Correlation between apolipoprotein E gene polymorphism and risk factors of ischemic stroke

  Objective  To analyze the correlation between apolipoprotein E (ApoE) gene polymorphism and risk factors of ischemic stroke.

  Methods  Totally 1 027 patients with ischemic stroke treated in the Department of Neurology of the First Hospital of Hebei Medical University from October to December 2019 were selected, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-fluorescent probe technique was used to detect the distribution of ApoE gene polymorphism. After further screening, 716 hospitalized patients were selected. According to ApoE allele, the patients were divided into group of ε2 allele carriers (ε2/ε2, ε2/ε3), group of ε3 allele carriers(ε3/ε3) and group of ε4 allele carriers (ε3/ε4, ε4/ε4), and ε2/ε4 allele was excluded due to its opposite effect on blood lipid metabolism. Correlation between ApoE gene polymorphism and risk factors of ischemic stroke was analyzed.

  Results  There was no significant difference in the gender distribution of ApoE gene polymorphism in patients with ischemic stroke (P>0.05). There were significant differences in the levels of lipoprotein aLp(a), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and the incidence of hypercholesterolemia among the groups of ε2, ε3 and ε4 allele carriers. Univariate Logistic regression analysis showed that ApoE ε4 alleles (OR=1.924, 95%CI, 1.235 to 2.997, P=0.004) and diabetes mellitus (OR=1.963, 95%CI, 1.367 to 2.820, P < 0.001) were risk factors of hypercholesterolemia. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that ApoE ε4 allele was associated with the increased risk of hypercholesterolemia when ε3/ε3 genotype was considered as the reference (OR=1.943, 95%CI, 1.240 to 3.043).

  Conclusion  ApoE gene polymorphism is associated with hypercholesterolemia in patients with ischemic stroke. Compared with ε3 allele carriers, ε4 allele carriers have a significantly increased risk of hypercholesterolemia.