Analysis association of acute ischemic stroke and DNA markers in Russian and Moldavian populations

Polymorphisms c.202G > A of prothrombin F2 gene, c.1691G > A of coagulation factor V F5 gene, c.675delinsG of plasminogen activator1 gene, and (-5)T > C Kozak gene of thrombocytic receptor were studied in the Russian and Moldavian ethnic groups. We have found no association between these polymorphisms and the risk of ischemic stroke development in both ethnic groups. No association was revealed between the risk of stroke development and various combinations of the single nucleotide polymorphisms examined in the sample of ischemic stroke patients from Russia.     

DNA repair XPCC1 and XPD genes polymorphism as associated with the development of bladder cancer and renal cell carcinoma

We examined the associations between the polymorphic alleles of the DNA repair genes XRCC1 (c.839G>A, rs25489; and c.1196A>G, rs25487), XPA (c.-4A>G, rs1800975), and XPD (c.2251A>C, rs13181) and the progression and severity of neoplasias in the urinary bladder and kidney in patients of three distinct ethnic groups, Bashkir, Russians, and Tatar, residing in the Republic of Bashkorostan. The study enrolled 468 cancer patients and 351 healthy individuals. Genotyping for polymorphic alleles was carried out using the PCR-RFLP method. We identified an association between allele A of the c.839G>A locus of the XRCC1 gene and the incidence of the bladder cancer (BC) and renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in the Tatar study group, using the additive genetic effects model (Odds Ratio (OR) = 5.23 and OR = 3.90). In turn, the heterozygous G/A genotype frequency was significantly higher in the RCC patients of Bashkir ethnic origin, compared with the control group (p = 0.0061, OR = 4.72). Additional analysis with consideration of participants smoking status showed that the G/A genotype is significantly more frequent in smokers with BC (OR = 1.96, p = 0.05) than in healthy smokers. We also determined, using the recessive genetic model, that the genotype A/A of the c.1196A>G locus of the XRCC1 gene was associated with a higher risk of BC in the Russian cohort (OR = 2.29, p = 0.0082) and an increased incidence of RCC in the Bashkir group (OR = 4.06, p = 0.05). A similar association was obtained for smokers. In contrast, the allele c.2251A>C in the XPD gene associated with a lower risk for BC and RCC in the Tatars (p = 0.0003, OR = 0.48 and p < 0.0001, OR = 0.37) in the additive model and in the Bashkirs (p = 0.0083, OR = 0.12) and Russians (p = 0.0001, OR = 0.14) in the recessive model. Further, we uncovered that polymorphism c.839G>A in the XRCC1 gene contributes to the progression of noninvasive and invasive BC and promotes RCC at early and advanced stages of the disease. Thus, we identified similar associations between DNA repair gene polymorphisms and the incidence and progression of BC and RCC. We propose that this result points to the involvement of common pathogenetic mechanisms in the initiation and progression of the urinary neoplasias.     

Endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene polymorphisms and the risk of acute myocardial infarction in a South Indian population

Myocardial infarction (MI) is a complex multi-factorial, polygenic disorder which results from an interaction between a person’s genetic makeup and various environmental factors. Nitric oxide (NO), a potent vasodilator produced by endothelial cells, plays an important role in the regulation of blood pressure, regional blood flow and also inhibits platelet aggregation, vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and leukocyte adhesion to vascular endothelium. Our aim was to analyze the association of NOS3 (endothelial nitric oxide synthase 3) 894G>T and ?786T>C gene polymorphisms and MI risk in the South Indian population. A total of 287 MI patients, 279 risk control patients and 321 healthy controls were recruited for the retrospective study. Genotyping was done using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). There was no significant association observed between NOS3 894G>T, ?786T>C polymorphisms and MI. A significant difference was observed in the distribution of GT genotype of the NOS3 894G>T polymorphism between the cases and the risk controls (p = 0.05) but the odds ratio (0.6) did not show risk for MI. The present study showed lack of association between NOS3 gene polymorphisms and MI in South Indian population.     

