Apolipoprotein A1 rs5070 A/G polymorphism with stroke subtypes in Taiwan

Background Apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1) is a structural protein of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; ApoA1 is involved in lipid and cholesterol metabolism. This study evaluated the association of ApoA1 polymorphism (rs5070) with different stroke subtypes in Taiwanese individuals. Methods A total of 2139 cases, including 614 controls and 708 large artery atherosclerosis (LAA), 377 small-vessel occlusion, and 440 hypertensive intracranial hemorrhage cases, were enrolled in this study. ApoA1 polymorphism was genotyped through polymerase chain reaction amplification and then subjected to mass-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry using a Bruker SNP genotyping system in the National Center for Genome Medicine (Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan; http://ncgm.sinica.edu.tw/). Results The frequency of ApoA1 rs5070 dominant genotype (AA vs. AG + GG) was not significantly different among LAA, small-vessel occlusion, and hypertensive intracranial hemorrhage groups compared with that of the control group. Compared with diabetic patients with the AA allele, those with the AG + GG allele of ApoA1 rs5070 polymorphism showed a 1.58-fold likelihood of developing LAA (odds ratio = 1.58; 95% confidence interval = 1.00–2.42; p = 0.046), but not small-vessel occlusion or hypertensive intracranial hemorrhage. In male diabetic patients, the odds ratio increased to 1.90-fold. Conclusion Our findings suggested that genetic polymorphisms of ApoA1 rs5070 A/G may play a role in the susceptibility to LAA among male diabetic patients.