorphisms to have significant effects on the probability of visibleCAs, that having at least one 5Gallele would increase the odds of having visiblecilioretinal artery by 98.4% [Odds ratio: 1984 (95% CI: 1.320–3.000, p = 0.001)], and having at least one MTHFR C6...