We aimed to identify specific polymorphisms of genes encoding for vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), renin-angiotensin system (angiotensinogen gene [AGT], angiotensinogen type 1 receptor [AGTR1], angiotensin-converting enzyme [ACE]), and heme oxygenase-1 (HMOX-1) in a cohort of preterm infants and correlate their presence with the development of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) requiring mechanical ventilation (MV), bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).
There is increasing interest in a pathogenetic role for angiotensin II in ischaemic retinopathies such as diabetic retinopathy and retinopathy of prematurity.