Genetic Risk for Ischemic and Hemorrhagic Stroke

Objective: We performed an association study to identify gene polymorphisms for assessing the genetic risk of ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke.

Methods And Results: The study population comprised 3151 unrelated Japanese individuals: 1141 stroke patients (636 with atherothrombotic cerebral infarction, 282 with intracerebral hemorrhage, and 223 with subarachnoid hemorrhage) and 2010 controls. The genotypes for 202 polymorphisms of 152 genes were determined by suspension array technology. Multivariable logistic regression analysis with adjustment for conventional risk factors revealed that the -572G-->C polymorphism of the interleukin-6 (IL-6) gene (IL6) was significantly (P<0.001) associated with both atherothrombotic cerebral infarction and intracerebral hemorrhage and that the -55C-->T polymorphism of the uncoupling protein 3 gene (UCP3), the -863C-->A polymorphism of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) gene (TNF), and the G-->A (Gly243Asp) polymorphism of the polycystic kidney disease 1-like gene (PKD1-like) were significantly associated with subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Conclusions: IL6 genotype may be useful in assessing the genetic risk for atherothrombotic cerebral infarction and intracerebral hemorrhage, and genotypes for UCP3, TNF, and PKD1-like may be similarly beneficial in assessment of the risk for subarachnoid hemorrhage. Validation of our findings will require additional studies with independent subject panels.