Background: Data are conflicting concerning the association between ischemic stroke and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T mutation. Studies addressing this matter in developing countries are limited.
Aim: This study was undertaken to evaluate MTHFR C677T gene polymorphism as a possible risk factor in patients with ischemic stroke in Iraq.
Settings and design: A case-control study in a major teaching hospital in Northern Iraq.
Materials and methods: Study population included 70 patients with ischemic stroke diagnosed by computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and 50 controls matched by age and sex. All the patients and controls had detailed neurologic examination and blood sugar, lipid profile, total homocysteine, as well as, MTHFR gene analysis. The MTHFR C677T mutation status was detected in the amplified products using reverse hybridization to specific mutant and wild oligonucleotide probes by a colorimetric microwell plate method.
Statistical analysis: Mann-Whitney U test and Chi-square tests were used to find the significance.
Results: The median age of the patients was 60 years and 54% were males. The MTHFR C677T gene analysis detected TT genotype in 20% of patients and in 6% of controls and CC genotype in 37% of the patients and in 54% of the controls. The calculated risk of ischemic stroke in the subjects with TT genotype was 4.85 times more than the subjects with CC genotype (P = 0.03). Serum homocysteine level was significantly higher in the patients than the controls (P = 0.02). The serum homocysteine levels were significantly higher in those with TT and CT genotypes when compared to those with CC genotype (P < 0.001 and P = 0.04, respectively).
Conclusion: In the Iraq population studied MTHFR C677T TT genotype was a significant risk factor for ischemic stroke and it was related to the increased total homocysteine levels and the risk for ischemic stroke was graded with increasing MTHFR 677T allele dose.