AIM: To investigate the association between apolipoprotein E (APOE) -219 T>G promoter polymorphism and primary open angle glaucoma (POAG). METHODS: Patients and healthy subjects were genotyped with polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Genotype/allele frequencies were compared between 122 healthy subjects and in 75 POAG patients using Chi-square test. RESULTS: Although the frequency of APOE-219 GG genotype was higher in POAG group (13.3%) than in control group (6.6%), this finding was not statistically significant (P=0.09). In glaucoma patients carrying GG genotype, mean linear C/D ratio was higher and progression was more compared to glaucoma patients with GT genotype. CONCLUSION: APOE-219 T>G polymorphism does not seem to be a risk factor for the presence of glaucoma, but might play a role in deterioration of the disease, which needs further evaluation. Copyright International Journal of Ophthalmology Press.