Association of Interleukin-6, Interleukin-12, and Interleukin-10 Gene Polymorphisms with Essential Hypertension in Tatars from Russia

Essential hypertension is a common disease with fatal clinical complications. Epidemiological and family studies have confirmed the role of genetic predisposition in its development. Hypertensive patients have been shown to have an altered profile of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. The aim of our investigation was to reveal the association of interleukin-6, interleukin-12, and interleukin-10 gene polymorphisms with essential hypertension and its clinical complications in a Tatar ethnic group from Bashkortostan, Russia. The study involved 362 hypertensive patients and 244 healthy subjects from this Tatar ethnic group (Bashkortostan, Russia). DNA was isolated from whole venous blood using phenol–chloroform extraction by the standard method. IL6 −572 G/C, IL12B 1159 C/A, and IL10 –627 C/A genotypes were typed using polymerase chain reaction followed by restriction enzyme digestion. We found that the IL10 −627 *C/*C genotype was associated with decreased risk of hypertension (OR = 0.64, P = 0.035). IL6 genotypes and allele distribution did not differ significantly between subjects with and without hypertension, but the IL6 −572 *G/*G genotype frequency was found to be significantly higher among those patients who had stroke, compared with normotensive control subjects (P = 0.036). Carriers of the IL12B 1159 *A/*A genotype had a lower risk of stroke (OR = 0.38, P = 0.028). Our study has shown the association between IL10 −627 C/A polymorphism and essential hypertension in the Tatar ethnic group from Bashkortostan, Russia. The IL10 −627*C/*C genotype was found to be protective against hypertension. We also demonstrated that hypertensive patients with the IL12B *A/*A and IL6 *G/*G genotypes had increased risk of stroke. Our results suggest a role for cytokines in cardiovascular disease development in the Tatar ethnic group, but further investigation is needed.     

Association of the Genetic Polymorphisms in Pre-MicroRNAs with Risk of Ischemic Stroke in a Chinese Population

microRNA (miRNA) plays a role in the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke, and single nucleotide polymorphisms in miRNA genes may contribute to disease susceptibility. However, the effect of miR-146a, miR-196a2, and miR-499 polymorphisms on ischemic stroke susceptibility has been rarely reported. Using the TaqMan assay, we evaluated the association of hsa-miR-146a/rs2910164, hsa-miR-196a2/rs11614913, and hsa-miR-499/rs3746444 polymorphisms with the risk of ischemic stroke in a Chinese population with 531 ischemic stroke patients and 531 control subjects. Rs2910164 C/G genotypes were significantly associated with increased risk of ischemic stroke in different genetic model (homozygote comparison: OR = 2.00, 95% CI, 1.29–3.12, P = 0.002; additive model: OR = 1.35, 95% CI, 1.10–1.65, P = 0.004;dominant model: OR = 1.33, 95% CI, 1.00–1.75, P = 0.049; recessive model: OR = 1.82, 95% CI, 1.20–2.74, P = 0.004). Subjects with allele G of hsa-miR-146a/ rs2910164 also showed increased risk of ischemic stroke (OR = 1.33, 95% CI, 1.09–1.62, P = 0.005). Stratification analysis showed that the association between rs2910164 and the risk of ischemic stroke was more pronounced in subjects over 60 years old, females, non-drinkers, subjects without hypertension or diabetes mellitus. There were significant combined effects between miR-146a/rs2910164 and fasting glucose/low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels on ischemic stroke susceptibility. However, we failed to find any association between the alleles/genotypes of rs11614913 T/C and ischemic stroke, respectively (P> 0.05). In summary, this study provides evidence that miR-146a/rs2910164 might be associated with a significantly increased risk of ischemic stroke in a Chinese population, and the combined effects between miRNA polymorphism and fasting glucose /blood lipid levels may contribute to stroke pathogenesis.     

Association of ADAM33 gene polymorphisms with asthma in Mongolian and Han groups in Inner Mongolia

Polymorphisms in the gene encoding for A disintegrin and metalloprotease 33 (ADAM33) are closely associated with the risk of bronchial asthma attacks in different populations. We collected blood samples from 248 asthma patients – 130 of the Han ethnic group and 118 of the Mongolian ethnic group – living in the Inner Mongolia region of China, and analyzed the single nuclear polymorphisms (SNPs) of the T1, T2 and V4 loci of the ADAM33 gene using PCR-RFLP (restriction fragment length polymorphism). In addition, we also tested 256 healthy controls (134 and 122 from the Han and Mongolian ethnic groups respectively) for the same SNPs. Three genotypes of the T1, T2 and V4 loci were predominantly detected: while polymorphisms in the T1 locus were significantly associated with asthma risk in both Mongolian and Han ethnicities (P?<?0.05, 1P?<?0.05), that in the V4 locus were relevant only in the Mongolian patients (P?<?0.05, 1P?>?0.05). In contrast, polymorphisms in the T2 locus showed no significant association with asthma risk in either ethnic group (P?>?0.05, 1P?>?0.05).     

