Background and purpose: PRKCH (the gene encoding protein kinase C eta) has a role in the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke. The 1425G/A SNP in PRKCH (rs2230500) is significantly associated with ischemic stroke in Japanese. The aim of the present study is to investigate the associations in ischemic stroke and other types of stroke in the Chinese population.
Methods: A total of 1209 patients with stroke and 1174 controls were examined using a case-control methodology. The 1425G/A SNP in PRKCH was genotyped by allele-specific real-time PCR assay.
Results: The 1425G/A SNP in PRKCH was significantly associated with both ischemic stroke (odds ratio [OR]=1.31; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08 to 1.60; P=0.0058) and cerebral hemorrhage (OR=1.94; 95% CI, 1.21 to 3.10; P=0.0054) under a dominant model. Even after age- and sex-adjustment, the significant associations remained (in ischemic stroke, for AA+AG versus GG, OR=1.37, 95% CI, 1.12 to 1.67, P=0.0019; in cerebral hemorrhage, for AA+AG versus GG, OR=1.96, 95% CI, 1.21 to 3.19, P=0.0064).
Conclusions: The 1425G/A SNP in PRKCH increases the risk of both ischemic stroke and cerebral hemorrhage in the Chinese population.