E-selectin genetic variation as a susceptibility factor for ischemic stroke.

The polymorphism of the E-selectin gene has been implicated in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. We sought to explore whether the allelic variants relate to ischemic stroke. We conducted a case-control study of 359 cases of ischemic stroke and 353 community controls. Participants were evaluated for known cerebrovascular risk factors, and the E-selectin S128R and L554F genotypes were established using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. The frequency of minor allele (R) and heterozygous (RS) genotype of E-selectin S128R polymorphism was significantly higher in the stroke patients than in the controls. Evaluation of genetic variation for E-selectin L554F polymorphisms revealed that the frequency of minor allele (F) and its heterozygous genotype (LF) is almost 4 times higher in the stroke patients than the controls (16.7 vs. 4.3 and 33.4 vs. 8.5, respectively). Multivariable logistic regression analysis after adjustment for age, sex and conventional vascular risk factors demonstrated that alleles R of S128R and F of L554F polymorphisms are independent risk factors for ischemic stroke. The combination of 2 minor alleles of E-selectin genes appeared to be the strongest susceptibility factor for ischemic stroke (adjusted OR: 5.89, 95% CI: 2.84-12.21, p = 0.0001). Our study demonstrates that the E-selectin S128R and L554F polymorphisms are associated with susceptibility to ischemic stroke. (c) 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.