Apolipoprotein A5 polymorphisms in Turkish population: association with serum lipid profile and risk of ischemic stroke

Atherosclerosis, a major cause of ischemic stroke, may be associated with variability of triglyceride (TG) levels. Apolipoprotein A5 (APOA5) genetic polymorphisms are associated with altered TG levels. The objective of this study was to investigate the coding region polymorphisms S19W (rs3135506) and G185C (rs2075291) and the promoter region polymorphism ?1131T>C (rs662799) of the APOA5 gene as risk factors for ischemic stroke in Turkish population. Study group consisted of 272 ischemic stroke patients and 123 controls. Genotypes were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for S19W and PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis (PCR–RFLP) for ?1131T>C and G185C. 19W allele frequency was 0.090 in stroke patients and 0.062 in controls (P = 0.191). Minor allele frequencies of ?1131T>C and G185C in patients were 0.106 and 0.004, respectively, and were nearly the same in controls. Total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels were significantly higher for stroke patients having at least one 19W allele compared to non-carriers. A significant difference was also found for LDL-cholesterol levels of stroke patients; higher in ?1131C allele carriers compared to wild type patients. There was a trend for higher frequency of ischemic stroke among ?1131C allele carrier hypertensive, diabetic or obese subjects compared to non-carriers. However, APOA5 genotypes were not associated with the risk of ischemic stroke by logistic regression analysis. The present study demonstrated that carrying rare alleles of APOA5 S19W, ?1131T>C and G185C alone do not constitute a risk for ischemic stroke in the studied Turkish subjects.     

SLCO2B1 genetic polymorphisms in a Korean population: pyrosequencing analyses and comprehensive comparison with other populations

SLCO2B1, also known as OATP2B1 (Organic Anion Transporter) or OATP-B or SLC21A9, is an organic anion uptake transporter that is encoded by the SLCO2B1 gene. In this study we assessed the frequencies of SLCO2B1 polymorphisms in a Korean population using newly developed pyrosequencing methods and compared their frequencies with those in other ethnic groups. We developed pyrosequencing methods to identify the following six SLCO2B1 non-synonymous polymorphisms: c.1175C > T (rs1621378), c.1457C > T (rs2306168), c.43C > T (rs56837383), c.935G > A (rs12422149), c.601G > A (rs35199625) and c.644A > T (rs72559740). The allele frequencies of these polymorphisms were analyzed in 227 Korean subjects. The allele frequencies of SLCO2B1 polymorphisms in the population tested were as follows: 0.0 for c.1175C > T, c.43C > T and c.644A > T; 0.2687 for c.1457C > T; 0.4273 for c.935G > A; and 0.0727 for c. 601G > A. Even though the allele frequencies of the c.1175C > T and c.1457C > T polymorphisms were comparable to those in Japanese subjects, the frequencies in this Korean population differed from those in other ethnic groups. The developed pyrosequencing methods are rapid and reliable for detecting non-synonymous SLCO2B1 polymorphisms. Large ethnic differences in the frequency of SLCO2B1 genetic polymorphisms were noted among ethnic groups. The SLCO2B1 polymorphisms at c.1175C > T, c.43C > T and c.644A > T were not found in the Korean population while c.1457C > T, c.935G > A and c.601G > A exhibited mostly higher frequencies in Koreans compared with Finnish, Caucasian and African-American populations.     

