BACKGROUND: CCL11 is an important inflammatory cytokine associated with inflammation-related diseases such as atherosclerosis and stroke. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between CCL11 gene polymorphism with subtypes of ischemic stroke in Xinjiang Han populations.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The improved multiple ligase detection reaction (iMLDR) method was used to analyze the genotypes of 6 tag SNPs in the CCL11 gene (rs1129844, rs17809012, rs1860183, rs1860184, rs4795898, and rs4795895) in a case-control study of 406 lacunar stroke patients, 214 large-artery atherosclerotic (LAA) stroke patients, and 425 controls.

RESULTS: We found the GG genotype of rs4795895 was significantly associated with increased risk of lacunar stroke (adjusted OR=1.676, 95%CI=1.117–2.515), and the GA genotype of rs17809012 was associated with a significant increase in risk of LAA stroke (adjusted OR=1.337, 95%CI=1.127–1.585). Hypertension stratification analyses showed that the GA genotype of rs17809012 was significantly associated with LAA stroke in the hypertensive group (adjusted OR=1.274, 95%CI=1.015–1.601). In the non-hypertensive group, the GA genotype of rs17809012 was significantly associated with LAA stroke (adjusted OR=1.361, 95%CI=1.041–1.780). The GG genotype of rs4795895 (adjusted OR=1.147, 95%CI=1.115–4.134) and the TT genotype of rs1860184 were significantly associated with lacunar stroke (adjusted OR=2.440, 95%CI=1.550-3.840).

CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that the CCL11 gene could play an important role in the pathogenesis of lacunar stroke and LAA stroke in the Han population of China.

Keywords: cerebral infarction, Chemokine CCL11, Polymorphism, Genetic