Association of atherosclerotic cerebral infarction and human leukocyte antigen-DRB in a North Chinese Han population

Background and Objectives: Evidence from experimental and genetic studies suggest the existence of a potential link between the polymorphisms of human leukocyte antigen class II gene (HLA-DR) and ischemic stroke. This study addressed the association of HLA-DR gene with atherosclerotic cerebral infarction (ACI) in a North Chinese Han population.
Material and Methods: The genotyping of HLA-DRB1 was determined by standard techniques based on polymerase chain reaction and sequence-specific oligonucleotides hybridization in a gene chip.
Results: The relative risk (RR) of HLA-DRB1*04 and HLA-DRB1*03 (17) in patients with ACI and their first-degree relatives were significantly higher than those in the control group (RR=2.56 and 18.77, respectively; P <0.05). In contrast, the RR of HLA-DRB1*12 was dramatically reduced in patients with ACI in relation to healthy controls (RR=0.17; P <0.01).
Conclusions: These data indicate that the polymorphisms in HLA-DRB1 may influence the risk of ACI in the North Han population of China. Further studies are necessary to validate the observation in larger samples.

Keywords
Atherosclerotic cerebral infarction, gene chip, Han nationality, human leukocyte antigen, north china