Analysis of Variations in the Glutamate Receptor,N-Methyl D-Aspartate 2A (GRIN2A) Gene Reveals Their Relative Importance as Genetic Susceptibility Factors for Heroin Addiction

The glutamate receptor, N-methyl D-aspartate 2A (GRIN2A) gene that encodes the 2A subunit of the N-methyl D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor was recently shown to be involved in the development of opiate addiction. Genetic polymorphisms in GRIN2A have a plausible role in modulating the risk of heroin addiction. An association of GRIN2A single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with heroin addiction was found earlier in African Americans. To identify markers that contribute to the genetic susceptibility to heroin addiction, we examined the potential association between heroin addiction and forty polymorphisms of the GRIN2A gene using the MassARRAY system and GeneScan in this study. The frequency of the (GT)26 repeats (rs3219790) in the heroin addiction group was significantly higher than that in the control group (χ² = 5.360, P = 0.021). The allele frequencies of three polymorphisms (rs1102972, rs1650420, and rs3104703 in intron 3) were strongly associated with heroin addiction (P<0.001, 0.0002, and <0.001, after Bonferroni correction). Three additional SNPs from the same intron (rs1071502, rs6497730, and rs1070487) had nominally significant P values for association (P<0.05), but did not pass the threshold value. Haplotype analysis revealed that the G-C-T-C-C-T-A (block 6) and T-T (block 10) haplotypes of the GRIN2A gene displayed a protective effect (P = <0.001 and 0.003). These findings point to a role for GRIN2A polymorphisms in heroin addiction among the Han Chinese from Shaanxi province, and may be informative for future genetic or neurobiological studies on heroin addiction.     

Association of <Emphasis Type="Italic">ACYP2</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">TSPYL6</Emphasis> Genetic Polymorphisms with Risk of Ischemic Stroke in Han Chinese Population

The development of ischemic stroke is associated with advanced age. Telomere length, as a marker of biological aging, has been reported to influence the risk of several age-related diseases, including ischemic stroke. Recent studies have identified the genetic variant within ACYP2 and TSPYL6 associated with shorter telomere length. The objective of this study is to investigate the putative association of ischemic stroke with common polymorphisms in ACYP2 and TSPYL6 genes in a Chinese Han population. We found that the risk alleles of six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), including rs11125529, rs12615793, rs843711, rs11896604, and rs843706 within both ACYP2 and TSPYL6, and rs17045754 in ACYP2 gene, were related with increased risk of ischemic stroke according to both allelic and genotype association analyses. The significant correlations between ACYP2 and TSPYL6 SNPs and ischemic stroke risk were also observed in dominant, recessive, and additive models, respectively. Two blocks in high linkage disequilibrium were identified in this study, and two haplotypes were associated with higher ischemic stroke susceptibility. In conclusion, the genetic polymorphisms of ACYP2 and TSPYL6 are associated with increased risk of developing ischemic stroke. Further studies with larger sample sizes are required to validate our findings.     

Pro-inflammatory cytokine gene polymorphisms and threat for coronary heart disease in a North Indian Agrawal population

The association of IFN-γ (+ 874 A/T; rs2430561), TNF-α (− 308 G/A; rs1800629) and TNF-β (+ 252 A/G; rs909253) with Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) has not been rigorously tested in Indian population. In the present study we sought to examine the role of these cytokines in the causation of CHD and their association with conventional CHD risk factors. A total of 138 case and 187 unrelated healthy controls aged 35 to 80 years, matched on ethnicity and geography were collected from North Indian Agrawal population. Single nucleotide polymorphisms at the promoter TNF-α − 308 G/A and the intronic IFN-γ + 874 A/T were analyzed by allele-specific PCR, and the intronic TNF-β + 252 A/G was analyzed by RFLP. Of the three selected polymorphisms, genotypic distribution of IFN-γ + 874 A/T and TNF-β + 252 A/G polymorphisms was significantly different between patients and controls in the present study. OR revealed statistically significant risk for CHD with respect to IFN-γ + 874 T allele, whereas OR for TNF-β + 252 A/G showed three fold risk in homozygous condition though not significant. No such trend could be observed for TNF-α − 308 G/A polymorphism. Multivariate logistic regression after adjusting for all the confounders showed significant risk for CHD with the genotypes and genotypic combinations of all the three markers (albeit not significant with TNF-α). Increased risk for CHD was likely to be associated with interaction of IFN-γ with diastolic hypertension, TNF-α with diabetes and BMI, and TNF-β with serum triglyceride and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) levels. The results suggest that these selected cytokine polymorphisms could possibly serve as potential bio-markers for CHD in conjunction with specific conventional risk factors.     

