A -174G/C polymorphism of the interleukin-6 gene in patients with lacunar infarction

• Published in: Neuroscience letters Vol. 324; no. 1; pp. 29 - 32
• Main Authors: Revilla, Marián, Obach, Vı́ctor, Cervera, Álvaro, Dávalos, Antonio, Castillo, José, Chamorro, Ángel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 10.05.2002; Elsevier
• Subjects: Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Brain - diagnostic imaging; Brain - pathology; Brain - physiopathology; Brain Ischemia - epidemiology; Brain Ischemia - genetics; Brain Ischemia - physiopathology; Cerebral Infarction - epidemiology; Cerebral Infarction - genetics; Cerebral Infarction - physiopathology; Cohort Studies; Cytosine - metabolism; Diabetes Complications; Diabetes Mellitus - epidemiology; Diabetes Mellitus - genetics; DNA Mutational Analysis; Female; Genetic Predisposition to Disease - genetics; Genetic Testing; Genetics; Genotype; Guanine - metabolism; Humans; Hyperlipidemias - complications; Hyperlipidemias - epidemiology; Hyperlipidemias - genetics; Hypertension - complications; Hypertension - epidemiology; Hypertension - genetics; Interleukin-6; Interleukin-6 - genetics; Interleukin-6 - metabolism; Lacunar; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neurology; Point Mutation - genetics; Polymorphism; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide - genetics; Prevalence; Promoter Regions, Genetic - genetics; Radiography; Risk Factors; Smoking - adverse effects; Stroke; Stroke - epidemiology; Stroke - genetics; Stroke - physiopathology; Vascular diseases and vascular malformations of the nervous system; Lacunar; Genetics; Stroke; Interleukin-6; Polymorphism; Human; Nervous system diseases; Pathogenesis; Cytokine; Cardiovascular disease; Cerebral disorder; Vascular disease; Interleukin 6; Gene; Central nervous system disease; Cerebrovascular disease
• ISSN: 0304-3940; 1872-7972
• DOI: 10.1016/S0304-3940(02)00169-6

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a pleiotropic cytokine that plays a central role in the pathogenesis of stroke. A base pair substitution -174G/C in the promoter region of the IL-6 gene regulates IL-6 gene expression. We compared the prevalence of this polymorphism in patients with lacunar stroke and in an age- and sex-matched cohort of asymptomatic controls. Eighty-two patients with lacunar stroke and 82 asymptomatic controls were prospectively assessed and genotyped for the -174G/C polymorphism in the promoter region of the IL-6 gene. Demographics and vascular risk factors were recorded in both groups. A brain computed tomography scan/magnetic resonance imaging confirmed the clinical diagnosis of lacunar stroke in all patients. The prevalence of CC genotype (18.3 vs. 7.3%, P=0.03), and the frequency of C allele (42.7 vs. 31.1%, P=0.03) were statistically significantly higher in patients with lacunar stroke than in asymptomatic controls. Expectedly, patients with lacunar stroke had a higher prevalence of vascular risk factors than asymptomatic controls. A logistic regression model showed that independent variables associated with lacunar stroke included history of hypertension (odds ratio (OR), 7.02; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 3.11–15.81), diabetes (OR, 5.37; 95% CI, 1.52–18.89), hyperlipidemia (OR, 3.43; 95% CI, 1.04–11.25), smoking (OR, 5.84; 95% CI, 2.15–15.84), and CC genotype of the -174G/C IL-6 gene polymorphism (OR, 4.28; 95% CI, 1.22–15.00). These findings suggest that lacunar stroke might result from genetic susceptibility to inflammation-mediated damage in concert with atherosclerotic risk factors.