Neither the 4G/5G PAI-1 gene polymorphism nor the I/D ACE gene polymorphism contributed to the genetic susceptibility to diabetic retinopathy, either non-proliferative, proliferative or severe proliferative diabetic retinopathy, i.e. visual acuity of 0.1 or less in the better eye, in a group of Caucasian subjects with type 2 diabetes.