GL261 glioma tumor cells respond to ATP with an intracellular calcium rise and glutamate release

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is one of the most severe and unpredictable complications of prematurity. There are two possible mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of NEC: individual inflammatory response and impaired blood flow in mesenteric vessels with secondary ischemia of the intestine. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible relationship between polymorphisms: Il-1β 3953C>T, Il-6 ?174G>C and ?596G>A, TNFα ?308G>A, and 86 bp variable number tandem repeat polymorphism of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (Il-1RN VNTR 86 bp) and three polymorphisms that may participate in arteries tension regulation and in consequence in intestine blood flow impairment: eNOS (894G>T and ?786T>C) and END-1 (5665G>T) and NEC in 100 infants born from singleton pregnancy, before 32 + 0 weeks of gestation, exposed to antenatal steroids therapy, and without congenital abnormalities. In study population, 22 (22%) newborns developed NEC. Surgery-requiring NEC was present in 7 children. Statistical analysis showed 20-fold higher prevalence of NEC in infants with the genotype TT [OR 20 (3.71–208.7); p = 0.0004] of eNOS 894G>T gene polymorphism. There was a higher prevalence of allele C carriers of eNOS 786T>C in patients with surgery-requiring NEC [OR 4.881 (1.33–21.99); p = 0.013]. Our investigation did not confirm any significant prevalence for NEC development in another studied genotypes/alleles. This study confirms the significant role of polymorphisms that play role in intestine blood flow. Identifying gene variants that increase the risk for NEC development may be useful in screening infants with inherent vulnerability and creating strategies for individualized care.     

Flavin containing monooxygenase 3 genetic polymorphisms Glu158Lys and Glu308Gly and their relation to ischemic stroke

Ischemic stroke is a multifactorial disease leading to severe long-term disability and it is the third leading cause of death in developed countries. Although many studies have been reported to elucidate etiological and pathological mechanisms of stroke, the genetic and molecular basis of disease remains poorly understood. Recent studies have shown that reactive oxygen species causing oxidative stress play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis that is the main cause of a group of cardiovascular diseases including ischemic stroke. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between FMO3 Glu158Lys and Glu308Gly variants, and the risk of incidence of ischemic stroke in Turkish population. Two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the FMO3 gene were genotyped by using PCR-RFLP technique in a sample set of 245 cases and 145 controls. In the case-control analysis, no significant difference was observed between stroke patients and controls with respect to FMO3 Glu158Lys and Glu308Gly polymorphisms' genotype and allele frequency distribution. However, heterozygote 158Glu/Lys (OR = 6.110, P < 0.001) and 308Glu/Gly (OR = 6.000, P = 0.006) genotypes increase the risk of stroke 6 times in hypertensive subjects. On the other hand, the wild type genotypes 158Glu/Glu and 308Glu/Glu had 6.2-fold and 4.8-fold higher risk of ischemic stroke in obese subgroup, respectively. Our results clearly showed that the risk of hypertension-related ischemic stroke was higher in the heterozygote genotype carriers. This is the first study conducted regarding the association of FMO3 Glu158Lys and Glu308Gly genetic polymorphisms and ischemic stroke risk in Turkish population.     

Multilocus analysis of the association of polymorphic variants of inflammation genes with ischemic stroke in Russians

Carriage frequencies of alleles and genotypes of polymorphic loci of inflammation genes (49A>G CTLA4, 41G>A and 87C>T PDE4D, ?590C>T IL4, ?308A>G TNF, 252G>A LTA, 874A>T IFNG, ?509С>Т, 869T>C and 915G>C TGFB1) were determined in a sample of 200 patients diagnosed with ischemic stroke and in the control group similar in gender and age (146 individuals), all ethnic Russians. The positive association of the allele PDE4D*87C (р = 0.028) and genotype TGFB1*?509Т/Т (р = 0.02) carriage with ischemic stroke was shown. The association of the disease with the carriage of the allele PDE4D*41А (р = 0.009) in individuals under the age of 60 and with carriage of the allele IFNG*874Т (р = 0.02) in individuals older than 60 was observed among the subgroups of patients stratified by age when they suffered the stroke compared to a control group of the same age. In subgroups stratified by gender, carriage of the genotype TGFB1*915G/G (р = 0.0015) was identified as a risk factor in male patients, while no significant differences between female patients and healthy women were observed. Multilocus analysis was undertaken to search for the association of several combinations of studied gene variants with ischemic stroke. The polymorphic locus–174G>C of the IL6 gene, for which an association with the disease was previously demonstrated, was also included in this analysis. The disease-predisposing biallelic combinations include the IL6*?174G, PDE4D*87C, TGFB1*?509Т and TGFB1*915G alleles. In the subgroups stratified by gender, the allelic combinations mainly include the similar risk alleles as in the total group, while between the subgroups stratified by age (patients who suffered the first stroke at the age of 18 and no older than 60 years and older than 60 years), greater differences were observed. However, a new risk allele, LTA*252G, was identified in combination with PDE4D*41А in women. These findings demonstrate the important role of inflammation in ischemic stroke. The identified single and combined markers may be used further to determine an individual risk for ischemic stroke.     

