Interleukin-18 promoter gene polymorphisms may be associated with ischemic stroke pathogenesis, and the –607C allele increases ischemic stroke risk in the Han Chinese population. The frequency distribution of genetic polymorphisms varies among different populations, races, and living environments. A recent study by Haiping Wang and colleagues from Qingdao University Medical College demonstrates that the –13T/C (rs11024595) polymorphism, in the 5′-flanking region of the serum amyloid A gene, shows no correlation with ischemic cerebrovascular disease. However, the C allele of the –607C/A (rs1946518) polymorphism in the interleukin-18 gene promoter is a strong risk factor for ischemic cerebrovascular disease in the Han population of northern China. In addition, the A allele is likely protective for ischemic cerebrovascular disease. These findings published in the Neural Regeneration Research (Vol. 8, No. 20, 2013) are considered to identify molecular genetic mechanisms involved in cerebrovascular disease pathogenesis.
Source: Neural Regeneration Research