©FUNPEC-RP www.funpecrp.com.br Genetics and Molecular Research 11 (3): 3256-3262 (2012) GSTM1 polymorphism in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma A.M. Barbosa 1 , A.B. Frare 2,3 , N.B. Costa 2,3 , R.E. Silva 4 and K.K.V.O. Moura 5 1 Curso de Biologia, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brasil 2 Núcleo de Pesquisa Replicon, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brasil 3 Programa de Pós-Gradução em Genética, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brasil 4 Clínica VER, Goiânia, GO, Brasil 5 Departamento de Biomedicina, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brasil Corresponding authors: A.M. Barbosa / K.K.V.O. Moura E-mail: andreiamarcelino_@hotmail.com / kkverolli@pucgoias.edu.br Genet. Mol. Res. 11 (3): 3256-3262 (2012) Received November 4, 2011 Accepted June 4, 2012 Published September 12, 2012 DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.4238/2012.September.12.8 ABSTRACT. Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is characterized by loss of retinal ganglion cells, optic nerve damage and irreversible loss of visual ield. Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide. It was estimated that in 2010 there were about 60.5 million glaucoma cases worldwide; among these patients, 4.5 million will become bilaterally blind. Glutathione S-transferases (GST) are a group of drug-metabolizing enzymes of phase-II that act in the detoxiication of xenobiotics and inactivate end-products formed as secondary metabolites during oxidative stress. Through PCR ampliication, we analyzed the GSTM1 gene in DNA samples from 25 patients with POAG and 25 controls; 14 of the patients presented the GSTM1 gene null polymorphism while only eight of the control group had this gene.