Association study of polymorphisms in the receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) gene with susceptibility and prognosis of heart failure

Background

Functional polymorphisms in the receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) gene have been implicated in several vascular diseases. However, to date, no study investigated the association of RAGE polymorphisms with heart failure (HF).

Objective

In this study we tested the hypothesis that the 63-bp insertion/deletion, the − 374T > A (rs1800624) and the − 429T > C (rs1800625) polymorphisms in the RAGE gene might be associated with susceptibility to HF and could predict all-cause mortality in Brazilian outpatients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction.

Methods

A total of 273 consecutive HF patients (196 Caucasian- and 77 African-Brazilians) and 334 healthy blood donors (260 Caucasian- and 74 African-Brazilians) were enrolled in a tertiary care university hospital. Genotyping of RAGE polymorphisms was done by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or PCR followed by enzyme restriction analysis.

Results

The allele, genotype and haplotype frequencies of − 374T > A and − 429T > C polymorphisms were not significantly different between HF patients and healthy blood donors in both ethnic groups. However, among African-Brazilians, the frequency of carriership of the del allele was lower in HF patients than in blood donors (2.6% vs 12.2%, respectively, p = 0.008). Patients were followed-up for a median of 38 months and the survival analysis did not reveal a consistent association between RAGE polymorphisms and all-cause death in both ethnic groups.

Conclusion

The − 374T > A and − 429T > C polymorphisms in the RAGE gene were not associated with the susceptibility and prognosis of HF. Notwithstanding, the 63-bp ins/del polymorphism might be involved in the susceptibility to HF in African-Brazilians.     

Association of CVD Candidate Gene Polymorphisms with Ischemic Stroke and Cerebral Hemorrhage in Chinese Individuals

Background

Contribution of cardiovascular disease related genetic risk factors for stroke are not clearly defined. We performed a genetic association study to assess the association of 56 previously characterized gene variants in 34 candidate genes from cardiovascular disease related biological pathways with ischemic stroke and cerebral hemorrhage in a Chinese population.

Methods

There were 1280 stroke patients (1101 with ischemic stroke and 179 with cerebral hemorrhage) and 1380 controls in the study. The genotypes for 56 polymorphisms of 34 candidate genes were determined by the immobilized probe approach and the associations of gene polymorphisms with ischemic stroke and cerebral hemorrhage were performed by logistic regression under an allelic model.

Results

After adjusting for age, sex, BMI and hypertension status by logistic regression analysis, we found that NPPA rs5063 was significantly associated with both ischemic stroke (odds ratio [OR] 0.69; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.52 to 0.90; P = 0.006) and cerebral hemorrhage(OR = 0.39; 95%CI, 0.19 to 0.78; P = 0.007). In addition, MTHFR rs1801133 also was associated with cerebral hemorrhage (OR = 1.48; 95%CI, 1.16 to1.89; P = 0.001) but not with ischemic stroke (OR = 1.08; 95%CI, 0.96 to1.22; P = 0.210). After false discovery rate (FDR) correction, the association of NPPA rs5063 and MTHFR rs1801133 with cerebral hemorrhage remained significant.

Conclusions

The NPPA rs5063 is associated with reduced risk for cerebral hemorrhage and MTHFR rs1801133 is associated with increased risk of cerebral hemorrhage in a Chinese population.     

