Impact of the 1425G/A polymorphism of PRKCH on the recurrence of ischemic stroke: Fukuoka stroke registry

Background Epidemiologic studies have elucidated that the 1425G/A single-nucleotide polymorphism (rs2230500 single-nucleotide polymorphism) in exon 9 of the protein kinase C eta (PRKCH) gene is an independent risk factor for ischemic stroke: stroke incidence is significantly higher in the subjects with AA than those with AG or GG genotype. However, its impact on stroke recurrence remains unknown. The aim of the present study was to clarify whether the polymorphism is also a risk factor for recurrent stroke in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Methods We enrolled 2418 consecutive patients with acute and first-ever ischemic stroke and investigated the 1425G/A polymorphism of PRKCH. Patients were followed up for a median of 733 days. The association between the polymorphism and stroke recurrence was investigated using the Cox proportional hazard model. Results In the enrolled patients, the GG genotype was the most prevalent (63%), followed by AG (32%) and AA genotypes (5%). Recurrent stroke occurred in 302 patients during the follow-up period. Kaplan-Meier analyses revealed no difference in the rate of recurrent stroke after first-ever stroke among the 3 genotypes. The incidence of recurrent stroke was not significantly different in patients with AA (hazard ratio [HR] 1.02, 95% confidence interval.59-1.64, P =.94) or AG (HR.89, 95% confidence interval.69-1.14, P =.36) genotypes compared with those with the GG genotype after adjusting for multiple confounders. Conclusions The 1425G/A polymorphism in PRKCH is not a significant predictor of stroke recurrence in patients with acute ischemic stroke during a 2-year follow-up period.