Polymorphic variants of <Emphasis Type="Italic">ALOX</Emphasis>5<Emphasis Type="Italic">AP</Emphasis> gene and the risk of acute stroke development in the Russian population

The role of variants of the gene encoding arachidonate 5-lipoxygenase-activating protein (ALOX5AP) as possible susceptibility factors for acute stroke were examinated. Two ALOX5AP gene polymorphisms (SG13S114 (rs10507391) and SG13S32 (rs9551963)), which previously had shown association with the risk of ischemic stroke in other populations, were studied. These single nucleotide polymorphisms were analyzed using a sample of acute stroke patients (N = 1320) and a control sample (N = 467). No statistically significant associations were found between acute stroke and the ALOX5AP gene polymorphisms examined.     

Association of heat shock protein70-2 (HSP70-2) gene polymorphism with coronary artery disease in an Iranian population

Background

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is an inflammatory process and a major cause of mortality and morbidity. The (heat shock protein70-2) HSP70-2 gene is reported to be associated with coronary artery disease possibly by affecting the regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α. The association between CAD and the HSP70-2 gene + 1267A>G polymorphism has been studied in some populations but there are no data about this association in the Iranian population.

Aim

We have investigated the association between the HSP70-2 gene + 1267A>G polymorphism and angiographically defined CAD within an Iranian population.

Methods

We determined the presence of the HSP70-2 gene + 1267A>G polymorphism in 628 patients with CAD and 307 healthy individuals using PCR-RFLP. Of the patients, 433 (68%) had > 50% stenosis (CAD +) and the remaining 195 patients had < 50% stenosis (CAD −), based on coronary angiography. Angiogram positive patients were subdivided into three groups: those with single (n = 113), double (n = 134), and triple vessels (n = 186) disease.

Results

A significant higher frequency of AG + GG genotypes (G allele carriers) was observed in angiogram positive and angiogram negative groups compared to controls in a dominant analysis model of the HSP70-2 gene + 1267A>G position (51.2 vs. 43.2, P = 0.002, OR = 1.37) (51.0 vs. 43.2, P = 0.01, OR = 1.37). The allele frequency of the HSP70-2 G was also significantly higher in angiogram positive and angiogram negative groups compared to the control group (51.2 vs. 43.2, P = 0.002, OR = 1.37) (51.0 vs. 43.2, P = 0.01, OR = 1.37).

Conclusion

These results suggest that HSP70-2 + 1267 polymorphism may influence the risk of CAD in Iranian population, however further studies are needed to clarify the role of other HSP70-2 gene polymorphisms in the pathogenesis of the CAD.     

Polymorphism of RGS2 gene as genetic marker of schizophrenia risk and pharmacogenetic markers of the efficiency of typical neuroleptics

Schizophrenia affects about 1% of the general population. The group of RGS genes that regulate the signaling activity of G protein and modulate signal transduction by the neurotransmitter receptors involved in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia is currently under active investigation. The association of polymorphism in the RGS2 gene with the occurrence of extrapyramidal disorders induced by neuroleptics was demonstrated previously. The present work involved the analysis of DNA from 258 patients with paranoid schizophrenia and 263 healthy blood donors resident in the Republic of Bashkortostan and belonging to Russian and Tatar ethnic groups. Genetic markers of increased risk of paranoid schizophrenia, namely, the genotype RGS2*G/*G (rs2746071) in Russians (p = 0.001, OR = 4.08) and Tatars (p = 0.000; OR = 4.88), the allele RGS2*G (rs2746071) in Russians (p = 0.00003, OR = 2.37) and Tatars (p = 0.000; OR = 2.51), as well as genetic markers associated with reduced disease risk, were identified. Moreover, genetic markers associated with increased risk of neuroleptic parkinsonism in Russian patients with paranoid schizophrenia treated with the typical antipsychotic haloperidol (RGS2*T/*T (rs2746073), RGS2*C/*C (rs4606), and RGS2*A/*A (rs2746071)) and genetic markers of efficient haloperidol therapy in Tatars were identified. The results are consistent with those obtained previously and support the hypothesis concerning the association of RGS2 gene polymorphisms with the risk of extrapyramidal syndrome development during haloperidol therapy and their involvement in the etiology and pathogenesis of schizophrenia.